Waterlox odor control

[Don Morris]

I used Waterlox for the first time. I read all the literature from the Waterlox site, watched several youtube presentations, and followed the application process as well as possible. That went as expected, no problems. Tried to setup a cross ventilation situation. I was in the basement with the door to the garage not 5' away. I had a 24" box fan in the door aimed out to the garage. the garage door was open several feet. All the air vents into the basement were shut off including the return vent. One door from the first floor to the basement was left open so air could be pulled through by the fan which I had on medium speed. I had 5 closet shelfs about 15" Wide by 40" long of 3/4" birch plywood, edge banded with maple, that I wanted to try the Waterlox on, to get experience with before I did a new desk top for LOML. I have a 3M 7503 half mask with 3m 6001 organic filters. I couldn't detect much odor while I applied the Waterlox, but within minutes according to LOML, the odor which was overwhelming, penetrated throughout the house. When I took the mask off, I understood why they advise if you can't ventilate the project, use a different varnish. Tomorrow, LOML has dictated I move out to the garage and close the door to the house. With heat lamps and such I can warm the garage fairly well, even with the garage door open a little. But I understand the cold will slow the setting process. Perhaps after a few hours and the material has some initial set and lost most of it's initial overwhelming odor, I could bring them back in to room temperature to minimize the time for setting. Is there something else I could have done? What do you do? Recommendations. I'm thinking LOML's new desk top will not get Waterlox and probably get a wipe-on poly unless I can control the odor better than this.

[Mel Fulks]

Yeah,women have a much stronger sense of smell and seem to not tolerate that product. I posted before about a phone conversation with a guy at the factory ,described as the boss, who advised against using it in a kitchen when I asked about using it for countertop. It can take a good while for the smell to die down.

[Conrad Fiore]

I think for a closet shelf that will get very little constant viewing, I would use a waterborne topcoat. Plenty of protection, little initial odor and no odor after drying.

[Don Morris]

My only purpose for using the Waterlox was to get experience with using Waterlox as I hadn't used it before. There's nothing like experience when you use a new or different material. I didn't want to start right out on LOML's new desk top with something I wasn't familiar with on something LOML, with her eagle eye, would be looking at on a daily basis.

[Sam Murdoch]

Yes, that is the downside to Waterlox especially if you are applying liberally with a brush rather than light wipe on coats. I think moving out to the garage is your only solution. Keep in mind that you don't really want to apply Waterlox in a room much above 68° or below 62° - I find that too much heat creates its own problems while applying. Helps to keep your Waterlox warm though so store it in a heated room rather than in a cold garage.

Then there is the issue with moving air. Cross ventilation is great but you want to make certain that all the dust that might get caught up in a draft has been removed from your work area AND FROM YOUR CLOTHING AND HAIR. OK to have fans blowing air out if they are not blowing across your work but even then the cross air effect of the fans pulling the air needs to be considered. The long drying time of a brush applied Waterlox can lead to a textured surface if you don't consider dust and draft.

I redid a table with Waterlox in the house this early winter. I planned on a day (4 days in all) when my wife would not be home. She is supersensitive to this stuff too. I was all prepped to apply 1st thing in the morning. Then after 4 hours when I had a reasonably tack free surface I turned on the bath and kitchen vent and opened the nearby windows for an hour or so to get a full air exchange. Yup I sucked all the heat out but all (most of) the smell too.

Otherwise - wait until summer . Not much of a solution sorry to say.

[Don Morris]

We decided to wait until summer. Couldn't get the garage much higher than 53 here. Wraped the shelfs up in an old cloth and stuffed them into the attic. Put back the old MDF shelfs, which now compared to even one half coat of Waterlox look terrible. But that gives me a summer project to look forward to.

[Don Morris]

LOML just informed me she is going to visit her 99 yo mother in March. At 99 she's still pretty with it, but does need some help. My wife's brother lives close to her mother but will be leaving the area for a couple weeks and the other kids take turns helping out. So there's a window of opportunity to apply the Waterlox before summer.

[Howard Acheson]

>>>> Wraped the shelfs up in an old cloth and stuffed them into the attic.

Be sure that air can freely circulate to all surfaces when you create your stack. Don't just set them down on top of each other or else you risk them warping. It's best to make some stickers and then stack them so air can get through to all sides.

[Don Morris]

Was more worried about odor. Didn't even cross my mind about warping. Yipes, will go up there and stack them properly. Thanks for the heads up.