If you have wooden flooring installed at your home, you might be familiar with the regular polishing and varnishing of the wooden floorings and other furniture. But have you ever thought that the polishing composition can contain harmful fumes and gas that you inhale in your house? VOC refers to volatile organic components that have high vapour pressure at room temperature. No doubt many cleaning agents also contain harmful ingredients and VOC but floors are something that you live with and walk on it. You might don’t know the health consequences of the VOC but it can result in headaches, respiratory issues, central nervous system damage, and many more. Hence, next time you go for any polishing services, choose the Floor sanding & polishing Melbourne Company that uses low VOC products or zero VOC products.
Types of floor finishes and sealers:
You might know but Volatile organic components like formaldehyde and other toxic solvents cause indoor pollution and release harmful greenhouse gases.
Polyurethane sealers:
These are the most commonly used floor sealants that come in two types that are water-based and oil-based. As compared to water-based, oil-based sealant contains more amount of VOC.
Water-based urethane:
These are comparatively safe as compared to oil-based because it has a slight smell and easy to dry. Because of its fast-drying property, you can apply 2 -3 coats on the same day of polishing. As it is water-based, it looks transparent and has a mild smell but it has a light finishing look though enhances the wooden look while providing effective sealing.
Oil-based urethane:
This comes with a higher amount of VOC but it shows effective shine to the wood with the use of fewer applications but it releases strong odour and fumes so, you might have to stay outside of the home for some days or week until the air gets clear and smell becomes normal. Even after that if you are sensitive or allergic to strong odours, you are likely to face headache issues, nausea, and breathing problems.
Natural oils sealants:
Natural oils can be a great alternative option if you are looking for the safer option because it doesn’t release harmful odours as the VOC does. It is suitable for all types of woods but offers the best matte look to the hardwood because the oil penetrates deeper into the wood surface. It might make scratches slightly visible but if you need a safer and compatible option for the house then natural oil sealants work great while offering protection to the wood.
Endnote: sanding and polishing are the basic things that need to be done from time to time to preserve the wooden floor quality. Let it go if you have gone through the polishing with higher VOC but next time you perform any polishing, prefer starting with sanding first to remove the older coating, hire timber floor sanding Melbourne for the best Floor sanding Geelong services to get the sanding done effectively. By making eco-friendly choices, you are also contributing to a safe home environment by reducing carbon foot-prints.
Hope you found our blog informative and helped you in choosing safe polishing for your wooden floorings.
