What does formaldehyde smell like, and how can I detect if it’s gassing out from my new wood floor?
By admin on Dec 9, 2009 in First Aid
.. asked:
I have asthma and am worried that a floating hardwood floor (Called VanGuard Taptight) may give off formaldehyde gasses which could make me worse. But I don’t know what formaldehyde smells like..
P.S. telling me that it smells bad doesn’t help lol.
Can anyone please tell me what it actually smells like lol. I smell something like tuna..does it smell like that?
Can anyone please tell me what it actually smells like lol. I smell something like tuna..does it smell like that?
I have asthma and am worried that a floating hardwood floor (Called VanGuard Taptight) may give off formaldehyde gasses which could make me worse. But I don’t know what formaldehyde smells like..
P.S. telling me that it smells bad doesn’t help lol.
Can anyone please tell me what it actually smells like lol. I smell something like tuna..does it smell like that?
Can anyone please tell me what it actually smells like lol. I smell something like tuna..does it smell like that?
On Dec 9, 2009, Richard said:
Yes, for flooring is likely to be off-gassing formaldehyde. The more of the floor area covered and the more energy efficient your home the more likely this is actually a problem.
The typical person doesn’t smell formaldehyde until a concentration of about 500 ppb. The typical adult has accuate reactions at about 100 ppb. Long term exposures of 30 ppb negatively impact children.
In Nov 2008, the State of Californ Office of Environmental Health Hazard reduced the recommended exposure to just 7 ppb.
Testing is the only way to know and costs only $40 including lab fee. Do a search on ACS passive badges formaldehyde.
On Dec 12, 2009, queenmaeve172000 said:
Formaldehyde is a horrible smell that will give you a headache. If you have ever walked by a biology class the smell wafts out of there and fills the halls. There is no mistaking it.
On Dec 12, 2009, Henry said:
It is the most unholy smell that exists today, even worse than rotten eggs. About 4 years ago, a company that was was putting in insulation was sued, fined, and put out of business because the foam product they were using contained formaldehide which is deadly, to say the least.
On Dec 14, 2009, messier said:
Formaldehyde is not always detectable by smell. Although the most common forms do have a strong smell, usually found in the particleboard boxes from which Kitchen Cabinets are made. Common symptoms are headaches and nausea.
Most manufacturers are very aware of these effects, and while formaldehyde is still commonly found in these wood products, (including lam floor) they are very concious of the quantity or percentage used as there are strict guidelines set. Unless your flooring came direct from China or overseas, at a tremendously low price, I doubt that it would have an unusually high content. Simply contacting the manufacturer and asking for the content is often all you need to do. A search on Yahoo for UFFI will give you more information, and leads to how you can find out. If you have a scrap sample of the floor you can take it to a local university lab for testing, but its not usually free. Hope this helps.
To sum up, if you don’t have symptoms, you probably don’t have an over exposure to UFFI.
On Dec 14, 2009, moon said:
Here is a good site. It smell really bad. Have you every dissected a frog or a worm? They are preserved in formaldehyde.