Home Remodeling and Decorating
Home improvements such as remodeling and decorating can present special risks to families who are living in the home throughout the duration of the project. Many building and finishing materials contain hazardous chemicals, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can volatilize or “outgas” for weeks or even months inside your home. These chemicals are typically found in synthetic carpets and carpet padding, vinyl flooring, curtains, upholstered furniture, kitchen cabinets, furniture made from particleboard, and finishing products such as wallpaper, paints, stains, adhesives, and sealants.
Avoiding these chemicals will protect your indoor air quality and be safer for those who may suffer from asthma or respiratory allergies. Here are some simple steps you can take to minimize exposure to your family:
• Schedule home renovations during the warmer months if possible, when windows can be opened and fans can be used to blow contaminated air out and bring fresh air in.
• Ask your contractor or decorator to seal off work areas with heavy plastic sheeting and tape.
• Use damp cloths and floor mops to clean up construction dust.
• Vacuum with a HEPA filter.
• Remove or cover upholstered furniture, curtains and shades to keep them from gathering construction dust and chemical residues.
• Look for local suppliers or on-line resources for green building supplies. Many contractors are happy to use products you recommend or provide for them.
When renovating your home, especially your child’s room or play area, the following tips can help reduce exposure to toxic chemicals:
• Use only VOC-free or low-VOC latex paints, stains, wood sealers, and finishes. Milk paint, made from milk powder and organic color pigments, is extremely durable and the safest paint you can buy. Avoid stains with wood preservative chemicals as these contain pesticides.
• Use only VOC-free and formaldehyde-free building materials and wood products, including particleboard, fiberboard, plywood, kitchen cabinets, and built-in furniture. Solid wood is always the best choice for kitchen cabinets and other built-ins.
• Avoid products made with PVC (polyvinyl chloride) such as vinyl windows, vinyl blinds or flooring. Hormone-disrupting phthalates and heavy metal stabilizers are also avoided by choosing PVC-free products. Other chemicals of concern to stay away from in building materials include halogenated flame retardants used in some foams, insulation, and wiring. Since there is no added fire safety benefit for this use, they should not be used.
• If you decide to install carpet, choose natural materials (such as wool or cotton) and avoid those with added water and stain-resistant chemicals (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances [PFAS]). Avoid PVC and flame retardants in carpet padding and backing as well as pesticides used to repel insects and mold. For hard floors, instead of PVC/vinyl sheets or tiles, choose solid wood, bamboo, cork, or linoleum. Marmoleum is an all-natural linoleum made from safe, bio-based materials and can be used for many different flooring projects.
• To avoid particleboard, look for new or used solid wood bedroom and playroom furniture. A lead detection kit, available at paint and hardware stores, will tell you if there is lead in old painted furniture.
• Select fabrics for curtains that are free of water and stain-resistant chemicals (PFAS). Other chemicals typically used on textiles can be removed by washing before using. Add baking soda and white vinegar to your regular detergent for best results.
• Housings for electronic equipment without brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are becoming more widely available, as major companies are redesigning products using alternative materials which eliminate the need for these harmful chemicals.
• Look for latex or down-filled upholstered furniture and mattresses instead of polyurethane foam that is typically treated with flame retardant chemicals.* Wool is naturally fire-resistant and can be used as both an upholstery fabric and infill material for furniture.
• The safest way to illuminate your home is with incandescent light bulbs. However, it is sometimes hard to find these bulbs as more energy efficient LED bulbs have flooded the market. If you do choose LED light bulbs, make sure they are in the warmer color temperature range, 3000K or below. 2700K is the best for home lighting and is easiest on the eyes.
• Look for alternatives to plastic PVC shower curtains which can offgas potentially harmful chemicals, including phthalates. Also avoid any shower curtains with claims of being “mold or mildew resistant,” as these products may contain triclosan or other antibacterial chemicals. Natural fibers are your best choices.
Note: flame retardant chemicals continually migrate out of products into the dust in our homes and cars and eventually into our bodies. You can take steps to reduce exposures by vacuuming and damp mopping floors regularly, dusting with a damp disposable towel, washing hands before eating, and asking a manufacturer about their use of flame retardants before purchasing building materials.
* While a federal ban on flame retardant chemicals in upholstered furniture, mattresses and children’s products is unlikely to be enacted any time soon, many states are stepping up to require labeling or to ban or severely restrict certain fire retardants. The laws are based on science supporting the fact that the health risks associated with the use of these toxic and persistent chemicals can pose a potentially greater hazard than the risk from the fires they are supposed to prevent.
Safe Products & Solutions
Milk Paint – An old-fashioned and environmentally friendly paint that is ideal for antique furniture, decks, floors and walls.
BioShield – Non-toxic, no-VOC, environmentally safe paints, stains and finishes.
AFM SafeCoat – Primer & paint choice for personal health, especially for the chemically sensitive.
Ecos Paint – Non-toxic, no-VOC paints, primers and stains.
Earthweave Carpet - 100% natural fiber chemical-free wool carpets & area rugs.
Nature's Carpet - Non-toxic natural wool carpets & rugs.
Hook & Loom - Stylish, wool area rugs. Chemical free.
Scientific Studies
Organophosphate esters: Are these flame retardants and plasticizers affecting children's health? Doherty, B., Hammel, S., et al, Current Environmental Health Reports, 2019, 6(4), p. 201-213