Smoke detectors should be replaced every few years. Usually 5 to 10. (Some say 7 to 10)
Carbon monoxide detectors, those go bad after five years.
As either get older, they get more sensitive and go off easier.
Contributor
Smoke detectors should be replaced every few years. Usually 5 to 10. (Some say 7 to 10)
Carbon monoxide detectors, those go bad after five years.
As either get older, they get more sensitive and go off easier.
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." - John Lennon
Member
If the application instructions don't require full body protection and pressure fed air, apparently it is safe to be in the same room immediately. It is apparent that you are allergic to the substance so I don't see how anybody could provide an answer for you.
My calendar tells me that I'm living in the fourteenth year of the 21st century, quick dry solvent borne polyurethane dries in minutes instead of days, doesn't give me a headache or have a residual odor that I object to. I have read the label on waterborne clear finishes by the same maker and see "not recommended for floors". That tells me something about limits durability. Not all projects get walked on or rowed around in a lake so more durable is not necessarily better in every application.
Can anyone quote from a reasonable comparison such as FWW 187. I see it in their index but I don't have it.
Last edited by Gary Kman; 02-28-2014 at 6:07 AM.
Member
I used some Varathane spar finish to coat my new assembly table, and was amazed at how little the shop smelled the next morning. The varathane company has been bought out by Rustoleum, but seems to still be the same product.
I consider an oil based finish to be cured "enough" when it stops smelling; 4 to 8 weeks. I have been know to leave smaller items in the guest bath with the fan on an on/off timer till I open the door and walk in to no (or very minimal) odor.
"A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".
– Samuel Butler
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I used Varathane oil based poly on some floors a year and a half ago & it about drove me goofy with the odor.
It took a good week for the odor to drop to a level you could work in without getting a headache.
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." - John Lennon
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DID the odor cause your headache or were the fumes the cause of headache ?,do you have to smell the fumes to get sick ?Originally Posted by Rich Engelhardt
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Guess I'm lucky. I use Waterlox (not VOC compliant) a lot and have never really had a problem other than the long wait for it to fully cure so I can perform the final rubout. Recently did the final coats on counters adjacent to two kids bedrooms and had no complaints from the client. Same with counters in a guest house. same with 5' x 10' sewing center that couldn't have final finish coats until after install. Don't know what I'm doing right/differently but so far no issues.
BTW- I am fully open to sugestions/recomendations for products that will give me the finish of Waterlox without the 24 hrs between coats and the interminable wait to rubout.
Member
Gave up on that type of finish and only use water base finishes now.
Good Luck:
Don Selke
Julius A. Dooman & Son Woodworking
My Mentor, My teacher. "Gone but not forgotton"
Contributor
James,
How appropriate your question is! Today, I took back to Woodworkers my almost hardly used can of Waterlox and donated it to them because LOML put the hammer on using it ever again in the house. Look at my recent post of 02/14/2014 at 1:53am in the Finishing Forum, tittled "Waterlox Odor Control. I wanted to try it on some closet shelves before doing a new desk top for LOML. It has such a great reputation. The guys at Woodworkers Club couldn't believe the story about the overwhelming odor even though I followed all the directions of closing all the vents, putting a 24" box fan in the basement door (that's where I did it) to the garage and lifted the garage door, etc. There was such an overwhelming odor within minutes throughout the home, LOML had to open windows, put on the 1100 cfm fan over the gas range on high (and that fan will suck the chrome off of tail pipes), open doors and let all the heat out, etc. Hours later it was mostly gone, but there was some residual. I had a 3M half mask on with organic filters. I still developed asthma that night with wheezing and coughing. However, in doing more checking, my and your findings with Waterlox are not isolated. One of the best pieces of advise I got was from one member who said he does finishing with Waterlox in the summer, when he can do it outside. A wipe on technique is probably the least odor producing, but isn't the first or most highly recommended technique. I don't want to take the chance of having the problems I had with the stuff I had...ever again. Too bad, it must give a great result, I'm just not going to see it.
Contributor
The fumes were the cause of both the odor and the head ache.DID the odor cause your headache or were the fumes the cause of headache ?,do you have to smell the fumes to get sick ?
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." - John Lennon
[OP]
Contributor
Don,
Sorry to hear of your bad experience. Venting can be a tricky proposition. Especially with a heated house in the winter. The "stack effect" was probably stronger than your box fan. Never mind what any wind pressures may contribute.
I for one will not be giving up on Waterlox. You just can't beat it for a wipe on finish. The piece I just did would have been a real PITA to brush and I don't think spraying would have worked at all. Especially since it is too cold to spray anyway. Since I have a basement shop I need to have some major venting going on and that would just make it too cold to spray. I just needed to be a bit more patient before bring pieces in to the living space. Had it been fair weather this would not have been an issue at all. Since a could have left some windows open.
Member
There are three issues; why are your smoke detectors alerting?
Waterlox doesn't generate carbon monoxide, or particulates when curing.
The primary "flash off" is the mineral spirits solvent evaporating.
What follows is cross-linking to make the tough polymer coating.
If you subsequent coatings before the previous one is cured, it extends total cure time.
(It's faster to wait; which is an oxymoron.)
Second; in application - do you brush or spray on each coat?
Waterlox calls for a full week between applications.
Third; ventilation - if you have garage space large enough to hold the workpiece
you'll have fresh air exchange each time you leave or return in your car.
Waterlox stinks when curing, I wouldn't keep a piece in my house until it's dry.
By my method (3-4 applications using Mirlon pads), that's a minimum of 10 days.
It goes faster when the ambient temperature is higher, and seems unaffected by humidity.
http://www.waterlox.com/faqs/woodwor...xic-wood-fnish
******
If the piece is too large to move outside, I suggest erecting some sort of vapor barrier and forcing air through
to an exterior window.
[OP]
Contributor
Jim,
I don't know why the Smoke/co detector was going off. I though it must have something to do with the solvent fumes. But I purchased a new one since it is on its 7th year of service. I did not know they had such a short life.
There web site calls for 24 hrs between coats. But since I was doing thin wipe on coats I did cheat on the last few coats and did two coats in 24 hrs. That combined with the low temp in the basement I am sure resulted in trapped solvent. Lesson learned.
Thanks for the zipwall link. I think that is a great product. I am going to mention it to my neighbor who is a GC.
James
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