3 Ways Refinishing Furniture Can Be Healthier For Your Family
Posted by Jody Raines on Wed, Apr 27, 2011 @ 07:59 AM
A hidden danger in your home or office could be as close as your
desk or bureau. Formaldehyde is a colorless gas that has been linked with cancer and asthma attacks. A significant source of formaldehyde in homes is pressboard furniture and pressed wood products such as particle board used in sub flooring, shelving, cabinetry, hardwood paneling, decorative wall coverings, drawer fronts, or other pressed wood or particle board products used throughout the home.
Building materials, smoking and household products can be sources of formaldehyde, and there is evidence that some people can develop hypersensitivity to this pungent gas. Eye irritation, sore throats, wheezing, coughing, fatigue, and skin rashes are just a few of the symptoms of high elevations of formaldehyde gas in your home or office.
Replacing wooden furniture with inexpensive pressboard furniture may be more costly than you bargained for. The chemicals used in creating the particle board release formaldehyde into your environment, creating a potentially harmful situation.
There are some things you can do to reduce formaldehyde:
- Refinishing wood furniture using polyurethane coatings can reduce the amount of formaldehyde in your environment. Any coating should include all surfaces and edges.
- Ventilating your home using air conditioning and dehumidifiers can reduce formaldehyde levels.
- Increase ventilation with fresh air and fans.
Are you concerned about formadelhyde in your home? Have you
taken any precautions to limit your family's exposure to formadehyde? Knowing about the dangers of pressboard, will this change your purchasing decisions when it comes to your furnishings?