Fire Hazard??

[James Giordano]

I was thinking of using my basement for finishing since it is fairly clean down there, much more so than my gar....shop is. But I wonder if it may unsafe. In my basement is a hot water heater and two gas furnaces .So, three sources of ignition for fumes. Should I be concerned about this? Or am I just paranoid?

[Rob Russell]

James,

I've thought about the same thing, and my finishing plans/equipment include HVLP-sprayed lacquer. I have a squirrel cage exhaust blower that I'll setup to vent the fumes when I'm finishing down there. I believe that you would want to be careful about just finishing with a high-solvent finish (like lacquer) and just leaving the fumes down there. They are heavier than air, will settle and could likely do nasty things to pets that wander into the basement. A concentration like that could be explosive, left unvented.

The one problem with venting fumes is that you need an air source. Living 1 state over in NY, I know that you know what snow is. You don't want to be running a vent fan when your furnace is running or you'll be sucking the furnace output back down your chimney into your basement. Ideally, you'd have a way of separating a finishing area in the basment that had 2 windows - one you could use for an exhaust fan and the other as air supply.

You do need to be careful about temperature if you're finishing in the winter and sucking cold air through the finishing area.

I've also looked into the whole explosion-proof thing and - in a home shop - doubt that it's anything I'm going to worry about. I'll be more concerned about using a furnace filter to keep drifting overspray from coating the fan than anything else (and making sure my respirator cartridges are good).

Rob

[Tyler Howell]

Not only that but your lungs and off gassing into the house:mad: . Some finishes, cleaners and contact cement hang out around the floor and can ignite just from the pilot light. Others a motor start. Some around the ceiling and migrate to other areas. A Lot of horror stories about a fire ball.... right in your path of egress

I guess, good ventilation and filtration is the key plus a good respirator. keep in mind everyone in your home will be breathing it for a while.

There was a tip in one of the Email WW news letters about a fold down spray booth, in this case for the garage. Keeps crud out and over spray in. Made with 4 mil clear poly(heavy as you want), 1x2 lath up and down to support the poly. Roll it down to use, clamp the corners. overlap ends for a door.
I can see getting pretty fancy with a 2 stage fresh air filter and exhaust that can be mounted to the ceiling or rolled in a corner. When finished roll it up and tie to the ceiling

Yes you can shoot water based finishes but it is still nothing I want in to be breathing in my sleep.
Good luck

[Jim Becker]

If you truely desire to finish in the basement...then change the finishes you use to water-based and water-bourne. Most are low- or no-VOC and can be safely used indoors with reasonable ventilation and a personal respirator. Target Coatings even has a water-bourne shellac available now. An ambient air filter helps to remove the suspended overspray from the air, too. But no-way would I use solvent-based finishes in the environment you describe due to flash.

[Brad Olson]

I do finishing in the basement for the exact reason why you are considering it. I don't have any fume build up problems, but I only use things like poly, poly/tung oil blends and shellac. I don't do any spraying either. I have a friend who sprays and if you plan on doing that, you have no other choice than to do it outside or in the garage because of the fumes (especially for lacquer).

Hope that helps

Brad

[Ralph Morris]

Don't take a change doing that!:eek: U can do it in the garage by using plastic sheets and make a "box" big enuf to do the works inside it. I saw it somewhere and someone did it, it is the best thing to do. U could do it like they did "roll" the sheets up for storage to use another time, drop it down when u need to use it. :) :cool: I use water base stuff for my works and it is great for all of us.

[James Giordano]

That's what I thought.

Maybe I'll try using some water-based stuff. Or keep it outside.

Any thoughts on sawdust in the basement. I know that fine sawdust can ignite and even explode if concentrated enough.
But I was thinking maybe a lathe in the basement should be o.k.

[Rob Russell]

Any thoughts on sawdust in the basement. I know that fine sawdust can ignite and even explode if concentrated enough.
But I was thinking maybe a lathe in the basement should be o.k.

You don't need to remotely worry about developing that sort of sawdust concentation in your basement. I bet you'd be coughing and choking before the sawdust got explodable, but that's just my opinion.

[Dennis Peacock]

James,

Lathe in the basement is a great idea. You will be very hard pressed to create enough fine particulates from turning or sanding on the lathe to get to the level of concentration needed to experience a flashover.

I have an open flame natural gas heater in my shop. I do every type of woodworking in my shop in the winter and I even spray shellac and lacquer inside my closed shop in the winter, yes...with the heat running. Safe? Maybe not. Am I very careful about checking the level of particulates in the air while spray finishing in the winter months? YES!!! I run a LARGE dual filter air scrubber very near where I'm spraying and that gets a lot of it, but there is still enough that gets in the air to make it "hazey" in the shop. Once the air starts getting that "fuzzy" look to it.....I "stop" and wait until the next day.

If you are applying a finish by means of a brush, pad or rag, then just keep the air moving in large quantity to flush the air with more fresh air. The LAST thing you want to do is push air outside during the winter as you will pull the fumes and gases from the heater, water heater and such right inside the basement. This is a Big NO-NO!!!!! Dangerous to you AND your family.

The usual disclaimers apply here....don't do as I do......it could be hazardous to you and your home. I'm just sharing what I've done. I've had lots of fire training in my time.....and I'm many times more cautious than most when it comes to fire hazards....but then again....at times, I get a little "relaxed" and then I wake up and clear the air. :D