Need help re oil based polyurethane on gym floor

10 years ago

I just built an indoor gym at my house, but not attached to my house. I used a big time wood basketball floor company for the maple wood floor. They have done high school and college gyms all over the place. They sealed the floor with oil based polyurethane. They put on 4 coats over 4 consecutive days. They said it would be safe after 5 days. But after 5 days, it still I I I just built an indoor gym at my house, but not attached to my house. I used a big time wood basketball floor company for the maple wood floor. They have done high school and college gyms all over the place. They sealed the floor with oil based polyurethane, although their quote said water based (and I am not to happy they did not use the product they said they would). I think they put on 4 coats over 4 consecutive days. They said it would be safe after 5 days. But after 5 days, it still smelled in there, but I thought it was just like new car smell. It was not unpleasant. It has never smelled as strong as a nail salon to me in there. But I did feel like I could kind of feel it in my eyes a little. My wife said she did not think it was a problem as she did not think the smell was strong and she felt nothing in her eyes. But after the smell persisted and after I had let my kids spend the night in there one night and play basketball in there repeatedly, I started questioning in my mind whether the smell was safe. I looked into the matter and determined that the products used were:

http://www.poloplaz.com/world-class-sealer/

http://www.poloplaz.com/world-class-finish/

Unbeknownst to me, these products say it takes up to 30 days to fully cure. Would have been nice if the company that put in the floors had told me this. I contacted Poloplaz and they said the fumes after 5 days are not dangerous, but everything I read is to the contrary. Now I am freaking out a little that my kids were exposed to this. It has now been 31 days since the last coat of poly and I can still smell it. I have been using fans, opening window, HVAC, etc. I cannot get the smell to go away. And now I am feeling that I am having respiratory symptoms from breathing the smell, and very concerned about my kids. What should I do? I spent a ton of money on a gym that I feel like is a health hazard.

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Comments (5)

PRO
Cancork Floor Inc.
10 years ago
VOC content will tell you what you have: 497g/L = oil based OR oil MODIFIED polyurethane. Minwax oil based polyurethane = 550g/L (my least favourite finish).

I would say with the 30 day cure time and the VOC content, you have 100% oil based polyurethane.

If your quote says "Water Based Polyurethane" (with a name attached) you have a breach of contract and can ask for a full sand/refinish at their cost. As for danger to you and your kids, it is minimal. Leave the windows open and the fans going. The odour to these finishes have been known to take MONTHS to dissipate. The more coats they add, the longer it takes to reach a full cure. I would say 30 days is correct for 4 coats.

A real water based polyurethane (like Loba 2K Supra AT) would have a full cure after 5 days (odour would be gone by hour 8...yes HOUR 8). If you feel it is worth your while, go ahead and take this up with the SHOP owner. Show him/her your quote (point out the water based finish) and then discuss what they can do for you.

A water based polyurethane will DEFINITELY sit BELOW VOC 275g/L. The Loba product I've listed is 130g/L. Which is why the smell is gone in 8 hours vs 8 weeks.
PRO
ULTIMATE HARDWOOD LTD
10 years ago
Loba easy finish/supra(at) all outperform omu's. I do not like poly at all and rarely use it. I'd just crack all the windows/doors wide open for several days. Maybe add a huge air mover type fan. Running the HVAC while the area is all closed up isn't disappating the odors. Good luck.
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PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
10 years ago
This is one of the reasons that oil based paint has been remover from most counytries they are loaded with VOC and are no more durable than all the new choices we have.
HU-261765
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks for the comments. The VOC on the product used is 580. So definitely oil based. Fumes not going away any time soon. You can smell them when you get within 10 feet of the front door. I addressed with the flooring company and they said they are going to sand and redo with water based. They are going to use Bona SuperSport HD.
PRO
Cancork Floor Inc.
10 years ago
Good. They messed up (by using the wrong poly on the floor). In essence, they were trying to save some money. Bona is KNOWN to be quite expensive (can be more than $200/gallon retail). I would bet the other product would be about HALF the cost of the Bona. Which is why they tried it in the first place.

And I would wonder if the person who you spoke to even knows the difference between water based and oil based (if they did, they would NOT have said 36 hours).

I've had some "professionals" think that ALL of their products are "water based" because it "looks like water". Yes. That was their reasoning...they had NO IDEA that the products they were using for 30 years were OIL BASED. They thought "oil based" would look like CRUDE OIL....yah. Needless to say they've mucked up a few floors.