Finishing safely near gas burning appliances

[Aaron Karp]

My shop is inside my 750 sqft garage, which means it shares poorly ventilated air with a gas-burning furnace, boiler, and dryer. With the weather getting colder and windier, and the days getting shorter, outdoor finishing is less of an option.

What are some finishes that are safe to use in this environment? I don't mind wearing a respirator, mainly want to avoid fire hazards. Thanks!

[Jerry Bruette]

Any finish that's water based shouldn't be a problem, maybe even a wipe on poly. You'll have to make sure the garage/shop is warm enough to apply any type of finish. You might have a concern with the smell of the finishes entering your house through any ducting hooked to your heating appliances.

[John TenEyck]

You will be OK with any waterborne product and probably with any hand applied finish except lacquer. Oil based varnish will stink for a long time, however, even if not an explosion risk when hand applied.

John

[Aaron Karp]

Thanks for the advice!

[Curt Harms]

Disclaimer: I'm not an expert about explosive atmospheres. My understanding is that you're more likely to pass out from the fumes of combustible finishes than to have them explode. The smell on the other hand, yeah I can do without that. I use mostly water based finishes these days and have a few bottles of transtint to modify water based finishes as needed. For instance if a water based polyurethane looks bluish (a common complaint) a few drops of honey amber and maybe a drop of red brown should help. Transtint mixes just fine with water or alcohol based finishes.