Art | Resources
How do I seal caulk I’m sensitive to?
Question from jenbooks
Last week I had a soundproofing firm come install a second set of interior windows in my livingroom to lessen city noise. I’m chemically sensitive. Though I tested this relatively nontoxic caulk on a piece of cardboard ahead of time (it’s Pecora–and is an acrylic latex that supposedly cures by evaporating water and is used in schools because low VOCs) it is really bothering me and I can’t work at my desk. I realize testing 2 inches is not the same as living with about 30 feet of caulk around windows.
Its curing very slowly because it’s winter and because I guess by its nature does not cure as fast as stinky ones. Nonetheless it’s affecting me and maybe won’t really cure for months.
What is the best sealant I can put over it to help myself? It is paintable. AFM says put hardseal. I don’t want to make ANY mistakes and want to seal it thoroughly.
I’m very disappointed this happened as I thought the caulk was okay when I tested a small amount.
Thanks.
Debra’s Answer
Unfortunately, I can’t tell you for sure, for sure, for sure, what to use that you won’t react to. I’d probably recommend the AFM HardSeal. That would do it, if you don’t react to the HardSeal. Many people with MCS tolerate AFM products, some do not.
How Do I Make Sure My Air Conditioner Doesn’t Have Mold?
Question from rp
I recently opened up the small closet that stores my air conditioner and discovered mold on the ceiling. I dont know how to make sure that the unit is safe to run. Is there a way to clean the air conditioner in case there is mold inside? Any helpful advice would be greatly appreciated!
Debra’s Answer
Readers, what is your experience with this?
Is polypropylene floor padding toxic when used over heated floors?
Question from Wild4Nature
I am installing a bamboo floor over my hydronic (heated) floors. The flooring company uses FloorMuffler padding which contains polyethylene and polypropylene resins and carbonylamine of azo. Will these give off toxic fumes when heated (to approx. 72 degrees) by my underfloor heating system.
Debra’s Answer
Both polyethylene and polypropylene have relatively low toxicity as far as plastics go, however, heat will always increase the offgassing of soft plastics.
I don’t anticipate this would be a big problem. If it were me, however, I wouldn’t put anything that could outgas on a heated floor. I would only put ceramic or porcelain tile or stone on a heated floor. When these materials are heated, there is no outgassing, and they hold the heat. That’s just my level of precaution.
I’ve never had heated floors myself, but it seems to me to put a wood floor over them kind of defeats the purpose, as wouldn’t the wood not hold the heat well?
All that said, if the temperature is only 72 degrees, that’s basically room temperature, and I don’t see that the outgassing would be any greater than having these materials in any room.
BPA Now Banned in Canada
www.re-nest.com/re-nest/news/canada-has-banned-bpa-morning-news-125777
Will America be next?
BPA in Some Cash Register Receipts
Environmental Working Group found that some cash register receipts contained enough BPA to rub off on your hands when you handle the receipts. However, more than half the receipts tested did not contain BPA.
Register receipt paper IS available without BPA, so ask the local stores where you shop if their register paper contains BPA. If it does, ask them to switch to BPA-free paper.
More details: www.ewg.org/bpa-in-store-receipts
Triclosan in Toothpaste
A reader sent me a link to this article about triclosan in toothpaste: www.healthiertalk.com/what-s-your-toothpaste-1940. She tracked down the toothpaste mentioned, and it turned out to be Colgate’s Total.
This is just another reason to use a natural brand of toothpaste, tooth powder, or tooth soap. Or just plain salt or baking soda.
Mohawk’s corn based carpets
Question from Gary
Anyone know if these carpets off-gas less or more healthily than petroleum based carpets?
Debra’s Answer
These carpets are made from propanediol, or Bio-PDO, a corn-based polymer. It is made from corn sugar, a by-product of making ethanol, generated at a nearby plant. An E. coli bacteria –genetically-modified by DuPont scientists–breaks down the corn sugar through a fermentation process that is much like making beer.
Mohawk is now selling a carpet made from this fiber called SmartStrand.
The SmartStrand website tells all the environmental savings that comes from using Bio-PDO, but also says that only 37% of the carpet is Bio-PDO. So I called Mohawk and found out that the other 63% is polyester. And it contains no stain resistant treatments because the polymer is “naturally” stain resistant. Hmmmm, I’ve never heard of a natural fiber being inherently stain resistant.
I haven’t seen a sample, so I can’t tell you if it offgasses, but maybe someone has seen a sample and will enlighten us.
Fire & Light
Hand-poured recycled glass dinnerware and giftware in eight luminous colors. I couldn’t resist purchasing two lavender bowls years ago in a gallery because they are just so beautiful, and I use them often as part of my everyday dishware. The business began in 1995 as a partnership between the Arcata Community Recycling Center in Humboldt County, California, and a group of local investors who wanted to develop an innovative plan for using crushed, recycled glass. The crushed glass is melted in furnaces, pigment is added, and the molten glass is pressed into bowls, plates, and glasses. A great example for other communities to follow.
Fire Clay Tile
Beautiful glazed terra cotta tiles made from clay and 50% post-consumer and post-industrial recycled materials, including granite dust, recycled brown and green glass bottles, and windowpanes. Many of the designs have nature-inspired themes. Click on the "Concepts" button to get a visual overview before exploring over 200 designs.
Fragrance is now an indoor air pollutant, says CDC
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a federal agency has made a fragrance free policy that applies to all their offices nationwide. The agency issued this policy “”in order to protect and maintain safe indoor environmental quality,” now establishing fragrance as an indoor air quality issue.
The policy is quite detailed as to what cannot be used. Read the policy at www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/154089.
To me, this is huge. Because now a policy regarding fragrances has been written and issued by the Centers for Disease Control. I would say this is a policy that can be brought to any employer to request that it be implemented in any office. Fragrance is no longer an MCS issue, it’s an indoor air quality issue.
This may be the result of another project of the CDC, measuring the toxic chemicals found in the blood of Americans. You can read their latest report at www.cdc.gov/exposurereport.
