More On Polyurethane for DIYers

[ashesc212]

So I found the following article online and it kind of concerns me. How can we be sure that t he water-based polyurethane is safe for reptiles? I used that on bearded dragon's enclosure and I don't smell anything. However, I also used it on a fake rock that I made for her and it's been a few days and it smells pungent. I haven't given her the rock but I'm wondering how long it will take for this smell to go away and if the smell is toxic?

Polyurethane - Most always toxic. Most always plastic in some form or another. Even the waterborne polyurethane can be very dangerous. The process of making polyurethane has been known to cause dioxin to be created. Dioxin is one of the most poisonous substances on earth.

Waterbased Polyurethane is derived from petrochemicals. It's more or less a plastic. Because it gets very hard it has it's uses but is entirely overused at the expense of indoor air quality and ground level ozone. It ought to be kept for specific applications where it is best suited such as industrial floors or the like. Schools should not use polyurethane if they can avoid it because most manufacturers include solvents like ethylene glycol in their poly. Many waterborne polyurethane's are available but they may have NMP or TEA in them. These are toxic amine smelling solvents. NMP is can be very dangerous to pregnant women and unborn babies.

The sanding and dust generated from polyurethane recoating is toxic and lingers in cracks and crevices nearby. When poly gets old it looks cheap and plasticky, creating a plastic barrier around the wood. Plastic has it's place but we don't need to coat the earth in it. One Coat Wood Finish and Mountain does the job for interior wood naturally. Bio Poly is absolutely georgeous.

There may be some good polyurethanes available and when we are sure they do not cause dioxin we will review them. However, they will also need to be more fire retardant. Smoke from polyurethane can emit extremely toxic substances and tends to ignite quickly.


The best thing about poly, is how hard it gets. It gets harder than most other coatings. It is appropriate for industrial use occasionally. There are some high solids polyurethanes for industrial use but these are expensive and must be applied with special care. We don't suggest poly for residential use or for small businesses. Coating wood in this plastic seems like a waste since it looks poor and fails quickly outdoors. There is simply too high a price paid envirosocially, for the few benefits of polyurethane. Natural wood finishes are much better choices.
We are currently developing a natural resin-based polyurethane that will be non-toxic and get as hard as modern polyurethane.

What we use: Mountain. The worlds only 100% Natural Urethane! Natural Oils and resins, Select Pure Acrylics

We stay away from: All polyurethane but especially watch for N-methyl pyrrolidone (NMP) which can be very dangerous to fetal development / pregnancy. This is in many waterborne and oil based polyurethanes and smells like ammonia. Also, TEA, ethylene glycol and most all petro-chemical solvents except perhaps propylene glycol.

 

[ihatehumans]

Dont take my word on it, but I think it produces toxic fumes when heated.

 

[Tux]

When you can't smell it AKA the VOC's are gone your safe. ihatehumans, when cured it would need to be on fire to release VOC's.

 

[ihatehumans]

I feel realy stupid now! Moral of the story: don't initialy take advice from a forum!

 

[DaRealJoker]

Always good to take caution. Great article. Something to learn more on I think. All sorts of things are extrememly dangerous when burnt. Did you know that Teflon pans emit a gas when left on the stove a bit too long? This gass is known to be highly poisonous. This gas cn kill very well. So as for the heads up, thanks. And everyone tries their best to share their knowledge and help on this site. Sometimes, some poeple are only sharing the info they got from someone else, and were just misled. Never feel stupid. As for poly, I think it is something that needs a thurough plan of attick as with any other paint or sealant and living creatures. Once again, thankj Ash for the heads up

 

[ashesc212]

Well I'm still concerned because I used it on the fake rock and it's been a while and the smell is really pungent still. I'm not sure if I should put it in her enclosure or not.

Tux, are you saying that I should just wait until I can't smell it anymore. Any idea on how long this normally takes? It wasn't like this on the enclosure that we polyurethaned.

 

[Tux]

what type of material is the rock?

 

[ashesc212]

It's styrofoam covered with grout and Great Stuff. There are 3 coats of polyurethane on it.