MamaBearTeacher Posted May 4, 2014 Share Posted May 4, 2014 I am redoing the kitchen and I was going to get plywood boxes but I am looking at an info. sheet from the manufacturer and it says that their plywood meets standards but their particleboard meets standards for low formaldehyde emissions. Could it be that their particleboard has less formaldehyde than their plywood? I am sensitive to formaldehyde, even when it comes to small pieces of furniture and I want what's best for my children's health too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 I don't have an answer for you, but am bumping. DS reacts to off gassing, too. We've found some good info through the Allergic Living magazine - they have a section of their website devoted to this issue. Also, our doc gave us the name of another website ... I don't have it on hand but will try to come back and post. A doctor in TX has done a lot of work in this area, and it's affiliated with him. One thing that does help is an air filter with a carbon filter, for the VOCs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 I don't have an answer for you, but am bumping. DS reacts to off gassing, too. We've found some good info through the Allergic Living magazine - they have a section of their website devoted to this issue. Also, our doc gave us the name of another website ... I don't have it on hand but will try to come back and post. A doctor in TX has done a lot of work in this area, and it's affiliated with him. One thing that does help is an air filter with a carbon filter, for the VOCs. I agree, they are expensive but worth it, a carbon activated filter. Also, I would let whatever you buy off gas in the garage for a month or two before introducing it into the house if at all possible, or wherever you buy from, try to buy one that is as old as possible if they have any way of figuring that out or arranging that. Of course, you want to get whatever has the least VOCs, but. I have no idea how to do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 I just remembered greenguard.org. You might be able to search there for cabinets that are low off gassing. We are researching to redo our kitchen, and the adhesives used are often bad, too. Hopefully there are options out there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erin Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 IIRC it takes a few months, at most, for most plywoods to off-gas. Depending on how fast your local lumber yard sells product, that might or might not happen right there in their board shed. If you're not sure, I would suggest letting it sit in the garage for a while, too. We have a similar concern. Our house is entirely dimensional lumber with a few sheets of OSB for internal structure/bracing. Those sheets REEKED when I first installed them. But our house isn't closed in yet (no windows/doors), so they've just been sitting there, merrily off-gassing into a completely open environment. Hopefully by the time we actually move in, they'll be long done. As is, they're not perceptible anymore... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted May 6, 2014 Share Posted May 6, 2014 The manufacturers can provide you with the ppb of formaldehyde, so you can compare for yourself. I haven't cabinet shopped in a number of years. We tried to use regular commercial stuff when we built our house, and it was a mess. We tried sealing them with AFM sealer, blah blah, and it did little. When we finished the main floor of the house, we had an amish man build our cabinets out of solid wood. I keep my food in walk in pantry with shelves, and that would be another trick for you. Install less cabs and do open shelving. If you're going to store your food in the cabs, use something solid like glass jars with lids. I just remember getting so sick from my organic food that we had put in those regular cabs and wondering what had gone wrong... If you're very sensitive, it's an issue. Most people won't notice. So if solid wood isn't in your budget, keep your food elsewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyforlatin Posted May 6, 2014 Share Posted May 6, 2014 Elizabeth, I always wondered about AFM sealer and whether it does prevent off-gassing. I actually did seal some cabinets before DD came along, but since I'm not sensitive to the gas, I never knew whether it worked. I have DH build our bookshelves, using eco stains and sealants. I use IKEA's stainless steel shelves in our kitchen and stainless steel/wooden carts to store plates and bowls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ewe Mama Posted May 6, 2014 Share Posted May 6, 2014 Home Depot carries a brand of formaldehyde free plywood, if that's any help. It's pricey, but definitely worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 Elizabeth, I always wondered about AFM sealer and whether it does prevent off-gassing. I actually did seal some cabinets before DD came along, but since I'm not sensitive to the gas, I never knew whether it worked. I have DH build our bookshelves, using eco stains and sealants. I use IKEA's stainless steel shelves in our kitchen and stainless steel/wooden carts to store plates and bowls. Sorry I missed this! The AFM sealer is going to help a bit, but it's not going to make particle board "safe" for an mcs'er. We learned that the hard way. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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