Does anyone know if I should be worried? Perhaps this us not the case. I also worry about the health of those doing this kind of work. I hope many people will now be thinking at least thrice before making use of such chemicals. What is this stuff? Rents an apartment with ventilation that mixes with neighbors and brings odors from adjacent apartments, Was subjected to highly toxic fumes from maintenance being performed on a neighboring apartment Suffered from effects of those fumes, and nearly succumbing to them I manage a home related business in Australia and we are often exposed to applications that we are unsure of what dangers we could be exposed to. Enter a zip below and get matched to top-rated pros near you. I am thankful that I found this article before I made a final decision on whether or not to purchase a DIY kit for my tub interior. However, products are more dangerous when they are sweet smelling, and as your article states your are already exposed once you smell it. We slept inside the apartment after the workers did the bathtub glazing, should we go to the clinic to make sure we are fine? Let the physician or health care professional know the specific products and chemicals used and the environment you were working in. Our apartment filled with these toxic fumes. Hi, so I had my bathtub reglazed in March. At Specialized Refinishing, we have a team of highly experienced, certified refinishing and reglazing technicians who can restore and revitalize a wide variety of surfaces and fixtures in your rental property or before you put a house on the market. To ensure their safety, the employees should have left the room immediately after applying the methylene chloride-based stripping agent to limit exposure to methylene chloride vapors. I had a tub refinished with epoxy that had a bad smell, but nothing like this. The most dangerous part of the bathtub refinishing process is inhaling the fumes associated with the job. I am exposing myself by soaking in this tub? information posted by individuals on this site is correct, and disclaims any liability for any Find them at: http://www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/Research/Pubs/#General Today, my apartment filled with fumes, and I feel sick. We sure take a lot things for granted. What are the effects of being in the house during the process (for our pets) and after the process (chemical wise around our kids). After an hour again, I decided to take a ride to feel fresh air. I live in Newark housing and I have been there for 11 years and every 9 months they have to paint the tub and I have to stay in the house after they paint it and it keeps messing up can you tell me what should I do. Dear Mr. Ronald M. Hall, you probably save my life with this article! Maybe others reading this blog will be able to help point you in the right direction. I am not an overly caution person, but I understand that in certain instances it is important to exercise caution. Thank you for taking the time to confirm your preferences. Thank you. Myown life was almost cut short stripping a bathtub and I was using the best Equipment money can buy but machinery or equipment can fail. I wish I discovered this post a few weeks earlier. Brooklyn resident (and Brick Underground contributor) Donna Airoldirecently hadher tub reglazed, and she even scrubbed it before her contractor cleaned it. So, if the concentration were over the PEL, for example at 50 ppm, the workers would exceed the 25 ppm average limit in 4 hours. The apt right next to me was just resurfaced and the chemicals came through the air vents. There are alternatives to using methylene chloride (MC) for bathtub stripping. loss or damage resulting from reliance on any such information. Successful bathtub stripping with benzyl alcohol as an alternative to methylene chloride-based paint strippers Provide local exhaust ventilation (LEV) and fresh makeup air to exhaust vapors released from the stripping agents in the bathtub. These are classified as potential human carcinogens according to the U.S. Department of Labor, and protective gear should be worn when working with them. Your local health department may also be able to provide more assistance or information. As my two other friends and I stood there over our lost brother, we could not help but cry, tell stories of our past together, and wish that he could hear us one last time. Long story short, today my face is red as a tomato and I feel very unsettled and almost as if i drank 3 beer. Stay safe! I very much agree with you, that safety and health is a very important thing in our lives, We are sorry to hear about the symptoms that you experienced and hope you are doing better. If you've been considering a bathroom remodel, then replacing an older tub might just make sense. Using methylene chloride products in a bathroom is extremely dangerous as bathrooms are often small, enclosed spaces with little or no ventilation. Unless you have access to all the necessary protective clothing and equipment and are confident in your bathrooms ventilation system as well as your DIY capabilities, you should hire a professional to handle it. Dont do it if you have to stay in your home immediately after. Gerda. Extraction during the process is everything. All comments posted become a part of the public domain, and users are responsible for their comments. I found out the hard way. We use a spray-on compound that hardens to a polished and durable, like-new finish. No warning that fumes would make me sick. However, it's not necessary if the bathroom is properly ventilated. I think people always take safety for too lightly. Stripping products may also contain flammable solvents and flammability may be a concern. CDC twenty four seven. Use a qualified occupational safety and health specialist to assist in the design and installation of local exhaust ventilation (LEV) to effectively control vapors to below applicable PELs. Refinishing a bathtub is a fraction of the cost to replace your bathtub (around $2,900), so if youre at all hesitant about your DIY skills, hiring a pro is a somewhat small price to pay for your health and safety. I have stripped hundreds of tubs. Great article. Methylene chloride is extremely dangerous when not used properly, this is an understatement, but Im glad its finally being brought to peoples attention. When working with stripper or using solvents,acid,etcas well as applying your refinishing product.ALWAYS USE A FRESH-AIR SYSTEM..NOT MASKSmasks leak so they dont give the protection you need for long term exposure.I use a mask only when Im outside mixing or gathering my equipment when the job is finished and I should be using the fresh air system while I do that.Also cover your skinsome of these chemical will get into your body through your skin.Good LuckKeep yourself safe..DO YOUR RESEARCH. This situation creates dangerously high concentrations of methylene chloride and even replaces the breathable air. My concern is whether it is safe to take long soaks in this tub. After the bathtub has been stripped and resurfaced how long is the danger from the Methylene chloride still in the air? Cookies used to enable you to share pages and content that you find interesting on CDC.gov through third party social networking and other websites. Thank you for your comment. I did two tubs in old houses yesterday. Earlier this week NIOSH and OSHA released a joint Hazard Alert titled Methylene Chloride Hazards for Bathtub Refinishers. The Environmental Protection Agency provides general information and resources on indoor air quality in apartments, see https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/indoor-air-quality-apartments. You can review and change the way we collect information below. Also I have asthma, and after the job was done today I cant stop wheezing. And, are there any substances that are dangerous and can later leach into bath water and be absorbed by the skin? I also had diarrhea several times this morning. Being relatively poor most of my life Ive always been a do-it-yourselfer. I own a small bathtub refinishing business and we have committed to stay away from M.C. Sometimes, its less expensive to replace a tub than to get it refinished, especially if its a rare type of tub made of an unusual material. They know where people bathe. Need professional help with your project? This is great information to share to hopefully make us more aware and careful. It was heart breaking. It is really shocking that stripping agents contrain toxic elements in them. It got so strong it burned my throat and eyes. I guess this is one of those occupational hazard jobs when doing bathtub refinishing. You can also use your favorite search engine and search using the following key words: Bathtub Porcelain Glaze MSDS I think this type of finish should be banned. If you just bought a Mercedes, would you put a rubber mat on the roof? White asks. I had my bathtub refinished yesterday and the door to the bathroom had remained closed while the worker was doing the job. A bathtub in our old home was reglazed a few weeks ago. Refinishing is also the best option with antique tubs that dont lend themselves to relining. Kimberly Evans. Never stay where resurfacing is being done. ), [Its] a great way to make a grimy, stain-ridden bathtub look new again, says Dan DiClerico, HomeAdvisor'ssmart home strategistand home expert. In February 2012, a worker using a product containing methylene chloride to refinish a bathtub was found dead, slumped over a bathtub in an unventilated bathroom. I thought it would be a simple spray paint job. So, once workers can smell methylene chloride they are already being overexposed. Alternatively, you can search on Methylene Chloride and Safety Data Sheet for a listing of various SDSs for similar products. Changing up your tub is a great way to give your bathroom a makeover on a budget, Visit the Solution Center to Explore Articles. Dust masks do not protect you from bathtub refinishing vapors. It is definitely a good idea to ventilate the area as much as possible to remove the residual vapors. I repaired the tile finish as best I could and covered it with 123 primer and latex kitchen/bath paint by mohair brush. It was not difficult and required no chemicals; the refinisher evidently did a very poor job of it. (Fun fact: You can make it any color you want, so if youve ever wanted a purple bathtub, that dream can be realized.). I have read many articles but this is different one. The coating and sanding are done alternatively. It gives me hope to see that some commenters are specialists who are trying to recreate safer and more effective processes that will phase out use of this agent. See the NIOSH topic page dedicated to occupational safety and health hazards associated with Isocyanates (http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/isocyanates/default.html). It's also possible to injure yourself if the product comes in contact with the skin. The odor and fumes were suffocating. The NIOSH studies pertained only to workers who were applying methylene chloride directly, and we have not studied consumer-related exposure. Provided your surface was prepped correctly, you can expect your reglazed tub and/or tile to be good for about seven to 10 years, and the more you take care of it, the longer it will last. There is also a short-term exposure limit (STEL) for which the average exposure cannot exceed 125 ppm over any 15-minute period. I think this post was very helpful in knowing the bad effects Bathtub refinishing of such dangerous products. My Landlord is planning on re glazing our tub and we are leaving for the weekend. (Removing a tub and installing a new one can cost thousands, and if youre in an apartment building, it might even require getting your downstairs neighbor involved as it may impact plumbing beyond your apartment. I know this because the epoxy finish began peeling away within a couple months of daily use. This is a great article. We refinish or "reglaze" bathtubs, showers, wall tile, bathroom sinks and counters as well as . For consumer-related questions after the tub has been refurbished, please contact the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The legal basis is Annex XVII of the REACH regulation. More needs to be done to protect the workers!. But I keep on hitting dead ends. Thanks for your comment. Why can strippers with this ingredient be sold to consumers in U.S. hardware stores that do _not_ sell the full-face air supplied respirators that should be worn while using it? Bathtub refinishing is also known as reglazing, or resurfacing. What that means is that at room temperature, methylene chloride will evaporate very rapidly, much more rapidly than water. Qualified pros will have all the necessary protective gear, including coveralls and masks with HEPA air filters. (Airoldi'scontractor brought a fan and blew air out the bathroom window, and she was home during the job, but didn't find the smell intolerable.). You may want to contact the Environmental Protection Agency or The Consumer Product Safety Commission. Since Bathtub Refinishing can also be a consumer issue, another potential resource is Product Safety Australia http://www.productsafety.gov.au. While a new tub can cost as little as $150, labor expenses for the replacement process can easily add $1,500 or more to the bill. The guy who came to do tub had a fancy breathing mask that covered his whole face and tubes attached to his belt I was concerned when I saw the precautions he took but said it was no problem. Almost every technical field has harmful effects but its on the company or professional person that how they can deal with it. I have actually replaced a dead refinisher who has lossed his life stripping a bathtub. I have an article on my site entitled Are Bathtub Refinishing Fumes Dangerous. Thanks for your comment. My apartment is very small and I sat in bedroom with my elderly cat not 20 feet away. Methylene chloride is extremely dangerous when not used properly. Thanks for sharing such a helpful information. I think regulators should be aware of these dangers. My head and stomach hurts, and I have a bad taste in my mouth. I have asked for the list of chemicals they use but have not heard anything. However, during the refinishing process, it is not possible for us to guess what the airborne concentration of methylene chloride may be in your home without knowing how the workers will be using methylene chloride and how they plan to ventilate the work area and the house. He also had a small fan in the bathroom window to remove the fumes, as well as towels on the floor to prevent odors from coming into the living area. We can ask questions and be well-informed. The story notes also that worker protections are weak a shop in Chattanooga TN with numerous OSHA violations got fined only $1500 for the death of a teenage employee in 1999, and 7 years later, still had not implemented required safety measures. Whenever respirators are required to be worn, the employer must establish and implement a complete respiratory protection program that meets the requirements of OSHAs Respiratory Protection standard (29 CFR 1910.134), including proper selection, usage, training and medical surveillance (OSHA/NIOSH Hazard Alert: Methylene Chloride Hazards for Bathtub Refinishers, February 2013, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication Number 2013-110 http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2013-110/ ). Refinishing a tub consists of applying a new chemical coating with a special brush or roller to an acrylic, porcelain, fiberglass, or cultured marble bathtub without removing the old layer first. Capital region housing in edmonton is the worst. Vanity of a tub isnt worth it. This may sound extreme, but I assure you, neglect to safety is not worth the life of a co worker, family member, or in my case a best friend. Just trying to speak up for low income and maybe other apartment dwellers too. Thanks to those whoever posted this article. Thorough prep and and cleaning can preventbig headaches down the road. Should add the bathroom door was closed with towel under it but small window open for two days. (before we had kids). When the door is closed for a while it gets very strong and when its open one can hardly smell it but that does not mean it is not there. I have read reglazing tub reviews where a few customers couldn't take the scent while others had no issue with the bathtub reglazing odor. I usually like to do things myself, but I think I will have to find someone to do my bathtub repair in concord ma. Please do not use a torch either The fumes will kill use. Having your bathtub professionally refinished will cost around $460 (the national average), but you can expect to pay between $200 to $900 depending on the type of tub you have and the cost of labor in your location. How can -re-glazers be allowed to do this line of work if it is dangerous to everyone involved? From now we must be aware if wanna to do that. When I smell the tiles I can not smell anything but with my nose close to the bathtub I can smell a sweetish sour chemical smell. UNTIL RE-GLAZED? Not sure if it can come through the walls. It took me a little bit to get used to, and while it doesn't look super cool, it's clean and an upgrade from the '90s pink tile for sure.. We should all gather together and come up with solutions that are even better than what we are presented with now. Some will work but they require 24 hours of wet saturation and even then they require a lot of hard work. I started reading articles and ended up reading most of the comments in this blog. Our blog focused on the exposures from methylene chloride to workers during the process of stripping the old paint off of the tub prior to refinishing. She enjoyed improving discarded furniture, then selling it it was like art to her. Will these chemicals be leaching out of the surface, presenting a health concern from contact? I am ok with both tub and tile appearance until I can afford a replacement/bath remodel. We use MC (methylene chloride) in my furniture shop. But the air looked pretty fume filled to me This is a nightmare for someone with my health issues! My tub didnt look.bad at all except for being dusty from disuse.maybe they cant tell the difference. It is an odd sized bathtub so I did not even consider ordering a replacement custom-made. The second method uses no chemical stripper but relies instead on scraping and mechanical sanding to remove bathtub finishes. For consumer concerns such as this you may want to contact the Consumer Product Safety Commission. So how and why are these places allowed to keep doing that tub refinishing if its so dangerous?? You should always wear protective clothing and use the appropriate safety-rated equipment whenever you are doing any household repair or remodeling work, and reglazing a bathtub is no exception. All the tips in the post are great. Thank for sharing about bathtub refinishing. If youve been considering a bathroom remodel, then replacing an older tub might just make sense. I wish they warned me and Id have had means to stay out of house for a few days. Karma: 3. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website. I have personally resurfaced in the past for investment properties, and have smelt the sweet smell, but never was affected , luckily. Thanks for the great post. It's a multi-step process that involves cleaning the tub thoroughly and sanding it to remove any soap scum or other particles, and repairing cracks or worn areasall of these imperfections will affect the quality and durability of the final finishing coat. Just wonderful post, personally i am very interested for this topic. However, you need to keep these essential health and safety considerations in mind whether you hire a contractor to refinish your tub or do it yourself. My best friend was killed two days ago due to over exposure while cleaning a bath tub. Your local health department may be able to provide assistance. Sometimes workers are not educated, companies should invest in staff training to work with these materials. I blog often and I really appreciate your content. Real time instruments such as Photoionization detectors (PIDs) can be used to measure volatile organic compounds (VOCs). I dont know of incidents that may have occurred, buy you can never be too careful with peoples lives. There is an incredible amount of data Products with these types of known harmful ingredients must require special labeling with clearer health and safety warnings for users. theyre dangerous if not dealt with properly. However, we have shared the findings of this work and made recommendations to manufacturers and with agencies that may have regulatory/legal authority, including those with oversight beyond the workplace. Pros will have the correct gear, knowledge of how to ventilate the space and protect themselves, and familiarity with the various chemicals used so you dont need to worry about keeping yourself safe. These comments do not represent the official views of CDC, and CDC does not guarantee that any Located at [http://www.refinishersonline.com] and I helped in two the studies before this report was finalized. Their cost is at least twice as expensive as Miracle Method refinishing and can take up to 3 to 4 weeks from ordering to installation. I think this type of finish should be banned. However no one is to blame, and no one is at fault. The NIOSH studies pertained only to workers who were applying methylene chloride directly, and we have not studied consumer-related exposure such as you describe. I use it in good ventilation and, if Im going to be doing much work, I use a respirator. This may be less of a danger than with old lead-based paints, but something to be aware of. There were 13 Fatal Exposures to Methylene Chloride Paint Strippers Among Bathtub Refinishers in the last decade. (Centers for Disease Control) Not to mention those who experience unexplained symptoms that go undiagnosed that may also be caused from these dangerous bathtub refinishing and paint stripping chemicals. The health issues that you can face immediately and also in the future are not worth the risk. thank you. *By signing up you agree to receive occasional emails on behalf of our sponsors, Copyright 2009-2022 by BrickUnderground | PrivacyPolicy | TermsofService | AdChoices | Login, National Association of Real Estate Editors. It has one small rust stain and is still moderately shiny. How much does moving to the suburbs cost vs. staying in NYC? Workers are exposed to methylene chloride by breathing it in and by absorbing it through their skin. Keep posting at all like me gonna turned up at write out paper everyday! Thank you for spreading the word on the importance of this! http://retrorenovation.com/2016/05/02/understanding-potential-lead-hazards-old-porcelain-enamel-bathtubs-sinks-ceramic-tile-any-age/#ixzz47UvHcM00.
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tub resurfacing fumes apartment
