Three months ago, I had a pre-engineered hardwood floating floor installed on the first floor.  The installers used an adhesive (made up of polyvinyl acetate and diethylene glycol monobutyl ether acetate) to glue the planks together.  The top coating was factory applied.  The topcoat has a number of chemicals according to the MSDS.  According to the manufacturer, there should be no odor emitted after it cures or any harmful effects due to the flooring and glue.  It has been three months and I can still smell the glue when I get down close to the floor.  I also notice that my nose starts to run when I am on the first floor and that the air quality is different from the upstairs.  I am able to pick up the air quality change, my wife has difficulty doing so.  Are the listed ingredients harmful and what has been your experience with pre-engineered floors?  Should I test the air or take a piece of flooring and have it analyzed?  After three months, you would think that the floors would have off gas?-    Daniel, New York

            I am assuming that the hardwood flooring you describe is on all-hardwood product and does not consist of any composite wood materials.  If composite wood materials were present as a part of the assembly, it is quite possible that it would liberate formaldehyde.  Whether the associated air concentrations would be sufficient to cause runny nose and other irritant symptoms is difficult to say since there is no available literature on formaldehyde emissions from such materials.

            Let us assume that no composite materials are present in the pre-engineered hardwood flooring (and that it is not covered with a plastic laminate). As such adhesives could be a significant source of air contaminants. Adhesives consist of a large variety of solvents that vaporize during curing. The polyvinyl acetate and diethylene glycol monobutyl ether acetate are but two of the many solvent chemicals likely to be present.  They are listed on the MSDS because they are present in the greatest concentration.

            Solvents have different evaporation times from such materials.  Polyvinyl acetate is relatively volatile and will likely take weeks to months before it vaporizes to non-olfactory detectable levels.  Diethylene glycol monobutyl ether acetate on the other hand may take a year or more to vaporize down to non-olfactory detectable levels.

            The runny nose symptom and the sense of a difference in downstairs air quality are interesting.  It indicates that one or more irritant chemicals are present.  The question is, what are they?  My best guess is that it may be formaldehyde.  Formaldehyde is emitted in significant quantities from some finish coatings applied to furniture, cabinets and hardwood flooring.  If the factory-applied topcoat was an acid-cured finish, then formaldehyde is likely to be the problem.  Ask the manufacturer if the top coat was an acid-cured finish.

 April 14, 2003

  Indoor Environmental Quality (2000), Thad Godish Ph.D., C.I.H