The non-toxic train! Sealants, Caulks, and Adhesives

Go train go!  Non toxic is a growing trend in our world and for very good reason.  In this blog we wanted to help make sense of why this trend is so important and how it connects to the building materials world.  You've probably heard non toxic quite a bit over the last handful of years or so, maybe even VOCs has entered the brainwaves a few times.   VOCs, volatile organic compounds, are the ugly compounds or chemicals that can be released even after installation.  Have you ever been in a new building and noticed that new building smell? That smell was actually a whole lot of VOCs, probably really unhealthy VOCs.  In building materials, formaldehyde (methanal) is probably the most well known VOC and it can typically be found through out our homes.  It's in ceiling tiles, wall boards, paints, sealants and adhesives in cabinetry, shelving and flooring.  It's a big deal because formaldehyde can be  slowly omitted into our air over time  with changes in temperature and humidity (also known as offgasing).  These types of VOCs are part of the reason indoor air quality can be significantly worse than outdoor air quality.  After poisoning our air quality for years many of the toxic items in our home end up in a landfill or even worse are burned.  Non toxic is a no brainer for anyone equipped with this knowledge but it isn't always realistic for everyone's budget.  We're working toward and looking forward to a day when non toxic doesn't mean really expensive.  If you can fit non toxic into the budget it's one of the the best ways to improve indoor air quality.

When it comes to building materials, sealants, caulks, and adhesives are on the map with non toxic options.  These finishes are often used all over the home especially during kitchen and bathroom remodeling.  Chemlink of Schoolcraft, Michigan has developed a line of high performance adhesives, sealants, and coatings that are completely non toxic and perform as well as traditional toxic products.  AFM (American Formulation & Manufacturing), of San Diego, CA is another eco-friendly manufacturer offering non toxic sealants and adhesives.  AFM also offers non toxic paints, primers, stains, and sealers.  We're happy to see some very established non toxic sealant manufacturers and expect some bigger names to add non toxic sealants, caulks, and adhesives to their product lines in the near future.  Thanks for reading!