This post is my overview post on sealers.
I’m starting with oil sealers for wood because these are the only totally pure and natural options. Natural waxes are sometimes used with oil finishes and so those follow.
But what about if you want to add a stain to the wood? Onto looking at both non-toxic water-based wood stains and natural oil stain finishes.
Then an overview of clear zero-VOC water-based wood varnishes – some of these are durable enough for floors and others are only for furniture or walls.
Cabinet paints are next. A notoriously difficult surface that needs a smooth and durable coating without added toxins or VOCs.
Another way of looking at sealers is not just as a protector against water and stains but to seal in an offending chemical or odor. An overview of those sealers is included.
Next are exterior sealants, a category that is almost always higher in VOCs than their interior counterparts, these are the healthier options.
Lastly, an overview of stone and concrete sealers and where you can use each of the non-toxic brands in this category.
I recommend all of the products here, some products have affiliate programs and some do not. Upon purchase, I earn a small commission through affiliate links at no extra cost to you.
Table of Contents
1. Natural Non-Toxic Wood Sealers
i. Natural Oil Wood Finishes
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Linseed, tung, refined hemp, soy, and walnut oil are all-natural oils that on their own can be used to seal and protect wood. They are called drying oils.
Drying oils penetrate, harden and preserve wood – providing a long-lasting finish that does not turn rancid.
Coconut oil if refined can be used on wood and won’t go rancid. But it’s not a drying oil, meaning it won’t polymerize and form a durable coating (source). I wouldn’t recommend using olive or other (non-drying) oils because those can go rancid on wood.
Linseed and Tung Oil
Linseed Oil and Tung Oil are the traditional natural finishing oils for wood. These are the two toughest natural oil finishes, with tung oil being the toughest. Both are great for wood floors. (Be sure to see my post on oil finishes for floors if you want to know which solvents are needed and how detailed the application is).
Although they are natural, legally no-VOC, and technically non-toxic, they do offgas aldehydes (and other compounds), which can be bothersome for the chemically sensitive.
I review tung and linseed in detail in their own dedicated post. That includes a look at Rubio Monocoat and Odies Oil.
I look at additives including possible metals, chemicals added, as well as which compounds they offgas, and when they fully cure.
Linseed and/or tung are often labeled as “teak oil” or “Danish oil”, though this is a general term that can mean either it’s pure or mixed with additives, as I go over in the post on these oils.
Hemp Oil Finish
Hemp Oil is often my top choice for an all-natural drying oil for wood (but not floors) due to how mild and safe the odor is.
I used hemp oil on all the interior wood in my chemical-free tiny home.
It does have a light aroma, which I would consider pleasant. I would test for your own sensitivities (and allergies) by buying a small amount first.
Hemp oil is the only ingredient in the Milk Paint Company and the Homestead House brands.
I used the Milk Paint brand and was happy with it. If you order it directly through their website you can get 10% off with code mychemicalfreehouse. You can also buy it on Amazon.
It’s not the most durable of the wood finishes compared to linseed and tung oil and that’s why it’s not used on floors. Tung oil is the most durable, followed by linseed oil. If you do well with those oils, they are better suited for hardwood floors.
Make sure it’s refined hemp oil (made for a wood finish) as opposed to the edible oil from the grocery store.
This finish is certainly one of the safest and healthiest options for wooden toys, butcher block countertops, and other food-contact surfaces.
Walnut Oil
Walnut oil, another drying oil, is used on surfaces like concrete countertops, raw slate, non-glossy marble and granite, soapstone, sandstone, and onyx.
I tested the Milk Paint walnut oil (pictured on the tray) and the odor is very mild, even lighter than hemp. I was extremely happy with its performance on stones.
I go through sealing various stone types more in the countertop post.
You certainly can use it on wood, but it’s not as durable as the above oils, so it’s best suited to cutting boards, toys, bookshelves, and decor items.
You can buy Milk Paint walnut oil on Amazon or on their website. You can use code mychemicalfreehouse for 10% off on the website.
Rosewood Oil
Another oil to check out is Penofin Verde which is Brazilian rosewood oil mixed with other natural oils. They use “vegetable ester solvents” and I would expect a solvent odor and some offgassing here.
Oils need to be reapplied to wood every few years or more in high-traffic areas.
For information on using natural drying oils on stones (which ones work to protect stones and which ones can discolor them), see my post where I test them all.
ii. Natural Wax Wood Sealers
Wood can then be finished with a beeswax or carnauba polish for extra durability. Beeswax takes 30 days to fully dry.
Walnut oil with carnauba wax (pictured) is my preferred type. It works great and has no solvent. I have used this brand on stone and wood.
I also used beeswax on my window sills over the hemp oil to provide a more water-resistant finish and I was really happy with it. It also works well on counters, cutting boards, and toys.
This Beeswax/Carnauba Polish works well but does have mineral spirits in it. Mineral spirits do evaporate quite quickly and leave the product once cured. I haven’t found odorless mineral spirits to be a very toxic ingredient but it’s not for everyone (it’s not totally non-toxic like the walnut oil mix above).
Hemp and beeswax mixed together make a great food-grade finish for cutting boards and other items. I like Fusion brand which is 100% hemp and beeswax with no additives.
Wax usually needs to be re-applied every year.
Natural Shellac Resin
Shellac is a resin and one of my top picks for many different purposes.
Shellac, in the purest version, is just the natural flakes of the resin produced by a beetle, and alcohol.
You can purchase flakes from Amazon.
Shellac can be used on many indoor surfaces, including floors, toys, and furniture.
Natural, de-waxed shellac, would be the purest choice for most projects. It does come in a synthetic formula as well, so be sure to check which type it is. Regular (waxed) would be used for some applications.
If you want to buy it ready-made, Zinsser makes one they claim is only shellac and alcohol. (If it’s not available on Amazon, try Walmart)
I discuss this more in the posts on sealing in toxins since this finish is great at sealing in offgassing and odors.
Oils for Earthen Floor Finishes
If you don’t have oxblood on hand, no problem, you can seal your earthen floor with any of the hardening oils we talked about under wood finishes. Linseed is typically used.
Beeswax can also be used in the final coat for extra protection if desired.
iii. Natural Non-Toxic Wood Stains
Natural Oil Wood Stains
Each oil in the section above will tint the wood to some degree, so you should test for the look you want to achieve – you might find that you don’t need a stain at all.
Or you may need a stain to lighten it!
If you do want a stain, I prefer the oil and stain in one options:
1. Rubio Monocoat
Rubio is a low-odor modified linseed oil finish with many color options. We don’t know a lot about what’s in it other than (modified) linseed and wax. It’s significantly lower odor than pure linseed. It does have a drier, the Part B, which smells like a solvent. You can use it without Part B. I have used it and review it in more detail in this post.
Out of the oil finishes this is the easiest to apply because you only need one coat.
It comes in 40 different colors including lightening shades like greys and whites. All of the colors are Toy Safe EN-17.
They claim zero VOC, though the MSDS does indicate some VOCs.
I really like this brand for both low odor, performance, and color options.
2. Tried and True
This is pure polymerized linseed and pigment, nothing else added. This is the most natural option, with no solvents or additives.
Tried and True premixed oil and pigment stains went on beautifully. I tested the Java color on oak.
It comes in 5 darkening shades. This is my top choice if you want something pure and don’t need many color options. (Note that on floors, they recommend the final coats are done with the mix that has pine oil).
Legally linseed is zero-VOC, but it does give off natural volatile compounds. I do a deep review of linseed and tung oil in a dedicated post.
4. Osmo
A well-known worldwide brand, OSMO stains alone are low odor but they are meant to be used with the top coat of Polyox Oil.
Polyox oil contains sunflower, soya, and thistle oil, with waxes, including paraffin, plus de-aromatized white spirits, siccatives, and polysiloxanes. They declare all of their ingredients.
The Polyox oil had a very noticeable solvent odor for me, the majority of that odor did flash off somewhat quickly but the general odor did take more time than I expected to go down. I did not consider this low enough in toxins for me to use when I was sensitive.
I did really like the stain colors though. The Wood Wax comes in bright colors (along with the usual wood stain colors and greys and white) which would be fun for art and toys.
The Oil Stain, which is for floors, comes in 10 colors including lightening shades.
They claim very low VOCs.
I would put WOCA finishes in this same category of solvent-enhanced natural oil-based finishes. (I personally would not use WOCA or OSMO).
Water-Based Non-Toxic Wood Stains
The truly non-toxic water-based wood stains are more difficult to apply than the oil-based ones. A water-based stain that does not contain ammonia is the most finicky type of stain to work with.
If a water-based stain advertises that they don’t raise the grain then it can be assumed to contain ammonia.
1. ECOS Paints stains
ECOS makes the most tolerable finishes in my view. The stains come in 14 different shades (one grey one) and a clear coat of varnish follows.
This was highly tolerable for me when I was at my most sensitive. They also have tinted varnishes.
All of their ingredients are fully declared. These are acrylic-based, which is usually more tolerable than polyurethane, though less durable, and it works for most chemically sensitive folks. If you just use the stain then you can use your own topcoat, just make sure it’s compatible.
2. AFM Durotone
A recently improved formula from a popular brand for the chemically sensitive.
It comes in 11 colors including one lightening shade.
A top coat is required – either water-based or oil.
If you are staining pine, that wood is notoriously tricky, see my dedicated post on sealers for pine.
iv. Clear Water-Based Wood Sealers
1. ECOS varnishes, which are acrylic-based, are super low toxin. In my experience, they are not as durable as the polyurethane alternatives.
I used ECOS sealer on the wood in my kitchen and I was very happy with it. I have not had problems with water marks, but I would not use this on the floors. I would use this on items that don’t require a super durable finish, like wood paneling or bookshelves.
I find this to be a very tolerable brand that I was able to apply myself at a time when I was very chemically sensitive. My post where I test and compare all the water-based finishes is here.
2. AFM Polyureseal is liked by many. It is a very tolerable formula by a high-quality brand. This brand is a durable low-toxin polyurethane finish for hardwood floors.
3. Vermont Natural Coatings PolyWhey was my top choice for a durable coating that holds up well on floors and was very low odor. It has the best combo of durability and low odor that I have found.
4. Other very low odor polyurethanes and acrylics: BioShield Aqua Resin, Earthpaint Aqualine and Easy Safe 1K, and Vermeisteer. I compare them all in a dedicated post.
I tested and compared all of the clear wood finishes – the full post is here.
5. Danish Soap finish. An unusual non-toxic way to finish floors is a Danish process using soap as the finish. You can either use just soap, or soap and lye. Lye is quite toxic while it’s reacting, but it’s safe when it dissipates.
When used in the making of soap the lye reacts with other components and in the end, you just have a safe soap product.
PS. If you are looking for a clear sealant to seal paint (whether to make it glossier, more durable to wear and tear, or more waterproof) this post on paint sealers covers that topic.
v. Non-Toxic Kitchen Cabinet Finishes
Clear Finish for Cabinets:
- AFM Acrylacq is a clear alternative to conventional lacquer. It is acrylic and siloxane. You can get a matte look by using 2 coats of gloss finished with a coat of matte. Or you can use the gloss or satin. AFM is my top choice in this category. VOC 93 g/l.
- AFM Poly BP This is a polyurethane finish (with a little bit of acrylic). This is another durable finish for cabinets. VOC 93 g/l. You can also use their exterior version of polyurethane called EXT.
- EarthPaint Easy Safe 1k or NanoTech Clear.
- Vermont Natural Coatings PolyWhey Floor Finish can be used on cabinets. These are polyurethanes that are partially naturally derived. I like this brand because it’s a great mix of durability and low odor.
Water-based cabinet finishes are not as durable as lacquer finishes. However, lacquer needs to be professionally applied and is toxic until fully cured. You may find some factory finishes that don’t have offgassing because they have been UV cured which speeds up the curing.
My detailed testing of these water-based brands can be found here.
Natural Oil Finish for Cabinets:
- Rubio Monocoat Oil Plus for furniture comes in a lot of cool colors. It is easy to touch up and has been reported to work well on cabinets. If you don’t mind the natural linseed oil and some unknowns with the formula, I really like the quality of this finish. I would be tempted myself to use this on cabinets because this finish is so easy to apply and to retouch (something that other non-toxic cabinet finishes cannot claim). Also, oil-based finishes tend to outperform water-based finishes.
Paints that are suitable for cabinets are found here.
vi. Sealing in Toxins
Sealing in Fungicides
If you are buying new wood-framed windows, the wood will likely have been treated with fungicides and should be sealed with AFM Safe Seal, AFMTransitional Primer, or Zinsser Shellac.
This version of shellac from Zinsser claims that the only ingredients are shellac and alcohol. That’s one you can find at Walmart as well as Amazon. You can also mix the flakes yourself with Everclear alcohol.
Sealing in Formaldehyde
AFM Safeseal is used to seal in formaldehyde in engineered wood products.
You can also use shellac which is one of the best sealers to seal in odors and VOCs, including formaldehyde. I have tested these side by side on formaldehyde offgassing and they both performed very well.
Safeseal is made with acrylic polymers and is extremely low odor.
Sealing in Wood Odor/Terpenes
Clear-Coat Options
Shellac is the best sealer for sealing in the odor of wood. Depending on where the wood is, you may need to go over that with another sealer that can take water better.
That shellac is dewaxed, it’s thinner, but it’s easier to paint or coat over. You can go over dewaxed shellac with AFM Acrylacq.
Acrylacq can also be used on its own. The vendors estimate that it seals in the odor on its own by about 80-90%.
Painted Options
Paint on its own also seals in a good amount of wood odor and is usually sufficient for most sensitive folks.
Paints with good sealing properties include AFM Safecoat Paint. Higher gloss options seal in more. Adding their transitional primer will be an even better seal.
All acrylic paints seal wood odor to some degree.
The other option is to use shellac followed by paint. I like Bullseye (waxed) shellac followed by Annie Sloan Chalk Paint or Rustoleum Chalked.
For more on this topic, see my posts on Sealing in New Offgassing and Sealing in Fragrance, Smoke, and Related Chemicals.
vii. Exterior Wood Sealers
Natural Oils
To protect exterior wood like decks, siding, fences, and outdoor furniture against the elements, you could use more potent oils than you might use inside – oils based on linseed oil or tung oil are durable.
- Rubio Monocoat Exterior Oil, like their interior oil, this is linseed oil-based, but they don’t declare all of the ingredients.
- AFM Penetrating Oil is made from polymerized linseed oil, organic flaxseed oil, isoaliphate, modified soybean oil, hemp oil, carboxylate metallic salts of calcium, manganese & zirconium.
- I like Milk Paint Company Outdoor Defense Oil. It is made of tung oil, pine oil, and zinc. If you do well with tung and pine oil, this could work for you. It’s very durable, and while the application is a bit tedious it’s going to be the most durable natural oil for fences, decks, and outdoor furniture.
Water-Based Sealants
- Vermont Natural Coatings Exterior PolyWhey is the best of the water-based synthetic coatings and it can hold up as well on decks, fences, and other outdoor wood.
- AFM has a new exterior clear sealer called Polyureseal EXT which is an acrylic/polyurethane. It can be used on outdoor furniture. It can be applied to raw wood or wood stained with Safecoat wood stains, and concrete or previously painted surfaces that are properly prepared.
For more options and details on these sealants see my dedicated post on deck, fence, and outdoor furniture stains and sealers.
2. Non-Toxic Tile, Concrete & Stone Sealers
i. Stone, Concrete, and Brick Sealers
For a detailed look at concrete floor finishes, see this dedicated post.
1. AFM Mexeseal is a surface coating for masonry/stone. It is for unpolished marble, limestone, granite, sandstone, slate, fireclay (brick, tile, terra cotta, pavers), and concrete. Mostly for honed stones – though it can work on some polished stone (you would have to test it). Good for slate floors, and concrete floors. In sum, use on porous interior tile or masonry surfaces where oil and water repellency are desired. Not for use outside. You can use it on shower walls but not shower floors. The product is polyurethane and acrylic. Very low VOC.
2. ECOS sealer/stain is for concrete, masonry, brickwork, and plaster. They make a solid color concrete sealer and semi-transparent concrete sealer. These are acrylic coatings with a little bit of silicone in there.
3. ECOS clear sealer is acrylic, just like the stains with pigment. You can use it on concrete floors.
4. AFM Penetrating Water Stop (zero-VOC) for porous, mineral-containing surfaces such as brick, pavers, concrete block, and other cementitious materials, stone, and stucco. I used it on my concrete bathroom tiles and on the clay plaster in my kitchen. The only components listed on the SDS are silicone and lye. This product does not create a film on top of the surface, it is more like a densifier.
6. AFM Watershield is a clear, penetrating sealer that repels water, grease, and oils. For use on porous surfaces such as concrete, stucco, brick, and stone. This can be used over American Clay Plaster. This can also be used outdoors on vertical wood surfaces e.g. under eaves that are raw wood or those stained with water-based stains such as AFM Durotone. Not for use on decks or horizontal fence railing. This is an acrylic sealant.
7. Milk Paint Soapstone Sealer is walnut oil and carnauba wax. It works well on interior stone countertops and stone tiles made of soapstone, concrete, raw slate, honed marble, granite, sandstone, and onyx. You can buy this from the Milk Paint store and Amazon. I have used this sealer on many stone surfaces and I have been really happy with it. It’s all-natural and low odor. It needs some time to cure, but all natural oils do.
8. SimpleCoat. If your countertops or floor tiles are a white or cool toned light-colored stone, an oil sealer will not work as it will yellow it too much. SimpleCoat is one of the only non-PFAS sealers for light stones.
9. Hemp Oil is also a drying oil, and like walnut oil, it does work on most stone and concrete (as well as wood). It can change the color of some stones, so test it first. It passed my tests, but it can yellow or green just a little, depending on the base color of the stone. It’s for interior use.
10. Acri-soy is a concrete sealer that can also be used on stone as well. This is an acrylic made from natural sources. This page explains what that means. This is my top pick for a concrete floor finish (more in my post on concrete floors).
11. Tung oil also makes a good finish for concrete and many stones. It can be used on concrete floors and birdbaths as well. It is often preferable to other oils in outdoor conditions. (I review the offgassing odors of tung and linseed in a dedicated post). Tung oil forms a very durable coating on high-wear surfaces.
For a detailed look at my testing of natural sealers on stone surfaces see my dedicated post.
ii. Concrete-Based Grout Sealer
For sealing grout there are a number of good options, I discuss grout sealers options in my post on grout and thinset.
Corinne Segura is a Building Biologist Practitioner with 8 years of experience helping others create healthy homes.
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Sarah
Have had very positive experience using Generals Finishes water based finishes for wood.
Brittany
Hi I have a walnut bathroom vanity top that I want to seal and I want it to be waterproof. What would you suggest to finish it and seal it? I would like it to stay natural looking. Based on my reading it looks like I could finish it with tung or hemp oil and maybe put carnauba wax over it to make it waterproof? Or should I go with the Ecos sealer mentioned? Just not sure what route to take, thanks!
Corinne
Tung Oil or one of the sealants in the deck sealants post
Brittany
Thanks, so would just Tung Oil work for it to be waterproof? Or would I need to apply something else over the Tung Oil.
Corinne
tung oil is sufficient unless you want the sheen of wax. just be sure to follow the instructions. Tung Oil is labor intensive.
Brittany
Thanks! I don’t want a sheen I want it to have a matte look – I was reading that Tung Oil gives off more of a wet look, is this true? If so I was looking at getting the Vermont Natural Coatings – Penetrating Waterproofer Infused with Juniper from your deck post. Would this work also on walnut?
Victor
Hello, thank you so much for this information! I’m wondering if thistle oil is safe? It’s for a wood cutting board.
Corinne
yes
Cc
Renovating a pantry in a home built in the 80’s. The painters spread a pink bacteria that has grown on the shelves. We are removing all shelves and replacing with cedar. What would you suggest we use to seal the cedar to help prevent this from happening and give the cedar a protective coat. Thank you!
Corinne
Cedar is naturally resistant to fungus you don’t need to do anything to it to avoid bacteria or fungus. Sealing it can make it smoother to be able to clean it better and not have things get stuck in little grooves.
Cc
Thank you for the response! Would the Shellac be a good sealant?
Corinne
that’s not the most durable to water and it’s shiny but you could use it
Cc
What would you suggest?
Michelle
I am extremely sensitive to varnishes and stains and subsequently haven’t been able to use any for at least 20 years (!) which is a problem when I like to make things with wood. Hardware store folks always recommend a “water based polyurethane” which I now have several gathering dust in my basement since even opening the can is enough to make me have to vacate the area for hours. Based on your posts, I ordered samples from three brands – ECOS (stains, interior paint and varnishes), AFM (stains and varnishes) and Vermont. None of the products gave me a reaction, not even the “face prickles” even craft store paint can cause. I’m so excited that I can now stain and finish my wood projects plus areas of my house I assumed would have to stay shabby forever. Of all the clear varnishes, Vermont products are my favorite – I find them to be the most self leveling and smooth and just a beautiful finish. I tried all the furniture varnish (satin, semi gloss and gloss) and both floor products (satin and semi gloss). Just wonderful. Thanks so much for the recommendation and for these informative posts.
Corinne
thanks for sharing, Vermont is my favourite too.
Rachel
Which stain and seal would you suggest in our situation? We have light, unfinished rubberwood chairs that we bought to go with our solid wood kitchen table. (It was much cheaper than buying the accompanying chairs.) We bought antique white Milk Paint to match the table legs, but we need to stain the seats a much darker color to match the tabletop. They are different types of wood, and as our 17-month-old grows up, I worry about them being safe for her, as well as off-gassing in the meantime. (She has a food allergy to dairy and possibly soy, but obviously I don’t think those ingredients will matter, she’s not eating them.) The challenge is matching the color of the dark birch tabletop in the rubberwood in a safe way that will hold up in the kitchen.
We’re also struggling to match pine shelves my husband made to the dark contractor grade cabinets in the bathroom that came with the house. In both situations, we need a specific darker color, but are worried about doing it in a healthy way for our little one. We already accidentally exposed ourselves to off-gassing when I was pregnant, so I don’t want to make any mistakes again. Thank you for any advice!
Corinne
You should get samples of those wood types and then you can see which stains look the best. I have quite a few articles on wood stains.
Alice Mcmiller
Wow, this blog about natural finishes is super informative! It’s great to learn about non-toxic options for protecting wood surfaces without harmful chemicals. Kudos to the author for sharing these eco-friendly alternatives and promoting a chemical-free approach to home improvement. Thanks for the valuable information!
Danielle
Hi! Curious what you would recommend to seal the solid pine unfinished dining table and chairs from IKEA? I had the table prior and it just didn’t do well leaving it unfinished. Thank you!
Corinne
there’s a post on non toxic sealers for tables
Chelsea
I wanted to ask your opinion on wood stains. We are getting some sliding doors installed in our playroom instead of windows and the inside of the doors and woodwork surrounding need to be stained. The company we are using, Pella, can stain it for us but they use Sherwin Williams Sher-wood wiping stain which is an oil based stain. I am concerned about long-term off gassing and I’m not sure even after that how safe stains are if our daughter is playing around the doors and touching them a lot. I asked if Pella could use a water based stain but they said they can’t accommodate.
I’m stuck between either using their stain and letting the doors sit at their warehouse for 30 days before installation or they said they could install them unstained and we could have someone else use a low VOC stain and apply it at our house. I’m stumped. I like the idea of the doors being stained before coming to the house out of ease and not having to pay someone else, and I also would rather have them stained outside of the house so we don’t have to deal with any staining indoors even if it is lower VOC, but I would be willing to do that if there are long term issues, past the 30 days, of using the oil based stain. I would really love some feedback.
There is also a potential that I could be pregnant again by the time installation rolls around so I want to be the most cautious as possible. I really appreciate your help with this. I’ve researched it some but would really like someone more knowledgeable than me to give some input! 🙂
Corinne
The real question in this is “how toxic is x” and “how toxic is x” is a question I can’t answer and no one can in an objective way. People can give their answer based on their opinion to help someone that is struggling with a decision but their answer is not truly definitive.
I haven’t seen that stain myself, and I just looked at it briefly and it’s only a stain it’s not a topcoat. Solvent based stains (or stains and sealers) can take some time to offgas fully, if there is a lot of alcohol in it that helps. Depending on one’s level of sensitivity they might find it takes a month to a few months to offgas with the most extremely sensitive picking up low levels of offgassing for longer.
If you look at some of the waterbased stains/sealants I talk about yes I think they are objectively better, assuming you’re not applying it yourself. For most of them you would only need to be out of the room for 24 hours, maybe 48 if you want to be extremely cautious or you’re highly sensitive.
Chelsea
Thank you so much for taking the time to respond. Unfortunately, if I go with their stains, I don’t get to choose a brand but do you know if a water-based polyurethane sealant is used as a top-coat, does that help protect against offgassing of the stain and does that also protect against any fungicide treatment that was applied?
Corinne
Water-based doesn’t go over oil-based
Erica
Thank you so much for all your guidance. I’m wanting to do a *paper* floor over top of linoleum in an old airstream. I’ve done them before with good results but I’m looking for a good durable polyurethane OR maybe epoxy. Best I’ve found was BonaTraffic but do you know of something else that might work for this application?
Looking for minimal off gassing of course but also want to minimize endocrined disruptors if a baby is going to be crawling around on it.
Alternatively I could be interested in hearing about a durable surface that I could paint, I just want to have a certain decorative pattern on the floor and am trying to figure out how to achieve this.
Thank you so much you’re helping so many people with these posts.
Erin H
I’m building a raised chicken coop in an area prone to flooding. I’m also in high humidity north GA. I want to protect the plywood floors and seal other wood as well as possible to keep from rotting over time. Since we will be eating eggs from the chickens, I’m looking for a nontoxic sealant for the plywood. What would you suggest that would last overtime?
I’ve seen low VOC Marine grade drying oil/sealant that claim to be safe and nontoxic. Are these as safe as they tout? Would that be overkill for my application?
Corinne
As long as it’s an exterior grade plywood go with one of these https://www.mychemicalfreehouse.net/2021/09/non-toxic-deck-stains.html
Sam
Hi Corrine! Our builder used the following to finish our woodwork and wondering how long it will take to fully off gas and be safe : https://industrial.sherwin-williams.com/na/us/en/industrial-wood/catalog/product/products-by-industry.11543394/sher-wood-hi-bild-precat-lacquer.9198009.html
Corinne
I don’t know but conversion varnish is rather harsh.
Marcy
Hello, Do you have a good recommendation for an oil-based stain blocker for a mild water stain on my new ceiling? The painters only want to use Killz and insist the water based stain blockers won’t work. Thank you!
Corinne
Oil based options like Kilz are way too high in VOCs and take a long time to fully offgas. Go with shellac based (which is alcohol based).
Miss Iona R Macleod
Hello,
Thank you for your well written article. There is so little information on this topic online.
When you sealed all your wood with hemp oil, did you find that it was not stain proof enough for the kitchen etc.? I am trying to find something natural that also seals the wood enough to prevent wild blueberry stains!
I have had such a long drawn out process and am not sure what to use and I do not want to compromise my health or have a stained floor. Do you think I could just stain it dark and use a natural oil?
What do you make of Livos finish 244?
People always warn me against using just oil in the kitchen as it is not water resistant nor stain resistant.
Kind regards,
Iona
Corinne
Tung is the most durable, it’s very water resistant and the stain resistance is good too. Most contractors are not familiar with using Tung Oil on floors so I wouldn’t worry about what they say unless they have actually used it or have done maintenance in houses with that finish. You can always make up a sample board to see what you think. Just give it enough time to cure before putting it to the test.
Andrea
I’m in the same position of looking for a natural, stain resistant floor sealer and I’ve been trying Livos samples too! Have you found out any good solutions?
I have also been considering Rubio but am worried about how it will hold out to atain and dogs :/
Stacy Balfour
I received a chair that is lacquer, from Vietnam. It smells very strongly. I am wondering if it will continue to off gas for its lifetime, or if it is safe once the smell is gone? Is there something else I can seal the chair with to eliminate the VOCs?
fowleri
Rubio monocoat has a weird smell i got some solid wood samples finished with this and the smelled lingered for like 1 or 2 months, I’ve had it now for like a year I could swear if I put my nose next to it i can still smell traces of it
Corinne
the natural smell of linseed definitely lingers
Mariane
We purchased the ecos stain for a built in job in two areas. We have little kids. When the worker applied it is it ok to be in another room or should we also leave the house and wait how long for any voc to dissipate?
Thanks so much!
Corinne
I’m not sure what the official guideline is on that one, the SDS sheet it’s too specific on PPE. You would have to ask the company. Otherwise my opinion is very subjective.
Mariane
I just realized we got the craft stain instead of wood stain. Is there a significant difference between these two? Toxicity wise. Thanks so much!
Jeff433
What do you mean you haven’t found low odor mineral spirits to be toxic? Are you joking? There is no permissible level of exposure. No concentration that is considered non-toxic. Do you know what mineral spirits are? It’s straight kerosene jet fuel. Pure petroleum solvent. Its absolutely toxic, can. cause death through organ failure and long term impairment as a neurotoxin.
Worse, because its been deodorized users are likely to inhale much more of it without realizing. Aromatics are harmful but at least you could use them to judge your level of exposure. Odorless does not mean vapor less. You’re still breathing in jet fuel. Effects on the brain can be seen after a single moderate exposure, as long as 50 years after the incident.
Corinne
I don’t find odorless mineral spirits to be very toxic and that is supported by the data as well as the experience of chemically sensitive folks. It definitely is less toxic without the aromatics.
My post on paint thinners goes into more detail and looks at other solvent options that could be safer https://www.mychemicalfreehouse.net/2022/07/non-toxic-paint-thinners.html
As for odorless mineral spirits:
It’s recommended that you wear a full facepiece chemical respirator with an organic vapor cartridge.
On the SDS sheet, it says it’s not a carcinogen or endocrine disruptor; that this product is not expected to cause reproductive or developmental effects, and that it may cause drowsiness and dizziness.
Toxicity studies have shown minimal to no systemic effects with exposure to dearomatized solvents like odorless mineral spirits. You could say this is a non-toxic or less toxic mineral spirit.
There is some evidence that dearomatized mineral spirits have less effect on the central nervous system (CNS) than the higher aromatic mineral spirits.
Sources in the post on paint thinners.
Alexey
Hello, CORINNE! Could you help me, please? I have to order wood bed from local manufacturer and choose finish options (for water protection, wood durability, etc, and odorless for me). Examples: Oils (Borma, Biofa, Osmo) or Sayerlack AF 72xx. I can’t use ECOS AFM etc from your list (not available for my region). Wood will be hardwood (not pine birch etc).
Help me to choose, please!
Choose From:
* Oils (Borma, Biofa, Osmo) is special mixes of lineseed and other oils. As I understand it has odor, which is bad for me (need odorless finished wood).
* Sayerlack AF 72xx
is HYDRO WATERBORNE SELF-SEALER FOR INTERIORS
site states AF 72xx is toy safe EN 71-3.
links:
– Technical Data Sheet https://www.movac.co.uk/content/download/1Y36QlSqL7b2/?attachment=1
– Safety Data Sheet https://www.movac.co.uk/content/download/mYgwOPcwLNgW/?attachment=1
FROM SDS:
Hazardous ingredients : 1-Ethyl-2-Pyrrolidinone
Supplemental label elements: Contains 1,2-benzisothiazol-3(2H)-one and reaction mass of: 5-chloro-2-methyl4-isothiazolin-3-one [EC no. 247-500-7] and 2-methyl-2H-isothiazol-3-one [EC no.220-239-6] (3:1). May produce an allergic reaction
Seveso II Directive
This product is controlled under the Seveso II Directive.
Named substances:
Formaldehyde (max.)
= How toxic is Sayerlack AF 72xx after cureddried?
* Also I can potentially use Shellack (not simple, we need to negotiate with local manufacturer, and then to buy it with delivery from Europe). As I understand it is safest from options above and odorless. Isn’t it?
* Also I can potentially use Beeswax or other waxes (we need to negotiate with local manufacturer). As I understand it has very low durability compared to oils Sayerlack Shellac. Isn’t it?
Corinne
Check out the various sealer posts to see what the common types are. I talk about OSMO too.
Rash
Hi! This is amazing information! I have a question, which non-toxic oil can be used for a sauna?
Grateful for your knowledge!
Many thanks!
Corinne
pure tung oil in saunas. The big thing is that it is well finished/cured. Definitely don’t want to skimp out on saturating the wood with the oil. Pure Tung Oil is still somewhat vapor-permeable, so even if the steam does get past the initial barrier it can be released. The heat of a sauna isn’t much of a concern. Once the oil has cured, it is forever in that state. No amount of heat or solvent can solubilize the oil again.
Alexey Polyakov
Have you tested Sayerlack ? Especially Sayerlack Hydroplus?
Corinne
I have not
Allison
Hello! I am refinishing an antique table. I would like to maintain the raw wood look of it. But I would like to seal the table in and protect it while also not bringing extra toxins into our home. Do you have any advice? Thank you so much!
Rasa
What a well-researched, informative post! I came here looking for info on organic/natural alternatives to candle varnish. Do you think natural shellac would work as a finish for beeswax candles?
Corinne
I don’t know about candle making, I only know about building materials. Keep in mind shellac is solvent based (alcohol based).
Neil
Excellent info! I tried looking for “fire retardant” properties for wood finish/coating, but couldn’t seem to find it. Any suggestions to make the wood strip ceiling of a camper safer (fire resistant).
Thank you!
neil
Angela
What would you suggest for Terra cotta pots that will be used for sub irrigation containers that grow food?
Corinne
From googling that I’m not 100% sure on what that is
Amy
Hey! I have a pecan wood table that I just sanded down. I want It to stay as natural looking as possible without it ending up shiny . But I also need to seal it because of children and prevent water stains or blueberry stains for that matter! I would Love it to be non toxic as well? Can you point me in the right direction for look and non toxic? I heard To not do wax cuz it still leaves water rings?
Thank you!
Access Doors and Panels
You have done a fantastic job putting this together! Thank you for this engaging and informative content. I am looking forward to your other posts!
Nik
Hi Corinne,
Very educational blog. Bumped into it as I’m researching on coating / sealing dry foliage for outdoor products. The usual suspects are beeswax, parafin wax and acrylic clear paint or PU coat. The first one I like for eco friendliness, but I wonder if it will attract bees or melt in the sun.
Any sealer you can think of that is eco friendly, non flammable, non toxic, water proof, clear and has a pleasant odor. of course longevity matters as well.? Your blog makes me think shellac but please guide.
Would love to hear from you
Monika
Hi Corine, wow what a post! So much helpful information in one place 🙂 may I ask what your thought would be on sealing a plywood for in the childrens room? We’ve put a piece under the matrass of a built in bed and also made some furniture. Is it still possible to make it safe enough for kids by sealing it? Thank you!
Corinne
See the post on plywood
Monika
Just did, very helpful thank you!
Melissa
Thank you for this amazing list!
What would you recommend for sealing acrylic paint on wood? I recently painted a sanded down wood dresser and also the wooden knobs, but I want to protect the acrylic artwork painted onto the wood and make sure it lasts! Is there anything that can effectively do this and dry clear and not off has a ton of chemicals? Thank you!
Corinne
There is a post on paint sealers.
Melissa
Thank you Corinne! I see it says “ You can also use other polyurethane or acrylic coatings over paint to make it more durable” – are there any specific ones you’d recommend? It’s for a dresser in a nursery so it needs to be durable but low or no VOC. Thanks so much 🙂
Corinne
there is a separate post on paint sealers
Jane
Hello!
Thank you for the wealth of information you provide to help others! My husband and friend are tiling our bathroom. They put up cement backer board and made a mortar shower pan. They now plan to use red guard or hydro ban which both seem incredibly toxic. Is there any way around using it at this point? Will it stop off gassing once dry? I tried looking up to see if it stops off gassing once dry but am having difficulty finding any clear answers. Thank you for your help!
Corinne
Red Guard is extremely low in VOCs at under 5 g/l
Craig
Thank you so much for the great information. I ordered a gallon of the Real Milk Paint Co. Outdoor Defense Oil using your code to protect my outdoor furniture and planters for the upcoming rainy season.
Fawn Lindquist
Good evening! Thank you so much for this great article! I was wondering if you know a non toxic way that I could seal a hollowed out tree trunk to use as a bathtub so it doesn’t warp, rot, crack or get termites. Do you think wax would work?
Fawn Lindquist
Good evening! Thank you so much for this great article! I was wondering if you know a non toxic way that I could seal a hollowed out tree trunk to use as a bathtub. Do you think wax would work?
Dylan Hoss
hello there!
Curious about what to treat unfinished birch ply wall paneling in my tiny house with. I believe it is formeldahyde free. Wanting a matte like finish, just want it to be cleanable and non toxic for air quality.
Thanks!
JoAnne
My Citristrip paint &varnish stripping gel also says no methylene chloride or nmp on this.
JoAnne
Hi, I just bought Citristrip paint & varnish stripping gel: no harsh fumes, removes dried latex & oil-based paint, strps mutiple layers. I just bought this to strip my wooden dinning table that had varnish or stain or top etc. on it. I hope this was a good choice. I had a bit of trouble understanding what you were talking about. I just wanted to get a low or no voc to work with. I also was confused on a primer that I could use on another project that I want to get started soon. I need a primer that can block bleed through that is also low or no voc. I hope you can help me to understand some of this.
Michelle
Hi Corrine,
Wow! Thank you so much for your wealth of information!!
I would love your advice on waterproofing an old sideboard (already stained/finished) in order to put a sink on for a bathroom vanity?
Or
If there is a paint you recommend for colouring and finishing over an old finished piece of furniture (without having to sand it down first)??
Thank you again,
Karen
What would be the appropriate non-toxic sealer to seal a cork floor? Thanks!
Corinne
If it’s unsealed you can use a water based polyurethane.
Slawek
Hi, I just came across your blog which is sooo interesting! I would be very obliged if you could advise me what voc free / eco product I should use to finish furniture made of hard-fired wood. I would like to keep the look of the furniture without the need to brush the charred wood with durability and eco-friendliness. At the same time, I want to avoid varnishes at a very high price. Maybe I demand too much?
Deanna
Thank you for the wealth of information on your site — it is so comforting to see others out there who are aware and also on top of it all 🙂
In the future I plan to build a home & definitley will come to you for help. Currently we are renting and after beign in moldy envirnments I want to be sure that my son’s new raw wood non toxic bed frame is sealed and protected from any possible contaminants in the air penetrating the wood such a micotoxins. I prefer to keep the raw light wood look so somethign clear & plan to get shellac from Zinsser — Do you think one coat of the non-waxed will do for this?
Thank you so much Corrine!
Deanna
Corinne
If you want a proper shellac application on raw wood it’s many coats (with some sanding in between. Check out Youtube woodworking vidos for how it’s properly done. I usually just slap two coats on things if I don’t need it to look amazing 🙂
Matt
Greetings from Alaska!
I really appreciate the information offered on your website!
I’m working on a van camper buildout and originally used untreated Columbia Forest Products plywood for the subfloor. Unfortunately, I had to wait several months to track down the Marmoleum flooring I’m going to use. In that time the eco plywood flooring has developed mold. I’m going to remove and replace it and am trying to find a wood waterproofer to avoid this issue in the future. What would you recommend for treating the new eco plywood with?
Any tips, tricks or advice are greatly appreciated!
Corinne
That plywood is not made for structural or high humidity places. I would not try to waterproof it to prevent mold. You likely have a point of condensation that needs to be corrected or if you left it with no heat in there than it got too humid.
Angie
Hi, I have read so many of your great articles online as I try to be as “all natural” as possible with our lifestyle choices, including renovation materials! You have great resources for safe building products!
Two questions:
1) What non toxic, no off gassing product (I get headachy and nauseous with anything chemical scents even orange citrus thinner) could be used to seal in offgassing + stick to what is likely some sort of coated/sealed knotty pine. We are a couple weeks out from closing date on a “new” (c 1890 home) where someone has done the master bedroom And bathroom entirely in knotty pine. I would like to just paint it to brighten the room (plus seal in toxins). Please don’t tell me I have to sand the entire massive area, board by board, just to put a coat of paint on!!! Is there something that bonds to the surface without prepping but is natural? Also, is there is a non toxic product that also keeps the pine knots from bleeding thru a painted surface. There are products online but I am very certain they are beyond toxic!
2) in your article above, you say using beeswax polishes, but you say “not on floors”. Why? I read on the internet some companies that advocate using their beeswax polish (like Earthpaint Looking Glass Beeswax Polish) on floors. If we redo the farmhouse floors, I would like to put in something like wide plank heart pine for the look. I like Hemp Oil too as wood finish, because it seems the least stinky of the natural oils. However, would it be ok to put on kitchen floors too? I love my current oil rubbed livingroom floors with Biopoly NT from Earthpaint, but it is something you do get water marks or dull spots on unless you wipe up quick. It gets more forgiving as a patina is built up.
Otherwise, it wears wonderfully. I thought maybe wax finish at the end might increase waterproofing effect in a kitchen. I saw AFM Safecoat Wax and Oil???? Any thoughts? The kitchen is continuous with the rest of the living area so having the kitchen only with a polyurethane look probably would look horrible — that’s why I hesitate to do something like ECOS varnish or AFM Polyureseal which you suggested above for waterproofing qualities.
Thanks!
Angie
You don’t have to reply today, as I want to respect your Sunday. Just whenever you have a chance is fine – we have some planning lead time! 🙂
Corinne
Ah that sentence about wax was not too clear! I edited it. You definitely can use a wax/oil mix on the floors like the ones you mention. But it does limit what you can put down in the future.
The post does discuss sealing in offgassing and I do have another post just on finishing pine because it’s trickier https://www.mychemicalfreehouse.net/2021/01/how-to-stain-pine-with-non-toxic-products.html
If you can help you with your individual project, I offer email consultations starting at 15 minutes https://www.mychemicalfreehouse.net/contact-me
Angie
Thank you!! I will let you know if we go down this project road!
james
hi there amazing site, thank you for creating it!!!! I am going to seal the pine cladding in my small van and am wondering what you would recommend for it as its a small space ?
Corinne
If you just want a clear coat then you can choose any of these. I have a post just about staining pine if you want to stain or paint it. It’s a tricky wood for that. https://www.mychemicalfreehouse.net/2021/01/how-to-stain-pine-with-non-toxic-products.html
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David
I’m building a raised vegetable bed with non-treated wood. I plan to use organic soil, and I’d like to seal the wood with something non-toxic. What would you recommend?
Thanks.
Corinne
Tung oil or just use a rot-resistant wood and that will last for years.
Rex Hamann
You have a typo a the top of this page which you may wish to correct. It reads:
“Coconut oil if refined is can be used on wood…”
This is something you may wish to repair.
Corinne
thank you!
Charlotte Hebert
Hello,
I came across your site when searching for a no VOC product to put on a dining room table top where the surface material is Rubberwood. The amount of information you provided was overwhelming though. Which one would you recommend for rubberwood if I don’t want the color of the wood to change too much? Thank you!
Corinne
It depends on how durable you need that to be. I tested the clear finishes here and you can see how much they change the color. https://www.mychemicalfreehouse.net/2020/10/non-toxic-wood-finishes-i-tested-them-all.html
Kelly
Do you have any recommendations for sealing metal? I have old lockers that are so cool I want to put indoors but I don’t have a clue what type of paint/VOCs or if any tiny rust areas are there. Thanks.
Corinne
This post has a section on metal primers and paints https://www.mychemicalfreehouse.net/2020/06/non-toxic-zero-voc-paint.html
maria holden
Thank you so much for this wealth of info. It’s been hard to find like-minded people who are as stubborn as I am about natural products. I just want to check in about my soapstone – is there ANYTHING natural that can be used that will protect but not darken?
Corinne
I did a thorough testing of the natural sealers on stone, what they look like and how durable they are https://www.mychemicalfreehouse.net/2020/08/natural-non-toxic-sealers-for-stone-countertops.html
Lene
I haven’t read through all the comments, so this may already have been mentioned. Both the links to the hemp products in the article don’t work. When they open the new link it shows up as follows:
https://https//www.realmilkpaint.com/shop/oils/hemp/ref/CorinneCarmen
I haven’t tried them all, but the walnut one after this does open properly.
I just deleted one ‘https//’ and it worked fine, so it’s an easy fix.
I thought you’d like to know.
Thank you for the information. I will be looking for something in Northern BC, Canada to get something that’s not toxic for some mini pine dressers (unfinished) I purchased at Ikea.
Corinne
Thank you!
Lene
Glad I could help.
I searched for the Hemp Oil on Amazon.ca and noticed the price was nearly $300 CAD for 1 gallon. On the company’s website, it sells for $70 USD. Does the exchange rate and import costs really warrant such a steep hike in the price?
Is there somewhere else that this can be purchased (or the hemp beeswax)? I’m trying to determine what the best option is to use for the pine mini dressers I just purchased. Any suggestions?
Corinne
That brand costs a lot to ship to Canada if you don’t find a local dealer. There are other hemp oil brands in Canada.
Oona McOuat
Thank you for your awesome, informative site! I am staining and sealing a slightly weathered grey mahogany bunk bed ladder. I am going to hang bathroom towels from it, so whatever I use should be water resistant. (protecting the wood from mildew stains). I would like to go the least toxic route possible and whatever i use should not come off on the towels. What do you suggest? Thank You!
Corinne
I would ask Real Milk Paint company if tung oil or their outdoor oil would be best.
Candace
Hi, thanks so much for the info! I was wondering what you might recommend for a kids table. Thank you!
Michael
Thanks so much for this incredible research. Regarding Osmo, was your experience with the product part of a Kerf cabinet? I love Kerf’s aesthetic and with just the edges finished with Osmo I wondered if it might offgass fast enough to work for me. Just wondering if you’d experienced as part of a Kerf kitchen or used it for staining something that might have had more surface area. Thanks!
Corinne
I ordered samples and made the sample board in the photo. It was also used on the floors of where I was living, but was well offgassed. I struggled a lot with even small samples of osmo and very small touch-ups to my floor.
Charlie Matthews
Have you heard of Caliwel? Someone recently recommended their Industrial Coating to seal in potential mold spores and mycotoxins (we are in the middle of mold remediation). They said it will seal in and ‘kill’ mold for 5 years. I’m just wondering what happens after that? And I can’t seem to find very much information on the product.
Thank you very much!!!
Corinne
I don’t use encapsulation on mold nor would I rely on any mold resistant coating to deal with a moisture or mold issue. It’s probably no harm to use it as prevention, but it’s the last thing on my list I would do for mold prevention.
Marilyn
I am very highly sensitive to chemicals. I moved in to a brand new home 1 year ago and replaced the carpet with hardwood. I placed a concrete seal in an area that was giving off an odor.. since then it has been off gassing giving me a lot of headaches and is also impacting indoor air. What is your recommendation on the type of seal I should use to get rid of this off gas.
Corinne
I’m not sure what you mean here by you placed a concrete seal in an area.
Marilyn
The concrete seal was placed in the kitchen area. When I walk on it during humidity of 29 – 36%, my feet get numb. I am wondering what I can do to fix this concrete seal under the flooring. Fading off is so bad. I have 2 IQAIR filters running with not much help. Beginning to feel sick.
Corinne
I would have to look at that whole situation, if you are reacting to the sealer which is under the wood there are various levels to try and remediate that.
arabella cornelius
Hi Corinne you say Lithofin for sealing natural stone but which product do you mean? I was thinking about Lithofin stain stop as it helps with grease, which seems better than the ecos which says it’s not so good with grease. any thoughts? it’s for the kitchen and thinking about cooking. I am based in Europe so don’t have access to all the products you mention although they do supply ecos here.
many thanks
Bella
Phyllis
We just had a electrical fire in our house. Fortunately it was confined to one room. Unfortunately that’s my office. Do you know anything non-toxic that I can clean my hard surface furniture and walls with. I will paint the walls. I’ve had relatively good success lately with AFM Safecoat. I used to love Colorhouse but they are no more. Thanks
Caylagreen
Thanks for the discount code for ECOS paints. I really like the ColorHouse paints and primer. I've used their paints on 3 rooms and primer on my shelves. They worked great, nice thick, absolute no odor even for the semi-gloss one. I'm so so sad they are out of business. I'll give ECOS primer and paint for wood trims a try and let you know how it goes.
Corinne
I would like to hear how you think ECOs compares to the colorhouse!
Christina
Hi Corinne
I found your brilliant site whilst searching for something totally non toxic that I could apply over refined Danish Oil that would seal in any chemicals. Had a runny nose all day after unpacking a piece of new hand made furniture finished with refined Danish oil and can still smell it days later. I had thought of shellac which I was pleased to see you recommend. I just wonder if it will work over an already oiled surface? Any advice greatly appreciated
Tony
Hello Corinne,
First thank you for this forum. Ok here goes.. I moved into my new home 6 months ago which painters had applied a fresh coat of Sherwin Williams PROPERTY SOLUTIONS Interior Latex Flat Finish..product code B30W3050. I've been having really bad headaches, palpitations, watery eyes, itchy dryfeeling skin, numbness at tip of tongue, lips feeling full all which i believe are associated with exposure (inhaling fumes/offgassing) to this paint. My simptoms are not as intense now 6 months later. It dawned on my after visiting doctor and dermatologist that it may be the paint on my walls. So im going shopping today for sealer/primer and paint for these walls to block out both odor and offgassing VOC's. Please tell me your recommendations in priority order based on your experience. There is a lot here to read with varying recommendations. I just want to keep it simple. I have all the big name retailers here in my city of Atlanta. so finding a Ben Moore or Shewin or whomever will not be a problem for me. Thank you Corinne for your prompt response.
Donna Gentile
Hi Tony, I’m reading through this thread looking for a non-toxic sealant for an interior brick chimney that runs up through my apartment. I need to keep out mold and I feel compelled to respond to you. Your symptoms sound like many of the symptoms I have had from mold illness. It’s no joke. Mold took me down several times and I live very vigilantly to protect myself from it. I’m not selling anything. Just somebody who is once again in a new apartment where I need to remediate mold (again) and if I can help somebody else, that is gold. If you want to reach out to me, you can email [email protected]. I wish you the best! – Donna
Corinne
I can certainly smell the odour in the Benjamin Moore Natura! That's a good one though. If you can't smell it you are less sensitive. All acrylic and latex paints have an odour when wet. That's why the companies got sued. ECOS tends to be the top choice but it won't be the best one for everyone and I like Natura a lot. I would use Natura though I would not apply it myself. It's hard to judge how sensitive one is unless you have been around folks more sensitive. Many people in my category and more sensitive can certainly pick up the paint smell in Natura and ECOs.
Linda
I have an environmental sensitivity. I have a very sensitive sense of smell. I cannot be around paints with odors. My sinuses start running immediately when there are chemicals in the air and I don't feel good.
I highly recommend Benjamin Moore Natura paint for people with as sensitive makeup as mine, and for those who want to have an environmentally friendly home. It's the only paint I have found so far that does not give off any odor when wet or dry. (As a note, I haven't tried Ecos paint.)
I am writing my comment because it pains me to see such a wonderful paint for people with environmental sensitivities get a bad rap for its odor when the paint is wet. I have had the opposite experience, and I know how sensitive I am to odors. I had no negative reaction to the Benjamin Nature Paint while I was painting with it. Two other people were at my house helping me paint, and they too did not smell anything as we painted. They were as delighted as I with the Benjamin Moore Natura Paint.
Corinne
I recommend getting guidance from shellac.net. yes alcohol is high in VOCs and evaporates quickly, most would not apply this themselves. Previous commented deleted due to an amazon affiliate link in it.
Waverly8940
Update. I used https://www.lowes.com/pd/Crown-128-fl-oz-Fast-to-Dissolve-Denatured-Alcohol/3024059 . After getting worried I looked up the SDS and discovered that it's actually only 20-30% ethanol (low) 65-75% methanol (high) , Isopropanol 0-5% isopropyl alcohol, and 0 to 1% Methyl isobutyl ketone. So I dipped a paper towel in just the solvent, not the shellac mix, let dry over night. To my relief this morning I wasn't able to detect any residue type odors at all even breathing pretty much straight through it. I stuck in a bag with IAQ meter and it was not able to detect a trace of anything either. Good news. The TVOC reading had gone from 10,000 micro grams per m3 (1 hour after application, with ventilation) to about 2,000 micro grams per m3 7 hours later (with ventilation). The levels held the same overnight closed up (did not rise..). Then with ventilation the numbers dropped dramatically all the way to zero's in most areas. I'm still a little worried we may have contaminated the house by getting the wrong type of denatured alcohol? Klean strip has less ingredients than the brand I used. I had about the best ventilation going possible, an organic vapor respirator, perfect weather, yet as a person with MCS if we continue on with any more shellac I must pay someone else to do it and not enter the home for a couple days… it seems. I have to say using shellac is an unavoidably bad (quite bad) chem exposure. It seemed to me to be sensitizing. Meaning that I did not realize at all walking around the house the levels were sky high yesterday, meter pegged full scale! I would also caution people this mix seems like it might be the most impressive lighter fluid on the planet. May grow to love the end result, but just wanted to throw this experience out there for anyone else that is moderate / severe MCS and needs to use shellac.
Corinne
It won't be on the SDS. You have to ask the company. Almost all the standard brands contain a mildewcide.
Unknown
How do you know if the paint contains mildewcide? Is that on the SDS sheet? Have you looked at Behr paint? Does it have mildewcide?
Unknown
I'm also suspicious of Rubio. Plus, you're limited to using their cleaner, which contains d-limonene and possibly (depending on your MSDS source) citronella and geraniol.
Corinne
Oh gosh, no I can't tolearate d limonene or citorneall. I don't think you have to use that. I am still digging into them more and testing it. I will look into an alternate cleaner. This is more or less a linseed product.
tim
Looking for recommendations on sealing a desk. Doesn't need to be fancy or even very smooth. Really wanting to seal in odors somewhat, and make sure that hard objects won't stick to it so no paint. My wife is sensitive enough that any kind of bare wood makes her react. Does shellac off-gas quickly? I can leave it in my shop for a few weeks.
Corinne
Shellac is usually the way to go for sealing in odours. Making your own is the safest.
Unknown
BioShield Clay Paint Caution – Although it had zero odor while applying, it had an odor afterward. It still smells, and I have a burning sensation in my eyes and throat 4 months later. I painted in December and have been unable to open windows to get good ventilation. I am hoping with warmer weather that I can "bake" it to reduce the odor.
Corinne
wow! I have not seen a paint that has more odour after. what do you think that is?
LEE
Afm or ecos paints and primers which one do you prefer? We are removing our popcorn ceilings and need to prime and paint them. Benjamin moore and sherwin are definitely easier for me to buy but I dont want mildewcides. Thanks
Corinne
I prefer ECOs which does have a preservative that is somewhat of a mildewcide. It's still people's top choice.
Unknown
Hi Corrine, I am hoping you can please give me some advice! About 2.5 years ago, we had a new window and 2 large sliding glass door units installed. This was retrofit, not new construction. This took place during the summer. The odor was very minimal. HOWEVER, the following summer and this previous one, in only one room with one of the new sliding door units, the smell became unbearable. The smell was very noticeable during the late afternoon when the afternoon sun is beating down on the unit. It is a very chemical like smell. I am 99.99% sure it is the caulking used…when I smell under the wood molding where the carpet and sliding door meet, I smell that odor. I am thinking I should cover up this caulking to seal it up. In one of your above posts, you suggest a shellac. What do you think? Which product would you advise to paint over the caulk to seal in the odor? Thank you in advance!!!
Corinne
That is a little complex. I would want to know why it did not offgas the first summer. I would want to test all products before use and know what is in there so you know exactly what it is and how it is getting through. I would want to be sure it is not the window material itself. Once you know where it is and how it is coming through you can look to ways to seal this. But you have to also be careful here that you are not trapping moisture.
sue
THANK you so much for your response! Your questions are good. I don't know why it didn't smell that first summer. We are really at a loss of what to do other that replacing the entire door. Thanks again.
Lisa
Hi Corinne. Great blog post. We have an unfinished solid wood closet made by Lundia. We also have 2 sheets of formaldehyde free poplar being used to build on to the closet/wall area. Would using hemp oil first, then finishing with a beeswax finish be sufficient to seal these? Would these applications make them more mould resistant?
Corinne
Not sure what you mean by formaldehyde free poplar. Hemp oil would need a good amount of time to dry before putting clothes on it. I would not use beeswax in that application. Your closed should not need to be mould proofed. If you live somewhere tropical where you humidity is inevitably really high then you would want to use a rot proof wood.
Caroline McDaniel
Corinne, We are using AFM zero voc to paint your whole new house. We used American drywall with greenguard certified and m100 mud from Murrco but the odor is still strong in there. Should the primer and paint take care of these?
Corinne
If you are sensitive to the drywall and Murco I would proceed with extreme caution with AFM paint and primer. It's one of the hardest to tolerate on that list from what I have personally seen.
Caroline McDaniel
Really? I have painted some on boards testing colors and noted minimal odor…. I want the drywall sealed well and felt the afm primer and zero voc paint would do that well. We haven’t had any “official diagnosis” of chemical sensitivity but my oldest and I definitely are more bothered by odors etc. We have 3 children and they and I have allergies and 2 of us am immune system that isn’t as robust as the rest so our goal is the build the healthiest home we can within our budget. We’ve been told AFM is the best for sealing out vocs etc and I was even going to have the cabinet guy paint cabinets in the ecolaq from afm. Please advise. Thank you!!!
Caroline McDaniel
Corinne- we’ve decided to use US floors engineered hardwood Meridan line. What underlayment would you recommend? Looking for healthy and economical. Thank you!
Unknown
Judd, the issue is that you are using the varnish on your boat, and all water based varnishes are unsuitable for marine applications.
Over time there will be degradation in the finish and, after two years, you are now beginning to see this.
Melanie
Thank you dearly Corinne… Mel
Judd Robertson
What do you think about using hemp oil on Birch wood in a marine environment? I am super sensitive, used Ecos but it is junk and is turning black, beading up even where there is no contact with water. The wood is molding also. EQcos is junk
Corinne
That doesn't sound like it will hold up to moisture either.
Corinne
No, that likely won't be enough of a seal. It depends how sensitive you are. Another coat of paint and primer will only help a little. I would see how strong it smells first to see if you should even try and seal that. You will need to test that paints and waxes that seal to make sure they are not worse for you and also know if it can take a interior vapour barrier.
Pablo Rubin
Dear Corinne,
My husband and I abandonned the idea of the wooden house mentionned in my August 7th message… We are still trying to find a house to rent… in the woods… not an easy mission… We might have found one to visit next week. The landlord told us that he painted the whole house with regular (latex) white paint 2 months ago… o gosh… anyways, my question is: if we paint some Benjamin Moore 0-VOC paint over the other paint, would it seal it? If YES, then which one would be best: Auro, Natura, or Eco Spec? Thank you once again!!! Melanie
Jaime
Hi there! I'm 22 and chronically ill with ME/CFS. My husband and I are looking for a solution to our housing problems. I react to EVERYTHING. But we don't have the time or resources to build a home from scratch, but we may be able to finance a tiny home that's already built. Do you recommend Tiny Green Cabins? I've heard so many negative and concerning things about buying pre-built tiny home since they are prone to mold and other toxins. Is Tiny Green Cabins a reputable company in your opinion?
Corinne
I've seen major problems with that company. From time line to budget, to materials done wrong, to mistakes, to ethics.
Melanie
Hello Corinne,
Thank you so much for you reply… yes, I meant the interior walls and ceiling. Since you are an expert, what would be YOUR best recommendation in terms of a CLEAR sealer to be applied over this probably oil-based polyurethane varnish (quite thick also)? Of course, we would try with a sample first… I looked onto the AFM SafeCoat Polyureseal BP and the AFM Safecoat Safe Seal products, and they mention the following: "Do not use over oil-based polyurethanes or oil-based products as it may not adhere properly."… Oh no!… So, what else can we do? We really can't sand all that surface and refinish it with hemp oil or another natural sealer, it would cost us a fortune!!! Plus, we don't even know if the owner would allow that… And what about varnishing on top of the old varnish with ECOS WoodShield? They claim zero VOC and no odour… Could it actually seal off the old varnish? We were told by the owner that the current varnish is really old… more than 10 years, supposedly… yet, it still smells (and feels 🙁 ) so strong! Unbelievable, no? Even my husband (who is not MCS) smelled it (but it didn't affect him)… Oh boy… If only people would use eco friendly products, if only… Thank you dearly for your precious help and time, and looking forward to your answer…
Melanie
My name is Melanie by the way, thank you DEARLY!
Melanie
Hello!
I suffer from MCS. We want to move to a dream house close to forest, but the beautiful pine wood siding and ceiling in all the house seems to have been stained and varnished with high VOCs products some time ago (what a shame, because a home smells sooo good (and healthy) when beams or siding is left natural or naturally oiled. We visited the house today and it made me feel sick 🙁 We wish to rent it, so removing all the varnish is out to the question. As such, is there anything at all in the market, any transparent sealer or wax that we could use to cover all the existing siding to BLOCK the vocs. Thank you so much for your precious help!!!
Caroline McDaniel
you mean the cork off gassing? Would it not be sealed underneath?
Caroline McDaniel
you mean the cork?
Caroline McDaniel
Thanks Corine. This is a new construction. I want to make a healthy choice. We like the look of the CoreTech and it’s in our budget but I want to ensure there are no concerns you know of. It does hold a greenguard certificate. Have you looked at the specs or know anything 59 be concerned about? The samples have no smell…?
Corinne
I have concerns with the underlayment, depends on your level of sensitivities and health.
Caroline McDaniel
Can anyone tell me anything about Core Tech by US Floors? It’s greenguard certified, but I won’t to ensure it is clean and healthy.
Corinne
I think their cork underlayment is very strong even after one year. I haven't tested their vinyl surface.
Unknown
Just relocated after CIRS diagnosis. I want to remove carpeting in new place but can't get new flooring yet. Would it be a problem to just have the subflooring exposed (2nd floor) without replacing the carpet with another flooring? Also, under the carpet is 40 yr old, glued down, 12 inch tiles of something like vinyl or laminate (think cheap peel and stick, not ceramic tiles), which I have removed in one room. Is there something you would recommend to seal over the tar-ish glue residue? In the other bedrooms would it be better to just leave the tiles and seal them with something or even paint so they're not so ugly?
Corinne
I would leave those vinyl/laminate or linoleum down until you are ready to replace them with something if they are 40 years old and are not bothering you. You can probably pain them but you need to know exactly what it is.
Jamie
We're getting our new home painted and I wish we could afford some of the safer, independent paint companies, but sadly we can't. We were given three options by our painter, Behr's Premium Plus Zero, Sherman Williams Promar 200 and Dunn-Edwards Spartazero. Based on the information here, we're debating between Promar and Spartazero. All 3 paints are listed under "with mildewcide" but then Promar is listed under Primers with "no mildecide." Can you clarify? Are they two different products (paint vs. primer) with the same name, one with mildewcide and one without? If Promar has no mildewcide, we'll go with them but if they all do, then maybe we'll try Spartazero thanks to Jim's comments about how they're worth a try and their msds is extremely clean. Any other info or input would be great appreciated! Thank you!
Corinne
Yes last I checked the Promar 200 primer had no mildewcide and the paint did.
irene
hello– does anyone know if getting a wood bed frame and keeping it unfinished is still irritating? wood does have a strong smell, but it sounds like all of the topcoats have issues with them as well even the linseed, etc. currently i have an organic mattress, but am not sure what to put it on, since i can't get anything that is as pure as the mattress.. thanks!
Corinne
Depends if you are sensitive to wood. You don't have to finish it but putting a sealer on will protect it. Most people can tolerate the natural low odour oils like hemp or the coconut one mentioned. Those won't block the smell of the wood though. Shellac will block some smell and is well tolerated.
Celestial Light Astrology
Thank you!!!
Jim
You're welcome. I haven't used Ecos. They charge quite a bit, so I hope they would be good to go with their formula. Corinne has good success with it so worth a try.
A lot of these paints need to be individually tried out just to see what effects they can have on you. Only so much one can gather from reading the msds or product data sheet on these paints, kinda like reading the tea leaves. Paint companies are able to hide so much from their customers. I have read that paint companies themselves were the ones who originally wrote the regulations for Voc's. Instead of having the government make regulations on making safer paints to people, they wrote the regulation of Voc's to be only to the chemicals that react with sunlight to create smog and effect the ozone. So some toxins can be not so healthy for us, but perfectly fine for the environment, so they are exempt. Ammonia and Acetone are exempt. Sherwin and Behr have a lot of ammonia, probably not Harmony, but I know "zero voc" promar does.
Ecos is worth a try. I didn't smell too much from AFM and I have some chemical sensitivities but not as much as others, so they might be worth a try. That Dunn Edwards Spartazero is worth a try. Their msds is extremely clean, but for some reason they don't list titanium dioxide like other companies do, as it is carcinogen(who knows how bad). Any acrylic paints like all these have to have titanium dioxide. Unless they are the mineral paints like Romabio, or a natural paint like Milk Paint.
That Clear Skies from Earthpaint might be worth a try. There is also a bio based soy paint called Durasoy that claims to be non-toxic. And Also Ivy Coatings that claims to be as well. There are not many user reviews on these, I have never used, but they claim to be safer. Just some options for you. I'm pretty happy with Ben from Benjamin Moore, has a slight odor but it's fine for me. It's local which is easier for pickup.
Corinne
Agree with most of this just wanted to point it out that titanium dioxide has to be inhaled in powder form to be a problem. Just like glass. Just like concrete…
Kiana Lawhorn
Hi, thank you for the information. I’m looking for the safest stain and/or finish for jewelry making. What would you suggest?
Corinne
I haven’t looked at jewelry. Only home and furniture.
Celestial Light Astrology
Do you recommend any product that has no VOC for sealing a finished wood table that is still off gassing? Will a sealer prohibit the table from off gassing? The sealer had to be completely non toxic as I am very chemically sensitive. Thank you!!
Celestial Light Astrology
Forgot to mention – the table i want to seal is an Ashley furniture dinning set. Not sure if those are notoriously toxic or not, as I have not had to buy furniture for a very long time. Perhaps you know??
Jim
I have no experience with them, but AFM has Hardseal that is meant to seal in off gassing. And another for mdf called Safeseal.
Now they both look like they might have a little odor themselves and I don't know how effective. Ecos Paints looks like they have some "passivating" primers/ paint that seems to try and accomplish the same. I don't think theirs comes in a clear, at least I couldn't find one. They do have a clear in an "air purifying varnish" that supposedly removes toxins in the air. Do not know if those work as intended as well.
I don't know if there are any other brands out there that try to do the same. I would call each company and try to talk to a tech to find out just how much odor they have(don't want to add too much more odor when you are trying to get rid of it) and how effective they really are. Could look for reviews online to see what others say about them, if they work properly.
Caroline McDaniel
Thanks Jim! How does ecos compare in this realm of healthiest paint?
Caroline McDaniel
I've never heard anything like this with AFM. Do you think it's related to who does the tinting and If a universal colorant may have been used?
Corinne
No it's the AFM product.
Jim
Yes, I used AFM to test it out. Brushed very nicely, like a regular paint. Though the semi-gloss was too shiny for my taste on trim. They have a softer sheen pearl that I would use on trim. I know a painted who sells and paints with AFM and he really believes in it. If I had to guess, I would say out of the regular paints, they are one of the safest ones out there. I never used the natural oils paint from AFM, so I have no idea on that.
One thing I did not like about Mythic/ American Pride was that after storing the paint for awhile it could grow bacteria or mold that made it stink like rotten eggs. I guess that is because of no mildewcides and such. I imagine storing those kinds of paints with the paint cans upside down so more air tight would prevent that.
I've been searching lately for more healthier options for tannin sealers. I'm really against the original BIN, even though I know it's the standard.
For professional paints, from the same company from BIN, Zinsser, they have "Advanced BIN", a synthetic shellac for stains. I used it successfully on a couple oak cabinet jobs. It has great adhesion and much lower odor than regular BIN. Some say it's hit or miss on blocking stains. There is also Zinsser "Smart Prime"/ "123 Plus" (the same product with different names) that blocks tannin stains well. Another is Kilz Max, some really like it's sanding and tannin blocking. And a new one from them is Kilz Max Clear (not Kilz Clear), which is a clear sealer and listed as low odor and able to block tannins. I really want to try that one. The other 3 have odors of regular latex paint.
For safer sealers I found cool soya sealer from Canada.
https://soyaoilcoatings.com/wood-knot-and-resin-blocker-primer-sealer/
In the States there is another soya sealer I found, more geared to the faux finish market. I am not sure if it could accept stain afterwards like a clear shellac. She said it dries cloudy like an oil varnish. It can be used as a topcoat also, and is exterior grade so suppose to be decently durable. Safe to use inside also.
http://artisanenhancements.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Clear-Topcoat-Sealer_SEALER-GUIDE_SealerComparison.pdf
I found another sealer that can be used to seal in tannins, called Lumber Seal. Used on bare wood and acrylic paints. So may possibly be used similar to a clear shellac, but not positive how well it could take stains.
http://agralifeproducts.com/products/product/Lumber-Seal-1-Gal
Corinne
Thank you for sharing your experience Jim. There are indeed so many new products to test out.
Jim
You're welcome. I like to share and learn about healthy products from others. I've had health complication from years of breathing toxic paint, stains and poly's. I would like to see people try to stay away from the worst things.
Whenever I need to breath in something with a strong odor, whether oil, shellac or even acrylic/latex, I wear a respirator with multi-purpose cartridges. That is a lifesaver for me.
Jim
AFM is the least tolerated? That is surprising. Could you expand on that? Was is the odor that bad? I'm interested in your opinion on it as I might switch to that in the future. Thanks
I had a problem with one store that sells Benny Moore, with their zero Voc Gennez colorant system, but the store also sold other companies and had universal tints. I was buying Ben Moore paints thinking they were the best, but still having surprising problems with odors. I came to find out the store was not using Benny's Gennex colorants but basic universal tints which added incredible odor. As soon as I switched stores it solved that issue.
I learned a lesson for myself that odor does not completely depend on the paint brand, the store which mixes it with their colorant plays its part.
Corinne
I have had that experience with stores as well. AFM paint is the least well-tolerated amongst my clients and people on the Facebook forms for chemical sensitivities. In my experience the best tolerated paints are Mythic and ecos.
Jim
Also you might be interested in clear top coats I found. The Lumber Seal company also makes a Furniture Seal which sounds like a durable poly.
The gentleman from Earthpaint.net said their Easy Finish is the best replacement for polyurethane's. Second best is their Nanotech. They are both more than durable and rated for floors. Their Nanotech can also be tinted to make it a stain and finish. Their Bio Naturals, which has a pine resin, which also can be tinted. That one has a slow dry time so I'm not too interested. Their have a Mountain finish which is made from cashews, but can only be applied with light coats with a rag.
That http://www.ecosafetyproducts.com has nice sounding finishes rated for floors. One is made from soy, a couple others that look healthier than standard polys. They also have stains made with soy, those sound nice, fast drying.
The 3 company's for clear topcoats above I have not used yet, but I have used one that I love from Vermont Naturals.It's partially made from whey,
leftover from cheese making, adds durability. Their Furniture Polywhey has a decent amount of odor and fast drying(harder to hide brush strokes), I don't recommend too much unless you want more durability. But they have a Heirloom Finish that is great, very low odor and levels extremely well. Not sure if I would put it on top of a table, probably doesn't have that durability. They also have Stain and Finish, which is like Polyshades, but it's a much better product. I would put the clear coat Heirloom over the Stain and Finish. Both of those have low odor. http://www.vermontnaturalcoatings.com
Sherwin has been telling me for years that they have a zero voc colorant system but I've had some bad experiences with them sometimes, with strong odors in certain colors. I would like to give them another try and see how Harmony is. I've been so really pleased with Ben from Benny Moore that I haven't bothered trying anyone else for walls in a while. Alright, I've blabbered enough.
Caroline McDaniel
Jim- have you ever used AFM safecoat?
Corinne
See below. For my clients a AFM is one of the least well tolerated.
Jim
Same painter here. Also wanted to share http://www.ecosafetyproducts.com, which has interesting soy paint. And I know the Colorhouse is a pretty decent paint. It is actually made by Dunn Edwards, which you have listed as well. I have a big hunch that it is just relabeled that same zero voc product from Dunn Edwards.
And I used Mythic a lot, it worked pretty nice. They had a great primer. Just so you know, that same paint might still be getting made. When it was originally created, before called Mythic, it was called American Pride. Was actually created to paint the Pentagon after 9/11, which you may already know. So Mythic went out of business a couple years ago as you know, but I had noticed that American Pride has been getting sold at some stores, so I believe it is being made still. It is the same paint as Mythic. Here is their site, not a lot of info but does have stores on where it could be found: http://www.americanpridepaint.com/
A couple more paints you might be interested in: California Paints, they have a zero voc colorant system like Benjamin Moore that won't had toxins with colors like Sherwin will. They have a zero voc offering, but few and far between on tracking down a store.
Also, I heard PPG has a zero voc colorant system. They have Pure Performance paint that has been well known by painters as a healthy offering. Just thought I'd share what I know. I learned about some good ones I didn't know from your site, I appreciate that. Regards, J
Corinne
Thanks I will look into those more. I know people would be happy to find the mythic formula. Colorhouse is not zero VOC though. it certainly could be repackaged. I'm not sure which of their paints it would be.
Unknown
I am a painter. Also have chemical sensitivities, so I know a little about toxic products. I would be wary on basing too much on Zero Voc products as that does not mean Zero Toxic. Voc's only mean those chemicals that react to sunlight to create smog/ozone. So the regulations were written with human health Not in mind. There are many exempt chemicals that are very unhealthy to you and me but perfectly fine against the ozone, so they are Zero Voc. "Low odor" products is probably more important than Zero Voc's, but at the end of the day the product needs to be used to see how toxic it really is.
I have had lots of problems with Sherwin's Promar 200 Zero Voc. They do not have a zero voc colorant system so depending on the color it will have more odor. I do not recommend Sherwin. Benjamin Moore has a zero voc, low odor colorant system. Their Ben line I believe is the healthiest, great paint, just need to add some water so it brushes like butter. Next healthiest of their's is Natura. I don't use Regal as it has some more odor. Their expensive Aura is an example of having Zero Voc's, but it definitely has a toxic odor.
Though it is not extreme like BIN Shellac. I don't know how that got on this list. As it is known to be extremely toxic to people.
http://www.earthpaint.net is something to probably list on your site, as they seem to have some of the best and more well known wood finishes. They also have a paint. And a natural mold killing lime primer.
Corinne
Hi Sherwin Williams does have zero VOC colourants. Zero VOC is definitely the best place to start. Going by the ingredients list or even AFMs GAPs does not necessarily lead to to figure out which paint is better for them. How offensive the odour is to you is definitely a good guide I agree. For those really sensitive they will need to know how long it will take for them to not react. Most people have different brand preferences it's not simply how toxic it objectively is. Bin shellac is one of the best sealers for blocking smells but it is hard to tolerate. I recommend pure shellac.
Misty Posey
I spoke with Sherwin Williams twice in 2018, and they confirmed that ONLY their white paint is VOC-free – As soon as they put in dyes to make a color, it will become a VOC paint again. Then, each color you choose will have a different level of VOCs. So, really, Sherwin Williams' labeling is misleading since it only applies to white, before choosing a color.
altostrata
Hello, very interested in your recommendation for Earthpaint products. I was looking at their Nanotech Floor Finish. It's almost too good to be true! Does anyone have any experience with this product?
Corinne
Sherwin-Williams does have a zero VOC colorant I'm not sure what's going on here baby it is difficult to find in store?
Unknown
Hi Corinne, 1) You wrote "For the super sensitive USG Firecode is recommended (it does not contain a flame retardent)." Could I ask why you think this is lower chemical than regular USG sheetrock? 2) Also, do you have an opinion of the safety of https://www.usg.com/content/usgcom/en/products-solutions/products/wallboard/mold-resistant-panels/usg-sheetrock-mold-tough-gypsum-panels.html? I was concerned they might contain an insecticide, but want to use them to reduce mold likelihood. Thanks!
Clayton
Is there a sealer that will seal 15 year old 3 coat oil based polyurethane floor finish on oak to stop from offgassing? The offgassing now is not horrible, but is bothersome to me. Thanks!
Meddy
Can you recommend a sealant I can use on the inside of bathroom drawers made of particle wood that reek of perfume?
April Ainsworth
Hi! Great info 🙂 Thank you so much.
sb
What do you know about the harmful effects of mildewcides in paint? Are they good or bad?
Unknown
Hello. what is your recommendation for staining a sealing an oak wood kitchen table?
LEE
I want to get ecos paints but i need to prime first. I see u said ecos primer has mildewcides is there another brand u can recommend? Thank you.
Corinne
It no longer contains a mildewcide.
Kate H.
Is there a zero VOC product to apply to walls and ceiling to block a perfume smell? This is for a child with extreme chemical sensitive. Thank you!
Meddy
I would like to know as well.
Phyllis MacLuan
We were cleaning our very dirty oak kitchen cabinets and now they have some very light spots in areas. Is there something similar to restor-a-finish that's non-toxic? Thanks
Chad Sullivan
Hi, Thank you for sharing all this great info! I'm helping renovate a friends house, and she is very chemically sensitive, so your advice and product listings has been great.
In one area there has been rats under the tub, and the subfloor is still smelly from them living there, despite bleach cleaning etc. What waterproof sealant would you recommend to both protect from water splashing in the future, and to seal in smell? Conventional solutions would be RedGuard or Bituthene. Do you know of a low VOC, more natural alternative? We're in a mold-prone area on the west coast. Thank you!
Corinne
Oh my gosh, sounds terrible. I would remove all this subfloor and any area water damaged and smelly. Correct problem of where rats are coming in as well. Do not use bleach on mold or around a sensitive person.
Emma
Hi, the governement house/department of housing house (in Australia) that we live in has just been painted. As a result, we don't know what type of paint was used yet suspect it was a very cheap one. It seems as though the new paint is making me very sick and I'm wondering if you can please recommend a product that can be purchased in or shipped to Australia (maybe some type of sealant or something else), that could be painted over the new paint to seal in the VOC's/off-gasing from the new paint? Do you think this method will be sufficient to seal in all or enough of the VOC's in order to prevent me from feeling ill? Thank you, emma
Corinne
Hi Emma, sealing in new paint is tricky. There are a few options you can try to help reduce the offgassing. I would need to look into what is available in Australia. This would be done as a consult. Please check out my page on consulting. It is 25 USD per half hour. This will take an hour of research and email. Thanks, Corinne [email protected]
guillaume lang
Do you know of any brands for sealing concrete without the toxic fumes?
Corinne
Hi, Yes there are quite a few concrete sealers. I mentioned a few in this post. It depends on what the application is.
Lin Richmond
I happened upon your site while looking for a low VOC sealant to use on our vinyl kitchen flooring. It is about 21 years old and we don't want to replace it till we sell our home next year. I cleaned it with baking soda and it really did a great job, but my husband says we need to seal it. Do you have any suggestions please? Thank you for any advice you can provide. I am so happy I found your site.
Corinne
For vinyl tile use AFM Hardseal. If you are not sure what type of vinyl it is contact AFM or Building for Health and they will get you the right AFM slealer.
SEO
Great blog post! So helpful!
I have a basement that takes in water during very rainy springs. Would AFM Safecoat Penetrating Water Stop be a good choice to seal the basement concrete?
SEO
Others have recommended DryLock, but it seems to be quite toxic.
Corinne
Consult a building science expert on this. Normally you do not seal this on the inside. The source of the water getting in needs to be fixed.
Phyllis MacLuan
I did something that I thought I would never do. I just bought a large mdf cubby cabinet to separate my office space from our main living space. It's not new. I looked for a year for something that would fit here that I could fit in my van and this is the first thing that worked. It was covered with a laminate that was cracked and peeling so we removed the laminate and now need to finish it. What do you recommend? Everything else in my world is bamboo or other natural fibers and walls are painted with colorhouse paint (from before it was colorhouse.) Thanks
Corinne
If you just removed the melamine the MDF may still offgas. I would seal it with http://amzn.to/2ef46PQ
Phyllis MacLuan
Thank you Corinne. Can I paint over the sealer? Do I seal, prime and paint?
PammyJ
is the mildewcide? They told me they had a "biostat" whatever that is and that is was sodium omadine? Is this the preservative or mildewcide in question? Is the mildewcide a no-no for the mold sensitive? I have a daughter who is not so much MCS as mold impaired
Corinne
Yes you can paint over it.
Kim Sate
great blog. thank you very much for sharing.
I bought an antique table and wanna take no chance concerning possible moulds: if ever there were moulds in between 2 wood planks, would a wax (applied on top of floor hemp oil) be sufficient to seal any possible neurotoxin/spore/mould in? thx much in advance.
Corinne
Mould in between 2 planks? That would be an unusual place for mould to grow. Are you talking about the subfloor and the wood flooring? A beeswax no, would not block spores. Sounds like you want your wood to breath. The only kind of wax that I know of that is relatively impermeable is shellac. This is not used on floors though.
Kim Sate
Hi Corinne,
thank you very much for answering.
It's for an antique wood table top: 2 planks had a gap and were not sealed and the table was used in an orphanage for many years. So i worry that some liquid might have spilled repeatedly in the past in between these 2 planks and that maybe molds could have developed there. As it could ruin the table top if I took these 2 planks apart, I would like to properly seal the complete table top and if ever there would be spores in there, be positive that they could not escape from the sealed table top into the air. Do you think carnauba wax (maybe mixed with candelilla wax) could be enough to accomplish that?
thank you very much for sharing your knowledge and experience.
Corinne
Those are breathable, they would not seal in mycotoxins.
Kim Sate
thank you 🙂
Deb
i purchased a large wooden stool/kitchen tower for my toddler from a DIY neighbor. You can see an example, if you google "toddler kitchen tower". It has been painted white with what I think is a mix of spray paint and regular paint. what can I put over it that will seal in toxins/VOCs, and be okay for my toddler to handle prior to handling food? Horribly disappointed now that we own this.
Corinne
You can try some of the sealers listed above or shellac
Maxine Marsh
What would you use as the most non-toxic option to fill gaps around piping to prevent roaches from nesting in the walls. I can't use a plate, because my vanity is already set in place. I was considering using a simple non-toxic air drying clay, as an alternative to spray foam, putty, or caulking. Thoughts?
Corinne
Backer rod and caulking or canned spray foam if you can tolerate. Links in post on windows.
giNC
ECOS paint rep told me they did not contain mildewcide I used with with no outgassing and the smell only when it was applied….
Corinne
ECOS also told me that at first but when I got ahold of the ingredient lists there was a mildewcide in there. When I emailed about this they confirmed. They use it as a preservative in the paint.
Shannon MW
Okay so you mean that a "sealer" doesn't seal VOC's any more than a primer would seal in VOC's. So basically I want to find a super low VOC New Drywall Primer, and hope it helps..
Drywall has specific amounts of VOC's depending on the brand…okay yes this makes sense, never thought of it. This whole chemical sensitivity thing is quite frustrating I have to say 🙁
I'm sorry, I don't quite understand what you mean by comparing the drywall brand to the 45g/l drywall primer!
Corinne
Yes exactly.
I would see the VOC level of the drywall if you can find it and see if it's worth adding 45g/l in order to reduce the drywall offgassing.
Shannon MW
Okay makes sense for the primer vs sealer. If i was in the states I would get either the ECOS or Afm safe coat and this would be easier.
Okay great, will do! If I can find it, and it is low, would I be best to just use a zero VOC primer like the Lifemaster (i believe that was a drywall one), to reduce any VOC's leeching out?
Also thank you SO MUCH for all of your help, I apologize for being such a newbie.
Shannon MW
It is from Dulux paints, it's called Lifemaster Primer/Sealer. Okay good to know it has to be specifically for drywall. Is 45 g/l awful if that's the only one I can find? Also I just looked at different types of drywall (yay google..) and I believe it was just square edge standard drywall, in ceiling and walls, with putty over top.
Corinne
That is for drywall and it is zero-VOC. However the sealer label means it seals new drywall and is no more a VOC sealer than any other primer. As for drywall VOC levels, it depends on the brand. You can try and look it up by what brand you bought and then compare that to the 45g/l.
Shannon MW
Darn. We don't know..we have contractors coming in and doing it for us with the machines to clean the air and such. To be honest, I didn't realize there were different kinds of drywall…so that is my bad with everything going on in the house.
45 is the lowest I could find! It was that or "<200 g/l" for drywall sealant/primer. Or a no VOC primer/sealer but it doesn't say specifically for drywall, so maybe that would be the best since it's no voc and it at least says sealer?
Corinne
Which one is the zero VOC sealer? It does need to be drywall primer.
Shannon MW
Hi there! I have had a bunch of drywall done in my house. Everyone I speak to says "oh the drywall isn't an issue for VOC's" but I know they're wrong. I am in Canada, and am looking at a product that is Greenguard certified, less than 45 g/l VOC and is a Drywall sealant/primer. Do you think this is OK for sealing in VOC's from drywall before I paint?
I just can't find ANYTHING in Canada that is labelled for "sealing" drywall so it's all just primer/sealer, or just primer. Any advice would be so appreciated! Thank you so much!
Corinne
Depends on the drywall. Which kind did you use? 45g/l is not that low. But there is no drywall sealer that is zero VOC. Just primer will seal some VOCs though.
Joanne Cabe
What about Ecos passivating primer?
Corinne
It has a mildewcide and I have heard it doesn't seal in odours well.
Unknown
I know this product doesn't belong on this blog, but I found that the original oil-based Kilz primer works very well to cover odors. But only if you can wait several months for it to completely outgas. I have chemical sensitivities, and after outgassing, it does not bother me and completely took care of the odor from old drywall in a closet. I used the water-based Kilz in another closet, and that never outgased. I had to replace the drywall.
suryabhan
In my home there is some painting there but painter told me they will use penetrating sealing before colour.
My question is, is it safe for children's
Corinne
what is the surface and what is the sealer?
Corinne
Check out this post. It is about how I built mine and about some really good ecos companies making sofas. https://www.mychemicalfreehouse.net/2015/07/building-non-toxic-sofa.html
suki77
Have tried a lot of paints that claim to be low voc and have not been happy. I am going with Roma paints which are beautiful mineral paints and truly no voc. for anyone who is mvs, I recommend you review their site.
Shanna
How do you recommend putting homemade oil / beeswax finish down on your floors? We are putting in hardwoods and wondering if we need to apply on our hands and knees with a rag or is there is another method. Thanks so much! We came across your blog after we thought about making our own floor finish since the commercial brands weren't non toxic enough for us. We are happy to find that other people have find it too! How has it been holding up?
Corinne
Hi, yes it is usually buffed in with a cloth. I used hemp oil on my floors and hemp/beeswax on the window sill. It's holding up well. The beeswax I used also contains carnauba.
KD
I bought and used the ecos wood sealer on my brand new kitchen cabinets, three coats as recommended (we built them ourselves so it was fresh wood). The slightest water drop soaks right through and leaves a black stain in the wood. I paid a lot of money for something that doesn't work at all
Corinne
damn! that's terrible. I'm about to try it on my cabinets and will update the post accordingly
Corinne
I am putting up a warning now about ECOs. It worked well for me but one other person has said the same thing and the indicates a big problem.
Tony Twomey
Love this blog you have shared such nice information about services and products for sealing and pavers. Floor Sealing
Jumps Queeze
Great
Brent Moss
Great read…
Is there a recommended application for unfinished steel? I have used bees wax and oil. I'm looking for a commercial product….does anything exist?
Lynda Lorah
Your link for "Ecos" Sealer is not working. When redirected it says "Page not Found". Can you please help me find a safe indoor wood sealer. I'm having such a hard time.
Corinne
hi, http://www.ecospaints.net/ecos-interior-satin-woodstain-varnish.html
mythicpaint
very nice information.
Chicagoland Pro Hardwood Flooring
Great Blog Corinne! So much information about ALL the Green options. Glad to see the public getting informed and using these products more and more! Feel free to connect with us on Google http://bit.ly/1rNvZi1
k
Does linseed take long to off gas the terpenes? Not sure what to do now ? Researching using activated charcoal . Any ideas? Thank you for your blog 🙂
Corinne
it does take a pretty long time. depends on your level of sensitivity to it.
Morgan
They also make a ceramic tile thst looks like also make a ceramic tile that looks like hand scraped wood! It's beautiful and really cheap.$ 1.99 sqft through Home Depot…I'm using it throughout my house.
k
Does anyone know if raw linseed oil is harmless to lungs ?, just finished re sealing floor with the beeswax , carnauba linseed mix a few days ago and after a few minutes in the house my nose feels stingy.
Corinne
I describe the issues with linseed in the first paragraph.
k
Or you could try magnesium board with beeswax, carnauba wax and linseed to seal. Just had to sand low VOC poly off an entire house full of floor because of sensitive lungs.
Pam
I am really enjoying your blog. My son and I both have MCS, and it is a challenge to find safe materials to renovate with. We are in the process of choosing flooring for our kitchen. We're considering solid wood, prefinished flooring–but are a little concerned about offgassing from the finishes. We're also considering on-site finishing, but I'm concerned about that too! Do high quality prefinished solid wood floors offgas much?
Corinne
what are they finished with? you will have to test them. polyurathane i have found can offgass quickly as long as it's not in the same building as you when curing. tiles would be preferable in the kitchen I think, or polished concrete.
Caroline McDaniel
How did this turn out and how do you like? We are considering, however my husband has made comments about the cold/hard flooring…:-)
Caroline McDaniel
How did this turn out and how do you like? We are considering, however my husband has made comments about the cold/hard flooring…:-)
Chemical Billy
BioWorx.us is new to the "green" cleaning industry. None of their products contain VOC's (including the glass cleaner and fragrances)or other harsh chemicals. Plus they show on their web site lab studies how BioWorx compares to other cleaning products in soap scum and scale removal. They do quite well in each key cleaning category.
Chandra Dsp
Interesting Blog!!! Keep up the good work. Stonera Systems Pvt .Ltd Products offer suitable solutions for every surface in your home including water based sealant for granite, Marble, stone, floors and many more…
Water based sealant for marble
Jim Wilkins
Have you tried coconut oil for a wood finish? And then doing a beeswax oil finish by handrubbing the final coat of beeswax.
Jim
http://www.tinygreencabins.com