Question from HEG

During a recent home inspection I asked the termite inspector if tenting without the use of chloropicrin was possible. I was under the impression that it had to be added as a warning agent at the beginning of the tenting process, mandated by law. But the pest control representative informed me that if you hire a 24-hour guard for your home you can get the tenting done without chloropicrin. This was encouraging to me as it is my understanding that the long-term health effects of termite tenting are more due to the warning agent chloropicrin than the actual pesticide used. This is due to the fact that chloropicrin is persistent and can remain for months while the pesticide used disappears more quickly and its presence is tested for before you can return to your home. Are any of your readers familiar with this and have you had any experiences with tenting companies allowing you to forego the chloropicrin/warning agent?

Debra’s Answer

Readers, any experience with this?

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Question from KS936899

Dear Green Living Q & A blog: Does anyone know of a 100% non-toxic glazing compound or similar type of product used specifically to install a new double paned window pane in a window frame that is truly reliable?

Debra’s Answer

First let me explain, for those who don’t know, what a window glazing product is.

When you install window glass in a wood frame, the glass is held in place on the interior side and then on the exterior side, putty is applied to hold the glass in place. This putty is called “glazing” and it has a pretty strong odor. One product I looked up contained phthalates and ethylene glycol, both pretty toxic.

So the process of finding the least toxic window glazing would be to look at the MSDS for different brands and choose the one that is least toxic. I don’t know of one that is nontoxic offhand, so reader, if you have experience with this, please write in.

Years ago, I needed a small window pane in my front door replaced, and the man who installed it did so by nailing in strips of wood instead of using glazing. This was how the pane was installed originally. I don’t know of any reason why you couldn’t use strips of molding or quarter-round in place of the glazing. That would be totally nontoxic. Of course, you would want to paint it to protect the wood from the elements, with a no-VOC paint.

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Question from guspvt

Hi Debra!

I’m intending to purchase a shower filter and I came accross one brand, called Sprite ( http://www.spritewater.com/showerx.htm ). It utilizes KDF & Chlorgon as the filtering media. I did a little researching and learned that Chlorgon is a manufactured ceramic bead that has been impregnated with calcium sulfite. Would this calcium sulfite be a concern when having a shower with this filter installed?

Thanks!

Debra’s Answer

I’m not concerned about this. At most, calcium sulfite is an irritant. IF any is released into the shower water it would be so diluted the exposure would be insignificant.

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Question from Sam

Hi Debra and GL Members,

We’ve been having some problems with our car since suffering a leak which has contaminated the carpet. We are looking to have the car remediated and the carpet removed.

Once the car is cleaned we’d like to try and use non-toxic carpeting instead of the awful car carpeting. Has anyone done this before, heard of it or have any advice? We’re thinking if we can find the right NT carpet with the correct amount, it would be a matter of finding an installer to do the work.

The car is in good mechanical shape although an older Volvo, and we are not in a position to purchase even a used car. The mold smell has gotten to be too much so a real good wipe down and removal is in order. Any feedback on all of the above is most appreciated.

Thanks! Sam

Debra’s Answer

I haven’t ever replaced a carpet in a car, but thinking about it, here is what I would probably do.

All you need is some kind of covering for the floor. I would get some area rugs you like, cut them in pieces to fit and attach them with velcro strips. This way you could remove them and clean them if you wanted to.

I just hung a decorative platter on the tile over my stove with velcro strips. Though they have adhesive backing, there was no offensive odor. The velcro strips are holding the platter very securely and I can remove it for washing whenever I want to. I was very happy to discover that I could hang things on tile with velcro.

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Question from lulas.mommy

Our landlord used a polyurethane cement caulking in our bedroom without telling us the product she used until 3 days after. We stayed downstairs but hhad central air on at night. The room had the window open the first day and a fan venting the smell ot afterwards. We just assumed she was using a silicone caulk but when we realized it was pretty bad, we were told it was in fact cement caulking (polyurethane based). We were in the house with our 10 week old baby. I am utterly devastated that my baby was probably affected. Any recomendations on what to do?

Debra’s Answer

If you can get the exact brand name, you can look up the MSDS online by typing “[brand name] MSDS” into your favorite search engine.

I looked up one brand and found the following:

Breathe as much fresh air as you can, drink lots of water, and take measures to support your kidneys and liver. In your case, I would suggest that you talk to a professional who knows about body detox to help you. You want to get these chemicals out of your body as quickly as possible,

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Question from wfan66

I have read that using boric acid is toxic and it should not be used, is this true or not?

What other things should i use and how should i apply each one of the things that are recommended? I need it because i have a servere roach and bug problem in my home.

thanks alot

Debra’s Answer

In my book Home Safe Home I give some general recommendations for controlling pests without pesticides:

* don’t give them food
* don’t give them water
* don’t give them shelter

More details are on pages 136-137.

Here are some links to online resources that give detailed descriptions of how to control cockroaches without chemicals:

* Sierra Club: Hey Mr. Green: Nontoxic Roach Control

* Steve Tvedten’s “The Bug Stops Here”: Intelligent Controls for Cockroaches

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Question from petercsantoro@yahoo.com

I am currently trying to find less toxic furniture, particularly a dining table and chairs. I did find a teak table which was natural, untreated wood; however, the chairs were a beechwood with a water-based white paint and polyurethane finish. I cannot seem to find chairs without a polyurethane finish unless I spend more and purchase teak chairs as well. Do you recommend avoiding the polyurethane finished wood as much as possible? Is it possible to coat the chairs with a Safecoat sealer or something? Thank you!

Debra’s Answer

It’s not necessary to avoid polyurethane finish. It’s the solvents in the polyurethane finish that are toxic, not the polyurethane itself. Right at the moment, I am sitting at a desk with a polyurethane finish. As long as the finish is cured enough that it is no longer outgassing VOCs, a polyurethane finish is fine.

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Question from karl

Debra,

Do you or any of your readers know about a Reverse Osmosis Filter with a glass tank? I’d like to buy a RO filter but I don’t feel OK with the water that was filtered to be stored in a plastic or stainless steel tank, as I know leaching could (and probably would) occur as the water would be there for a considerable amount of time.

Debra’s Answer

I agree with you, which is one of the reasons why I don’t recommend RO. But don’t know of one with a glass tank.

We all have such good ideas, maybe WE need to design a water filter!

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Question from HEG

Has anyone had any experience using “Elastilon” as a wood flooring underlay and adhesive? It appears to be a padding that you can put under new wood flooring that also has an adhesive layer for the wood to stick to, thus eliminating the need for glue or a plywood subfloor. The MSDS did not seem to indicate any toxicity but I was wondering what you and your readers thought.

Debra’s Answer

I have no experience with this, but plastic foam with an adhesive?

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