Are Epoxy Floors Bad For Your Health?
Are Epoxy Floors Bad For Your Health?
Epoxy resin flooring is not good for your health. High exposure to epoxy fumes before and during the curing process can lead to sensitization and asthma.
Breathing epoxy dust that accumulates during the curing process should be avoided as these particles can become trapped in the body’s mucus and lead to serious health problems.
When you apply your epoxy flooring, you should wear gloves and a mask to protect yourself from harmful fumes. Low-quality products cause the health risks associated with epoxy resin. Many of these products include formaldehyde in the formula, a known carcinogen.
Epoxy resin flooring is not a good choice for schools since children are particularly sensitive to airborne pollutants like formaldehyde. If you want to purchase epoxy resin flooring for your school, ensure that the product contains no harmful chemicals and has low VOC emissions.
However, keep in mind that some epoxy floor products contain harmful chemicals. In addition to the dangers of inhaling hazardous fumes, you should also note that epoxy resin is classified as a carcinogen. If family members are allergic to formaldehyde, you should avoid installing epoxy resin floors in your home.
Are Epoxy Floors Green?
Yes, but it depends on the type of epoxy you use, and the amount of VOCs released into the environment. Many additives in epoxy floor coatings are highly toxic, including carcinogens, toxins, and highly flammable solvents. As such, you should avoid using epoxy floors when they are placed near indoor air intakes or ventilation systems.
For example, you should not put your kitchen or bathroom floors near air conditioners or ventilation systems that leak chemicals into the home’s air.
Traditional epoxy is not ecologically friendly, and it is extremely dangerous to the health of the people who install it, the other work crews on the same project site, and, to a lesser extent, future tenants who may be impacted by off-gassing in sealed structures.
Epoxy floors that have zero VOCs not only have no toxic effects on people but also for the environment. These epoxy floors are healthier for your family and do not have the harsh, noxious odors of other epoxies.
The smell of traditional epoxy resin is so strong that it can be detected from a mile away. However, some manufacturers are now producing green epoxies that contain ultra-low VOCs.
Although they may still emit some moderate VOC levels into the air, they are considerably less than most other types of floor coatings.
