Guide to Non-Toxic Glues and Caulks - My Chemical-Free ...

Top Non-Toxic Wood Glue Brands: · 1. Elmer's Wood Glue · 2. ECOS Wood Glue · 3. Roo Glue · 4. Titebond · 5. Hide Glue · 6. Pine Pitch Glue · 7. Gorilla ... SkiptoprimarynavigationSkiptomaincontentSkiptoprimarysidebarSkiptofooter UpdatedFall2021 Testingwoodglues,constructionadhesivesandsiliconecaulkswasthehardestpartofbuildingmyhousesinceIdidthiswhenIwashighlysensitive. But,you’regoingtoneedglues,caulks,andadhesivesifyouarebuildingsoit’sagoodideatostarttestingthemout! You’regoingtoneedthemforrepairsandrenovationstoo.Iwouldsuggestknowingwhicharenon-toxicandwhichonesworkforyoubeforethaturgentrepairisneeded. ThispostcoverslowVOC,lowodor,non-toxicoptionsthataresuitableforchemicallysensitiveorhealth-consciousfolks. ThispostcontainsaffiliatelinkstoproductsIrecommend.Uponpurchase,Iearnasmallcommissionatnoextracosttoyou. Non-ToxicWoodGlues Icomparedtheodorleveloftheseglueswhenwet.Itisusuallyabetterideatosniffsomethingdry/curedsincetherecanbeadramaticdifferencebetweenhowtolerablesomethingiswetandwhencured. Testingwhenit’scuredisthemostimportanttestinmostcases. TopNon-ToxicWoodGlueBrands: 1.Elmer’sWoodGlue Manychemicallysensitivepreferthisbrand. ThisisaPVA-basedglue,withamildaceticodoruntilit’scured.PVAgluesaresomeofthemostbenign.ThoughatmymostsensitiveIdidnotdowellwiththiswhenitwaswet. CarriedathardwarestoresandonAmazon. 2.ECOSWoodGlue ECOSmakesextremelylow-toxicproducts,andwhileIdidn’tgetachancetotestthisone,Iwouldexpectittobegood. Theingredientsareacrylicdispersion,thickenersmadeofcelluloseandpolymers(plastics),andunlisteddispersingaids. RooGluewasgreatforme 3.RooGlue  RooGluemakeswhiteglueandwoodglue.Itseemedtotallybenignwhendry.ItwasoneofmytoppickswhenIwasextremelysensitivetochemicals. Theseverelysensitivemightwanttotrythisbrandeventhoughit’sspecialorder.Otherwise,sticktoElmer’sorTitebondwoodglue. ThisisaPVAglue. AvailableintheUSanditshipstoCanadafromtheirwebsite. 4.Titebond Thisisabrandthatisoftenrecommendedforchemicallysensitivefolksasasafeadhesive.IhadalreadypickedRooGlueformychemical-freehousebeforeIgotachancetotestit. Mysofawaslatermadewiththisanditworkedoutwellforme,thoughIreceiveditafterithadcured. OutoftheTitebonds,TitebondIIItechnicallyhasthelowestVOClevelofthe3maintypesofthisbrand’swoodglues.Itcomesinat5.6g/lVOCwhichisextremelylow. ThesearePVAglues. Iwouldstartherewiththetesting,sinceit’sinexpensiveandeasytoorderfromAmazonandfindinstoreslikeHomeDepot. 5.HideGlue HideGueisthemostnaturalglueoptionforwood.It’smadefromanimalproteinfromthecollagenfromskins,bones,tendons,andothertissue. ItisastronggluewithnoVOCs,butitisnotwaterproof. Youcanmixityourselffrombeadsorflakesforthemostnaturaloption,oryoucanbuyitready-made,butthosedocontainsomeadditives. TheTitebondbrandisaready-madeoptionthatlistsammoniumthiocyanateasaningredient. Forthemostnaturalnon-toxicwoodgluepossible,thisisthetopchoice.Ifyoudon’tneedawaterproofadhesiveandarenotvegan,thisisthehealthiestoption. 6.PinePitchGlue Anotherall-natural(butnotcommonlyused)optionisagluemadeofpinesap,plantfibers,andcharcoal.Whileit’smostlyusedfortraditionalcraftsIdidrecentlyseeitassglueusedinchildren’stoyswhichledmetoaddittothislist. 7.GorillaGlue Ifoundthistobedifficulttotoleratewhenwet,butnotterrible.Itseemedfinetomewhendry. Thisisapolyurethanegluethatwilloffgasisocyanatesuntilit’scured.Isocyanatesarepotentialhumancarcinogensandknowntocausecancerinanimals.Likemanyproducts,ifitcomestoyoucureditmaybeperfectlysafe. It’seasytofindathardwarestoresandonAmazon. Non-Toxic,Low-VOCCaulksandSealants WhichCaulksareMildewcideFree? Notethatcaulkslabeledforbathroomsorasmildewresistantcontainamildewcide.CurrentlyGEIismildewcidefree,GEIIcontainsamildewcide.Anycaulklabeledaquariumsafeisfreeofmildewcides,includingDAPAquariumcaulkandotherslistedbelow.AFMSafecoatandChemlinkDurasilarealsomildewcide-free. TopNon-ToxicCaulking/SealantBrands Allcaulkshaveachemicalodorwhenwet.Itestedthemat24hours,48hours,oneweek,andtwoweeks. IfyouarechemicallysensitiveIwouldrecommendhavinganon-sensitivepersonputatestamountintoajarandsniffthenwhenit’scured. 1.PaintableInteriorCaulk(WhitePolyether) AFMCaulkisoneofthetopchoicesandisoneoftwomaincaulkstohaveonhandineverybuildandrenovation. Iusedthisinmybathroom,youcanusethisaroundtheshowerandsink.Itcanbeusedarounddoorsandwindowsandaroundbaseboardandtrim. It’susedindoorsanywherewhereitinterfaceswithapaintablesurfaceandisthenon-toxicreplacementforacryliclatexcaulk. Mytesting:Notthebestwhenwet,notthebestat24hours,butthebestatoneweek. WheretouseAFMCaulk: Itcanbeusedinsideandoutside.Aroundwindows,cracks,tubandshowerenclosures,backsplash,siding,wallsandwood(likesealingmolding),andgeneralmaintenance.Itdoesnotholdupaslonginthebathroomassiliconewithamildewcide. Itispolyetherresin(90-95%)withaminosilane(1-3%)thatdoesnotcontainsolvents(it’snotacrylic,latex,silicone,orpolyurethane).Itisnon-shrinking,zero-VOConcecured. YoucanbuythisonlinefromGreenDesignCenter. Mildewcide:none.Elongation:35%.Color:white.Paintable:yes Alternative:ChemLinkNovaLink35isasimilarpaintableelastomericsilane-modifiedpolyetherbutcomesindifferentcolors(ifthatisneeded)PSIof145;ChemlinkDurasilinwhite;3MMarineAdhesiveSealant4000alsoseemsverysimilar(polyether15-40%,whitepigments35-70%,plasticizer10-20%,silane1%),PSI220-240,andispaintable.(Itretainsitsrubber-likeodorformanymonths). *note,Summer2021thereisapolyethermaterialshortageduetothepandemic. 2.Non-ToxicSiliconeCaulks Siliconecaulkingisnon-toxicandhighlytolerableoncecured.Butifyouaregoingtobearoundduringtheapplication(orevenwithintwoweeksofapplicationforthesuper-sensitive)besuretopicktheleasttoxicoption. Formostnewbuildsandrenosyouwantonepaintablecaulk(polyether)andonesiliconecaulkfromthislist.Siliconeisgenerallyforkitchensandbathroomswhereyoudon’tneedapaintablesurface. Neutralcuresiliconeistheleasttoxictypeofsilicone–specificallyoxineoralkoxyneutralcuresilicones–theyoffgassesalcoholsormethylethylketoximenotaceticacid. Whichofthetwoisbetterdependsonyourspecificsensitivities.Thereisalsoasmallchanceyoucouldfindanaceticacidcurebetterafterwaitingoutthecuretime,whichIwouldsayis18days. Oxineoralkoxytypeneutralcurewithoutaddedmildewcidesaretheleasttoxictypesofsiliconecaulking. TopBrands: ASI388–isneutralcure(oxinetype)withoutamildewcidefromAmazon.Lowestodorwhenwet.DuraSil–isnuetralcure(oxinetype)withoutmildewcide,fromGreenDesignCenter.GE2Advanced–isneutralcure(alkoxytype)andiseasytogetfromthehardwarestoreorAmazon.Itdoeshaveamildewcide.Veryclosesecondplacetolowestodorwhenwet.SilcoRTV4500–acetoxycuresilicone,moretypicaltype.Verypotentwhenwet.Thoughpossiblypreferableafter18daysofcuring.Nomildewcide(foodsafe). TestingbytheChemicallySensitive: Preferencesbetweenpolyethercaulk(likeAFMCaulking,Eco-Bond,andChemlinkClear)andsilicone: Itispossibletopreferpolyethercaulks(inthesectionsbelow)oversilicone.Youcaneasilyhaveadifferentpreferencewhenit’swet,comparedtoafewdaysandcomparedtoafewweeks.Polyethercanretainmoreofarubbersmellevenafterafewweekscomparedtosilicone. Preferencesbetweenthetwotopchoicesofsilicone: Thechoicebetweenalkoxyandoxinewouldbeveryindividual.Alkoxy(GEAdvanced)smellsmorerubberytomeandoxineodorisdifficulttodescribe,thoughit’sverysubtle.Mildtomodertleyfolkscanprobablychooseoxineandbefine(ASI388). Preferencebetweenoxineandalkoxyandthemoretypicalaceticcuresilicone: Aceticacid/acetoxycuresiliconeisVERYpotentatfirst.Itcanbeextremelychallengingforthechemicallysensitivewhenwet.Howeverifwewanttogetintotheextremedetails,Ifoundthatat18daysSilcoRTV4500food-safeacetoxycurewastotallyodorless,betterthantheoptionslikeoxinecure(thatarefarlesspotentwhenwet). Wheretouse100%silicone:Windows,doors,siding,vents,aroundwires/pipes,inthebathroom,undercountertops,aroundsinks,intheshower,andmore. Mildewcide:Somebrandshavemildewcideandothersdon’t.Color:Clear,white,black.Paintable:No. Alternatives:GE1(notneutralcurebutismildewcidefree)youcanfinditonAmazonandatHomeDepot,Silco7500isneutralcure–oxinetype(sometimesavailableonAmazon). Thisvideogoesovertheleasttoxiccaulkingoptions: WhatAboutAquariumCaulk? WhenIwasbuildingmytinyhouseIreadthataquariumcaulk(atypeofsiliconecaulking)wastheleasttoxicbecausefishareexposedtoitandtheycan’thandlechemicals(especiallybiocides).Itturnsoutthatfisharealittledifferentthanpeople.Aquariumcaulkisusuallyanaceticacidcure,oneofthestrongestodortypeswhenwet. It’spricedhigheronlybecauseit’smarketeddifferently,it’snotanydifferentthanotheraceticacidcuresiliconewithoutmildewcide. Itestedtwobrands,AquariumSiliconeCaulker (aceticacidcure)andonecalledMarina.Extremelypotent! ThoughonesupersensitivepersonpreferredtheAquariumcaulkAqueon(eventhoughit’sanaceticacidcure)toGEIorIIandEco-bond(clearpolyether).AndanotherdidwellwithDAPaquarium-safesilicone(anotheraceticacidcure,toostrongforme).It’spossibletopreferthesewhentotallycuredtotheoptionsthatarelesspotentwhenwet. Marinecaulkingisnotthesameasaquariumcaulk(it’sformarineapplications,notfishtanks).ItestedGEMarineSiliconeSealer.Ithadthatsamepungentodorthough.Aceticacidsmellslikevinegartimesamillion. Itdid,however,offgasquiterapidly.AfteroneweekitwasatthesamepointasGE100%Silicone,andattwoweeksitwasjustasgood(virtuallyodorless). 3.ColoredInteriorPaintableCaulking(Polyether) ChemlinkmakesanelastomericcaulkforsealingconcreteandmasonrycalledNovaLink35. Ihaven’ttestedthisone,butit’sagreatbrandandmanychemicallysensitivefolksdowellwithit.Thisisapolyetherthatcomesinvariouscolors(white,beige,limestone,grey,andblack)andcanbeusedasareplacementforAFMCaulkingCompound. YoucanfinditatGreenDesignCenterandAmazon. 4.ClearPolyetherCaulking Clearpolyethercaulkscanbeareplacementforbothclearsiliconeorpaintablecaulkingliketypicalacryliccaulks(likeALEXbrand)orwhitepolyether. ThebrandEco-Bond(nowoutofbusiness)wasatopfavoriteamongthechemicallysensitive.TheclosestformulatoEco-BondisChemlinkClear,asimilarclearpolyetherthatislowodor. CaulkingMaterials–WhatCaulksareMadeof? Polyurethanecaulks–Usuallycontainisocyanate.Thistypesmellsstronglyliketypicalfreshpaint,andtakesquitealongtimetooffgas.Theycanbemadewithoutsolvents.Iftheydocontainsolventsitwouldtypicallybemineraloil,toluene,orxylene.It’snotusedaswidelyastheothers.ItriedLoctitePLS40. AcrylicLatexcaulk–Theyhavethemildewcideocthilinoneorcarbendaziminthemaswellasabenzoateplasticizer(whichhaslargelyreplacedphthalates)andnaphtha(source).Theyareoftenwater-basedbutstillcouldcontainmineralspirits,mineraloil,andpropyleneglycol(source).Painterscaulkareusuallyacryliclatexandaresandableandpaintable. ItriedDAPDynoflex230latexcaulkandDAPAlexPlus,anacryliclatexwithsomesilicone.Atoneweektheybothhadmoreoffgassingthanthesilicones,thoughtheyhaddifferentchemicalsoffgassing.AttwoweeksAlexwasstillclearlyoffgassing(atthreeweeksIcouldstillpickuptheodor,at5weeksitwasverymild),andDynoflexwasclosetodoneattwoweeks. Silicone–Whilesiliconeitselfisnottoxic,thechemicalsaddedtokeepcaulkinginliquidformare.Forsilicone caulk,lookfor100%silicone.Therearedifferenttypeslistedbelowthatoffgasdifferentchemicals.Oncetheyarecured,youmayfindthemtobeessentiallythesame. Thechemicaladditivesin“100%silicone”arenotusuallylisted.Siliconedoesn’tusuallyhaveasolventbutsomehavetracesofbenzeneandtoluene(source).Plasticizersaretypicallyadded.Thebiocide,ifithasone,islikelytobephenoxarsineoxide,accordingtoPharos. AcousticalCaulk–thisnon-hardeningsealant preventssoundleakage.Theyaremostlywater-basedacrylic.Theyareabout20%ethenylbenzene.Insmalleramounts,theytypicallycontainplasticizers,naphtha(asthesolvent),ethyleneglycol,andformaldehyde. Polyether–specialtysiliconereplacementcaulksareoftenpolyether.MytoppickisAFMCaulk. Solventscommonincaulking(ofalltypes)includeacetone,methylethylacetone,toluene,xylene,andnaphtha(Source). Typesofsiliconecaulkandwhatchemicalstheyoffgas: 1.Typicalsiliconecaulkingis acetoxysiliconeanditoffgassesaceticacid.OntheSDSyouwillsee“odor:aceticacid”. 2.Neutralcuresilicone,alsocalledRTV,alesscommontype,isalotmoretolerablewhenwet.Lookforoxinecureoralkoxycurewhichoffgasalcoholsormethylethylketoxime. 3.Aquariumcaulkisusuallyacetoxysiliconewithoutmildewcide.ItmightbelabeledaquariumcaulkoryoucanjustgetGE1ifyouareavoidingmildewcide,whichwillbelessexpensive. 4.Paintablesiliconecaulkisamixofsiliconeandacryliclatex. Non-ToxicAdhesives Constructionadhesivesareusedforsubfloors,toinstalldoors(gluedownthreshold),tobuildstairs,exteriorbrickwork,undercountertops,andmore. Non-Toxic,Low-VOCConstructionAdhesives 1.AFMAlmightyAdhesive AlmightyisthebestadhesiveIhaveevertested.Ihadabsolutelynoproblemandnoreactiontosmellingitwhileitwaswet. Thiswasapleasantsurpriseafteralltheothergluesandsilicones. Itisahighlytolerableverylowodor,multipurposeadhesive(makesureit’srightforyourapplication).ThePSIis500. Itisapolyether(30-80%)andnephelinesyenite(30-60%)adhesive,with1-5%aminosilane. IusedAlmightytoinstallmyshower,onsubfloors,andmycountertops.Iwouldusethisanywhereandeverywherethiscanbeusedsinceit’sthehealthiestadhesiveIhavefound. Insidertip,thisisthesameformulaasBuildSecurebyChemlink. 2.ChemlinkWallsecure WallSecureismadeforbondingdrywall,gypsum,landscapeblocks,capstones,stone,foam,fiberglass,FRPpanels,andceilingsystems. Ihaven’ttestedthisonebutthisbrandmakesgreatlowtoxinadhesives. 3.ChemlinkM-1 M-1canperformasbothanadhesiveandasealant. ItadherestoawiderangeofconstructionmaterialsincludingPVC,EPDM,mostmetals,wood,glass,masonryconcrete,fiberglass,andsolvent-sensitivefoamssoitworksinalmostanysituationrequiringasealant. Witha400psiand525%elongation,italsoperformsasastructuraladhesive. M-1isasolvent-freesilane-modifiedpolyether. 4.EcotiteET5500and9500 Thisisanothergoodbrandthatiswell-likedbythechemicallysensitive. TheirET5500isanadhesivethatworksonmultiplesurfaces:PVC,concrete,glass,aluminum,paintedsurfaces,woodplywood,marble,metal,andmore. Ataboutoneweekmostwouldfindthisodorless.Attwoweeksitseemedtotallyoffgassed.Iwasveryhappywiththisone. The9500isusedforwindows,doors,trimandsomekitchenapplications.Atthreeweeksit’sstillnotodorless/offgassed.I’mnotashappywiththisoneasitdidnotstopoffgassingbythreeweeks. Thebottlessayodorless,butthepointintimethatitisodorlessdependsontheconditions(curingrate)andhowsensitiveyoursenseofsmellis. Rightoffthebat,the5500issignificantlymilder,andlowerodorthanconventionaladhesives. Thelinkstothe5500and9500aretoaCanadianstore,butyoucanfindthisproductintheUSaswell. CorinneSegura isaBuildingBiologistPractitionerwith7yearsofexperiencehelpingfolkscreatehealthyhomes. Didyoufindthisposthelpful?Ifsoyoucan buymeacoffee tosupporttheresearchbehindthisblog.Thankyou! ReaderInteractionsComments Thankyoufortheveryhelpfulpost.WonderingifyoucouldtellmewhatyouthinkaboutDAPsilicone.Idon’thavechemicalsensitivities,butdohaveyoungkidsandgenerallytrytousenontoxicproductsinmyhome.Ineedtohavemybathroomtubsandsinksre-caulkedaswellasthecaulkconnectingmybacksplashtomykitchencounters.AFMaswellasDurasilareonbackorderwhereverIlook.MyhandymanusesDAP(https://www.homedepot.com/p/DAP-3-0-9-oz-Crystal-Clear-Kitchen-and-Bath-High-Performance-Silicone-Caulk-00795/100662614).Iseeithasphthalates,butisallegedlylowVOC.ItseemstocomparesimilarlytotheGEsilliconecaulkyourecommend(whichhaspetroleumdistillates)?Iknowbothhavemildewicide.Wouldyourecommendoneovertheother,ordoyouhaveothersuggestionsthatareavailablenowandwouldholdupwellinhumidconditions?Thankyou. Reply Checkoutthevideothatisinthepostitgivesthebestoverviewwithoptionsavailablerightnow. Reply HiCorrine.Iamnewtothenotoxicworld.IwasgoingtouseAFMtocaulktheareaaroundmytubthatmeetsthewalltile.Howeveritseemstobeonbackorder.CanNovolink35beusedforthisanddoyouknowiftheyhavepthalatesintheirproduct? Thankyou! Reply Doyouknowifthisisagoodproduct–didyoutestthisone? https://www.henkel-adhesives.com/us/en/industries/engineered-wood.html Reply Thankyouforyourinformation.CouldAFMsafecoatbeusedforakitchensinkinsubstituteofsilicone? Reply ASI388vsDuraSil. Iappreciateyourinformationgreatlyandwashopingforsomefurtherclarification. ASIisanoxinecurecaulkwhileDuraSilisneutralcure. Doyouhaveapreferenceforcertainsituations?WouldDurasilbelesstoxicthanwetthanASI,butoverallASImightbelesstoxicthanDurasilinothersituations? Thanks Reply Bothareneutralcure. Reply DAPcaulkisagodsend!ItsmelledonlyfaintlywhileapplyingandtheonlytimeIsmelledanythingoutsideourbathroomwasafterashower.Iwouldnotevenbescaredtouseitinthemiddleofwinter! IlookedthroughthedatasheetsofalltheproductsyoumentionedthatIcouldbuylocallyandIfoundtheoneIwantedtotry(DAP3.0).ThedatasheetVOCnumberwas10timeslowerthananyotherI’vefound.IstilltriedtocheckonthebottlebeforebuyingbutI’mreallyhappyIstillboughtiteventhoughthereisnoVOCinformationonthebottle. Reply Interesting,Iwonderifthatoneissecretlyapolyether!Ihaveemailedthem.thanksforthetip. Reply DearCorinne,ThankyouforallyourdiligenceinprovidingthismuchneedwebsiteforusSMCS(severemultichemicalsensitive–ME)Quickquestion:SinceIamatmymostseverechemicallysensitive,primarilyeffectedbyodorofanykind,Iamlookingforabaseboardcaulkthatwhendriedhasabsolutelynoodor.Iknowthereisoffgassingforpossiblyoneortwoweeks.Canyoupleaserecommendtheonlyoneyouwoulduseinmysituation.IamsoseverelysensitiveeverythingIuseisfragranceandscentfree.Thankyou!Shannon Reply IrespondedonFacebooktoyourquestion,thatyoumightnotbeabletogowithoneofthepaintablecaulks.Onlyyouwillknowonceyoutestthem. Reply whattypeofsealantcouldiuseforinstallingplasticskylightonamobilehomewithshinglesthatistalcandasbestosfree Reply Goovertheinstallationinstructions,thereisn’tnecessarilycaulkinvolved.Iwouldnotavoidtalcincaulkthoughwhichisnotinpowderform. Reply Greatarticle!Thesealant’soverallperformancedependsonitsformulationtoprovideadurableandelasticbondfortheneededcure.Eachproductisformulatedforpermanentresultsortemporarybondstoeasefutureuse. Reply DoyouhaveanyexperiencewithPLPremiim?Itsays“VOCcompliant”whateverthatmeans.Seehttps://www.homehardware.ca/en/825ml-paintable-pl-premium-multi-purpose-construction-adhesive/p/2030590 Thanks Reply That’sapolyurethane,thosearehighinoffgassingcomparedtoothertypes. Reply HiCorinne, IwenttothelinkfortheHideGluebecauseitwaswrittenthatitwasallnaturalandtheCaliforniachemicalwarningwasattachedtoit.Justthoughtyoushouldknow! Reply Thatisnotsupposedtobethere.It’sjustsomethingthattheyhaveontheirproductpagesbutitdoesn’tapplytothehideglueflakes. Reply ThankyousomuchforallyourduedilligenceCorrine!Whatbrandofadhesivewouldyourecomendforanentiresolidwood-concretefloor?Isawyourrecomendation,butamwonderingifthereareanythatwouldprovidesoundprotectionduetoflooringbeinginacondo.Thankyousomuchforforyourhelp. Reply Whatdoyourecommendforanexteriorcaulkthatcanbepainted?Itllbearoundawindow,soneedstobeverywaterresistant. Reply Thereisn’tmuchchoicethere. Reply HiCorrine,areyoustillavailableforconsultations?Itriedbookingsomethingthroughyourwebsite,butitdoesn’tshowanyavailability.Canyoupleasecontactmedirectly? Reply I’veupdatedthebookingcalendarhttps://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=19257501&calendarID=4352774 Reply ThankssomuchCorinneforhelpingMCSsufferers,buildersandhomerenovatorstobesafer!I’mresearchingcaulking/sealantsformy13yearoldbuilder/maker(familyhistoryofallergies&asthma).Seemsnoneoftheseproductsareriskfreeandwhileasniff-testcanhelpdetectpotentiallyharmfulVOCs,littleornosmelldoesn’tmeansomething’ssafeornolongeroff-gassing! Thisonlineguideto“buildingclean”listsPOLYETHERsealants/caulkswithinthemiddletierofthosecontaininghazardousmaterialsbasedontheirinventoryoftypicalproductsandtheircontents.Ofcourse,noteveryproductinacategorywillcontainthechemical(s)ofconcerninthem,soperhapstheAMFSafecoatCaulkisasaferversion?https://buildingclean.org/sealants-and-their-toxins Thesitesaysthisaboutmspolyethersealants:“ThereisacommonassumptionputintoproductadvertisingthatMSpolyethersealantsarehealthierthanpolyurethaneorbutylcaulksbecausetheyaresolvent-andisocyanate-free.However,mostMSpolyethersealantscontainalotofphthalateplasticizer—about19percentbyweight.TheyalsouseUVabsorbersandcatalyststhatarepersistentbioaccumulativetoxins.” Kathy Reply Thatarticleisalittlebitmisleadinginafewways.Onepartspraydoesn’tusuallyhaveFR,onlysomelinesdo.Silicaisonlyahealth/cancerriskindustformwhichisnottheformitiseverininacaulkorsealant.Samewithtitaniumdioxide,youwouldhavetobreathethatin(ormanyingestitthoughitisinmanyfoodsandpillstoothoughthat’snotideal,wewouldnotinjestcaulking). Outofthepaintablecaulksusedinside,bothacrylicandpolyethercanhaveplasticizers.PhthalatesarebeingphasedoutofmostproductsnowbutyoucouldaskAFMaboutthat. Polyurethanecaulkandbutylarenotareplacementforacrylicorpolyethercaulks(intheinteriorplacesyouwouldneedthose)sothecomparisonisabitconfusing. Theoffgassingfrompolyurethaneandbutylisquiteharsh,buttheyareusuallyusedoutside. Reply Ineedtocaulkthebottomofmytubsurround.Whatproductwouldyourecommendforsomeonechemicallysensitive?Thankyou! Reply Siliconeisusuallyusedifit’snotinterfacingwithapaintedsurface.AFMcaulkingforinterfacewithpaintedsurface. Reply Greatarticle..doyouknowofanylowvocgluethatcanusedinjewelrymakingtoattachtometal..e6000glueisbrutal..andalenesisawfuldoesntwork..needstodryclear..thanks…also..worthmentioningalotofthebrandsbychemicalfreecompaniescaulkdriesupmuchfasterthanotherssoitneedstobeusedrightawayonceopenedorevenstored..ihadmultipleexpensiveonesgorockhardbadwithincouplemonthspfpurchase..theyhaveonlyseveralmonthsfrommanufacture..thanks Reply HiCorrine, Iamcuriouswhatyouusedonyourtinyhouse,orhavefoundareplacementforacousticalsealantforvaporbarriers?somekindofanontoxicsubstitute? Reply Iwouldintelloplusinmostconditionsorsimilarproduct–dependingonwhatthearchitectspecifies.It’sinstalledwithtapes. Reply AretheseproductsCanadian,oravailableinCanada,otherthantheonewhereyoulistedtheavailabilityasaCanadianstore? Reply Itdependsonwhichproduct.Someareatthehardwarestore,somelikeAFMyouhavetoorderfromGreenDesignCenter. Reply Hi,Corinne.Thankssomuchforyourwork!Iamlookingforinformationonno-orlow-VOCexpandingsprayfoams,preferablyinasmallaerosolcan.Haveyouresearchedthoseproducts? Reply Hiyes,theyareintheinsulationpost.IuseGreatstuffandIthinktheyareallverysimilar.Thoughthereisonethathassomecertifications Reply Mymomishavingherbasementredoneandhasbeenbedboundwithcopdandasthmafornineyears.SheisVERYsensitivetoANYsmell.Thebasementwillhaveabathroominitalso.SheisaskingmetohelpherfindoutwhatkindofsealantorcaulkingwouldbeZeroVOCandhavenoodorandnothavetitaniumdioxide(whichshethinksisharmfulforasthmabreathers)andcanbeusedeverywhere?Canyoupleasehelpme!!! Reply PleasenoteTheOriginalGorillaGlueishighlycarcinogenic.Ijustfoundthisoutwhendiagnosedwithatypeofbloodcancerthatisonlypossibleafterexposuretotoxins.Iliveandorganicfed,wififreetoxinfreelifesurroundedbyfreshair.IjustfoundoutthatthevapoursfromthisgluearehighlycarcinogenicandI’vebeenusingitforyearstobuildbeehivesforprolongedperiodsoftime.Ifyoureadthesmallprint;youaresupposedtowearamask(productinfo.doesn’ttellyouwhichtypewillshieldyou),goggles,gloves,protectiveclothingetcetc.Ihaveneverwornamaskorgoggleswhilstusingitfordaysonend.NonofthisisobviousfromthepackagingandnoonetoldmethisatthestorewhereIboughtit.IjustfeltIshouldflagthisupsinceitshouldNOTbelistedonthissiteasnon-toxic.Itishighlytoxictotheuser,theenvironmentandoftenkillsdogswhoeatitbecauseitapparentlytastessimilartopeanutbutterandmaplesyrup.Itisactivatedbythewaterinsidetheanimalandexpandsblockingthegut.DefinitelyonetoavoidIMO. Reply Wow.Sosorrytohearthat.Thisoneisapolyurethanewhichwilloffgasisocyanatesbeforeitcomestoacompletecure.Isocyanatesareclassifiedaspotentialhumancarcinogensandknowntocausecancerinanimals.Theyareinalotof“non-toxic”products,likepolyurethanewoodfinishes.Theycanbeexpectedtocurewithintwoweeksinmanycausesandstopoffgassing.Butworkingwiththeproductallthetimewoulddefinitelybeanexposure. Reply Manythanksforyourwisdomandnoblecomment.Itisverysadthatyouaresufferingfromlackofwarnings.Infact,thispageshouldonlycontainproductsthataresafeforus. Reply Hanna,itisnotpossibletobuildahousewithonlyallnaturalsafetosniffwhenwetglues,caulksandconstructionadhesive.Igiveinformationwithoutjudgementonwhatpeopleshouldchoosetouse.Youhavetoexerciseyourjudgement. Reply Hi,IfindmyselfinanemergencywhereIwillhavetohaveabathroomsinkreplacedinmyapartment,soIstartedresearchingcaulkingthatissafeandcamehere.IwantedtoletyouknowaboutadiscrepancyIfoundonyourinformationabouttheGE1caulking.InoticedthatboththeGE1andtheGE2siliconecaulkingclaimtohavea“moldfreewarranty”onthem.Curious,Ilookedupbothproducts’safetysheetsanddidn’tfindanychemicalslistedthatarebiocidesofanykind.Buttheclaimtohavemoldfreewarrantieswasdisconcerting,soIcalledthecompany’sproductquestionline.ThemanontheotherendlookedupbothproductsandsaidthattheybothDOcontainmildewcidesinthemandwhenIaskedhecheckedalloftheirsiliconesealantsandtheyallcontainmildewcides.Imentionedtohimthatthesafetydatasheetdidnotlistanythinglikethat,towhichherepliedthattheproductsheetmighthavelistedthemildewcidesontheconsumerproducts,butthattheydon’talwayshavetolistthem.OntheproductsthattheyselltobuildersorcontractorstheylistthemildewcitedsbutnotonthestuffthatregularfolkslikeyouorIbuy.So,ifyouweregoingbytheproductsafetysheettodeterminetheuseofanykindofbiocide,beawarethattheymaynotlistthem.IendeduporderingtheGE2sealantbecauseofitsclaimtooff-gassooner.Yourreviewdidhelpme,Ijustthoughtyouwouldwanttoknowaboutthisissue. Reply Thankyou.Iwillcheckthatagain.It’salwaysbeenusedastheaquariumsafeoneofthetwo.Theymighthavechangedit,ormaybetheyhavemorethanoneGE1.IwillupdatethatassoonasIcan,thanksforlettingmeknow! Reply WhiletheseproductsarealllowinVOCs,thereisanothercriticalconcern.DoanyoftheseproductsNOTcausecancer?DoanyofthesecaulkssatisfytheCaliforniaProposition65certificationsfornothavingcancer-causingmaterials? Ican’tevenfind–inmanyGooglesearches–anycaulkthatdoesnothavethewarningonthelabel: CALIFORNIAPROP65WARNING:ThisproductmaycontainchemicalsknowntotheStateofCaliforniatocausecancer,birthdefectsorotherreproductiveharm. Thankyou! Reply yesyouwillfindnuetralcuresiliconelikethechemlinkdurasilthatdon’thaveanyprop65chemicals.Betweenaneutralcuresiliconeandthelesstoxicpolyetheroptionsyoucangetallinteriorcaulkingprojectscovered. Reply Thankyousomuchforyourreplyandyourgreatarticle,Corinne.SojusttomakesureI’mclear,itsoundslikeforcaulk,AFMCaulkandChemLinkDuraSilwouldmeetProp65aswellasbelowinVOCs.Andinadhesives,AFMAlmightyAdhesive.Muchappreciated! Reply Yousoundbrilliant!Howaboutanontoxicsealantfora120sqftbutterflyhouse? Reply ThewhiteadhesivecaulkingmadebyEcoBonddidnotperformwellformeinoutdoorapplications.Itbrokedownanddisintegratedafterafewmonths!Theclearadhesivesealantwasamazing!ThebestproductIhaveeverused.Unfortunatelythiscompanyisoutofbusinessbutisstilltakingordersbutnotsendingoutproducts.Ifyouorderfromthemtheywillchargeyourcreditcardbutyouwillreceivenoproduct.YoucanverifythisviatheBetterBusinessBureau.Ihopethishelpssomeone. Reply DidtheEcoBondmoldquickly?I'veheardcomplaintsitdidn'tlastmorethanafewmonths. Reply thankssomuch!willtrythesafecoatadhesivetoo! Reply Ifyouareaccomplishingwoodontheconcreteslabattempttofindaformaldyde-freeplywood. Reply YoushouldnotputPurbondorthebambooplyonaslab. Reply ThesafesttoxicfreeadhesivesandsealantsareECO-BONDhttp://www.ecobondit.comTheymakeatoxicfreealternativetoeveryproductforcaulking,adhesives,andsilicone Reply IagreewithFrank,andIsuffermightilyfromMCS.Ididaside-by-sidesimultaneouscomparisonbetweenAlmightyandanotherAFMSafecoatproductvs.ECO-BONDMulti-PurposeandKitchen-Bath-Plumbing.Forme,ECO-BONDproductswerelessoffensive,bothinitiallyandafter24and48hoursandbeyond.Bothcompanies'productsworkedfineintermsoftheirintendeduse. Reply thanksfortheinfo! Reply wheredidyougeteco-bond?Ihavetriedtoorderit,repeatedly,throughhomedepot.comanditdoesn'tcome.theyandIhavefollowedupwiththemanufacturer,whoneveranswersthephoneanddoesn'treturnmessages.veryfrustrating.lookslikeagoodproductbutwecan'tkeepwaiting:youdon'twanttoknowhowlongit'sbeensinceI'vehadashower!withsummercomingbathsjusthavenoappeal.wouldliketotryitbutifwecan'tgetitsoonwillprobablygowithoneofthe100%siliconecaulks. wonderingifanyonehastriedgorillaadhesiveandorgorilla100%siliconesealant/caulk?theymaybenewerthanthisarticle.IthoughtofthembecauseIwasokwiththeoriginalgorillaglue.Iactuallyfoundyourexcellentreviewsherebysearchingformoreinformationonthevoccontentofthosegorillaproducts. thankyouforsharingyourtestresults. Reply Antonio,Ijustordereddirectlyfromeco-bond.AlltheotherplacesIcheckeddidn'thaveitforsaleanymore. Reply Ecobondiscertainlyhavingsomeproblemsrightnowwithgettingordersoutandwiththeirothersuppliers.Thishashappenedbefore,peoplefrequentlysayorthinktheyaregoingoutofbusiness.I'mnotsurewhat'shappening. Reply Isawonthebetterbusinessbureauthatecobondiscommutingfraud…chargingpeoplefororders,printing/preparingshippinglabelbutthennotmailingproduct.Theyarealsooverchargingpeoplebyhundreds.Makesmesosadbecausewelovetheirproduct!:( Reply IthinkIfoundmyanswerinyourblog…onanotherpostyoumentionRCD#6Mastic.Thisislesstoxicthanwhattheywouldnormallyuse? Thankyousomuchforallyourexpertiseonsafeconstruction!!Youarealifesaver! Reply HiCorinne…Didyoubyanychancetestmasticsealant?Ineedtohavemyheatingductsinspectedandsealedandtheysayit'srequiredbylawtousethisstuff,buttheremustbeasaferalternative.Itissupposedlybestbecauseit'sflexible,butitalsooffgasesmethanol,ethyleneglycol,andammonia.IfearI'dbehomelessiftheyuseit…YouhavesomuchexperiencewithallyourexperimentationIthoughtyoumightknow. Reply HolyToledoyouareabravesoul!Thankyouforyoursacrificeandforyourinformation. Reply oooohgod…yeahyouknowhowitis!notasacrificethough…Ihadtodoit,thebuildersneededanswersandNOW! Reply Corinne:ThankyousomuchforthespecificproductreviewsandrecommendationsforMCSsufferers(likeme)andbuilders!!! Reply Youareabraveladyfordoingallthattesting.IhavetohavetwowindowpanesinstalledandithastobecaulkedandIcouldn'tfindanyatall.Iwillbeabletonowhavethosewindowsfixedandkeepoutthecoldair. Reply WhiletheseproductsarealllowinVOCs,thereisanothercriticalconcern.DoanyoftheseproductsNOTcausecancer?DoanyofthesecaulkssatisfytheCaliforniaProposition65certificationsfornothavingcancer-causingmaterials? Ican’tevenfind–inmanyGooglesearches–anycaulkthatdoesnothavethewarningonthelabel: CALIFORNIAPROP65WARNING:ThisproductmaycontainchemicalsknowntotheStateofCaliforniatocausecancer,birthdefectsorotherreproductiveharm. Thankyou! Reply LeaveaReplyCancelreplyYouremailaddresswillnotbepublished.Requiredfieldsaremarked*CommentName* Email* Website Savemyname,email,andwebsiteinthisbrowserforthenexttimeIcomment. PrimarySidebarFollowalongforthelatest! FacebookInstagramYouTube ABOUTME Hi,I’mCorinne,IamaCertifiedBuildingBiologistPractitionerwith7yearsofexperiencehelpingpeoplecreatehealthyhomes. Moreaboutme… FooterCategories HealthyBuilding Healthyexteriors/gardens HealthyInteriors MoldAvoidance Mold-FreeBuilding Mold-FreeInteriors TinyHomesandTrailers Uncategorized AmazonAffiliateDisclosure:AsanAmazonAssociateIearnfromqualifyingpurchases. PrivacyPolicy,Disclaimer,Disclosure DoNotSellMyPersonalInformation Resources Businessinquiries