[Greenbuilding] Chemical Sensitivities

Thu Mar 20 14:21:34 CDT 2008

When working with MCS customers (almost like our patients), we make it a
rule to tell them that our products have proven to work well with MCS people
and are popular, but we can never guarantee they won't have a reaction--b/c
every person is different. With that guideline in mind, we've found that
AFM's caulk is acceptable in performance (doing what caulk is supposed to
do) but Titebond's is superior. Stephen will be able to attest to that when
his place thaws out--Titebond's Weathermaster caulk will extrude to zero
degrees F and serves as a fantastic all-purpose caulk. And in fact
Titebond's MSDS sheets are even cleaner. It's all a matter of age of the
chemistry.

We have tested the OSI lines and have found their MSDS sheets aren't as
clean as the Titebond. There are only a couple products the OSI line has
that the Titebond doesn't--the big one being the minimum expanding foam.
Compared to other foams it's MSDS is pretty clean, especially for an
aerosol, but you'll want to test for acceptance first.

Good luck,

Jason Holstine
Amicus Green Building Center
www.amicusgreen.com

-----Original Message-----
From: greenbuilding-bounces at listserv.repp.org
[mailto:greenbuilding-bounces at listserv.repp.org] On Behalf Of Stephen
Collette
Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2008 11:22 AM
To: Greenbuilder list
Subject: [Greenbuilding] Chemical Sensitivities

Great point Irina, and unfortunately true. I too have seen people with MCS
reacting to "safe products", which is very frustrating for everyone. As I
mentioned, echoing Irina, it's client specific.

I bought some Titebond green series caulking and drywall glue from Jason (on
this list) of Amicus. I like the product for durability.  
(currently buried in snow outside my back door) and I didn't really notice a
smell. My good friend and carpenter also likes it and the drywall glue both.
He previously had used their regular wood glue, as it's a good product.

I also noticed that OSI now has a "green series spray foam" in a can.  
I haven't used it or seen it, except online
http://www.greenseries.com/product
Jason had made comments about the OSI product and I can't remember whether
they were testing it or didn't like it. Sorry Jason will have to chime in if
he gets a chance. And it wasn't about foam, but about caulks he and I were
discussing.

For Joshua, and others, I typically try to get my hands on a couple of
choices, and let the client pick what works best for them.

Stephen

Stephen Collette BBEC, LEED AP
Principal
Your Healthy House - Indoor Environmental Testing & Building Consulting
www.yourhealthyhouse.ca stephen at yourhealthyhouse.ca
705.652.5159

On 20-Mar-08, at 10:57 AM, Irina Golfman Rosenblum wrote:

> Stephen,
>
> I have not had very good results with the AFM caulk and wonder if you 
> can recommend good caulking products for CMS people both for indoor 
> and outdoor use. I am also trying to find a good alternative for 
> phenoseal for sealing the gaps between the wall and baseboard, etc. 
> Any recommendations will be greatly appreciated.
>
> Joshua, just an FYI: some chemically sensitive people may react to 
> products that are supposed to be safe for them. For example, my son 
> and I are sensitive to some AFM products that are formulated for 
> people with sensitivities. We do our best to only use safe products, 
> but we need to be prepared to spend time airing out and baking out the 
> space, sometimes for weeks.
>
> Good luck,
> Irina
> On Mar 19, 2008, at 8:23 PM, Stephen Collette wrote:
>
>> Hello Joshua,
>>
>> I do not, unfortunately recommend the book by CMHC on Environmental 
>> Hypersensitivity. They took the middle of the road approach and caved 
>> to manufacturers, and as such, the book is not as helpful as it could 
>> be. They are working on a revision right now (I applied, didn't get 
>> it, but had this discussion with tremendously talented Virginia 
>> Salares, who is running the IAQ side there) I believe the revision 
>> will be more helpful than the current one.
>>
>> It is more important to understand exactly what triggers your client 
>> has, and then try to remove those materials from the build. Difficult 
>> at best, complex at worst. There are of course some basics, like zero 
>> VOC everything, especially caulkings and seals. Finishes are becoming 
>> easier to source.
>>
>> Paula Baker-Laporte's Prescription for a Healthy House has just come 
>> out with a 3rd edition. She is a brilliant architect who is also 
>> chemically sensitive. It's a great place to start.
>>
>> If I can be of more help, please email me off list.
>>
>> Stephen
>>
>> Stephen Collette BBEC, LEED AP
>> Principal
>> Your Healthy House - Indoor Environmental Testing & Building 
>> Consulting www.yourhealthyhouse.ca stephen at yourhealthyhouse.ca
>> 705.652.5159
>>
>>
>>
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