cold weather voc dispersal

[Ben Kann]

I have an immediate problem. I need to repair and RESEAL a wooden kitchen counter (which includes the sink cutout). The problem is that it is cold and my kitchen is inside. How do I reseal the top and safely diperse the VOCs?

[Bennett Ostroff]

Fan blowing out an open window. Ideally a cross breeze. Or use a low VOC or water-based finish.

[Ben Kann]

I'm in Maine and an open window (with or without fan) is NOT a good option. I've never had much luck with water based sealers/varnished. What am I missing?

[Jim Becker]

Ben, there's no getting around venting dangerous fumes if you don't want to use water borne products. So it's either deal with the cold "now" relative to Bennett's suggestion or wait until warmer weather. The latter may be more practical because with the current weather pattern, venting is going to cause a temperature drop that will not be conducive to the finish curing properly in any way shape or form. Finishes have a temperature window that you really want to stay inside for desirable end result.

[Mark Canada]

Go visit a hydroponics store and pick up a carbon filter and duct fan! They work really really well with the smell from solvents, I have a large one in my spray booth - I can spray a litre of oil based urethane and soak 2 litres of danish oil into wood and not smell a thing 15 minutes later (after the airborne particles settle/get sucked up). You'd only need the smallest model they have.

[Ben Kann]

Ben, there's no getting around venting dangerous fumes if you don't want to use water borne products. So it's either deal with the cold "now" relative to Bennett's suggestion or wait until warmer weather. The latter may be more practical because with the current weather pattern, venting is going to cause a temperature drop that will not be conducive to the finish curing properly in any way shape or form. Finishes have a temperature window that you really want to stay inside for desirable end result.

It sounds like water borne finishes are my only viable solution.
So if I scrape down the counter in question (pine) and do the repairs, what's my best way forward. And how many coats do I need to apply to achieve water-proof sealing?

[Jim Becker]

There really is no "water proof" finish outside of embedding the counter in epoxy resin...and even that's not a sure thing... Marine finishes are a good second place, but many are softer to be flexible and often VOC-laden.

The prep for a water borne finish isn't really that different than for an oil based or solvent based finish. What you're not going to get without extra steps is the warmer amber tone that an oil based product provides. Many of us will use BLO to gain that color, but this requires a barrier coat of something like de-waxed shellac to insure adhesion of the water borne product. You absolutely do not want "consumer grade" water borne "poly" or the like for your application. There are also, at this point, lower VOC oil based varnishes that might be usable in your situation, too. My suggestion would be to go to a "real" paint store, like Sherwin Williams, and discuss your situation with them. They should be able to give you guidance on what might work best if you need to refinish "now" as opposed to when the weather turns warmer and since they are local to you, they will likely understand your circumstances.

[Ben Kann]

There really is no "water proof" finish outside of embedding the counter in epoxy resin...and even that's not a sure thing... Marine finishes are a good second place, but many are softer to be flexible and often VOC-laden.

The prep for a water borne finish isn't really that different than for an oil based or solvent based finish. What you're not going to get without extra steps is the warmer amber tone that an oil based product provides. Many of us will use BLO to gain that color, but this requires a barrier coat of something like de-waxed shellac to insure adhesion of the water borne product. You absolutely do not want "consumer grade" water borne "poly" or the like for your application. There are also, at this point, lower VOC oil based varnishes that might be usable in your situation, too. My suggestion would be to go to a "real" paint store, like Sherwin Williams, and discuss your situation with them. They should be able to give you guidance on what might work best if you need to refinish "now" as opposed to when the weather turns warmer and since they are local to you, they will likely understand your circumstances.

There is some very good advice here. Thank you!