ᐅ Mosaic parquet flooring in an older building from 1971 – contains formaldehyde/PCBs?
Created on: 9 Jul 2021 08:07
B
basti009Hello,
seven years ago, we bought an older building from 1971. We have replaced all the floors except for the beautiful mosaic parquet in the living room. We had it sealed twice.
Recently, I happened to read that parquet floors used to contain harmful substances like PAHs or PCBs. However, some sources state that these substances have not been used in parquet floors since 1970.
Is this correct? And if these substances are still present, can I leave the parquet as it is with the sealing?
Regards, Basti
seven years ago, we bought an older building from 1971. We have replaced all the floors except for the beautiful mosaic parquet in the living room. We had it sealed twice.
Recently, I happened to read that parquet floors used to contain harmful substances like PAHs or PCBs. However, some sources state that these substances have not been used in parquet floors since 1970.
Is this correct? And if these substances are still present, can I leave the parquet as it is with the sealing?
Regards, Basti
If you want to be sure whether you have any PCBs or similar substances, you would need to have them tested.
Such old building materials generally do not emit as much anymore (see well-known studies, e.g., Fraunhofer quantification of emissions from polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)).
The question is where to start and where to stop. What kind of wiring/piping has been installed...
Such old building materials generally do not emit as much anymore (see well-known studies, e.g., Fraunhofer quantification of emissions from polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)).
The question is where to start and where to stop. What kind of wiring/piping has been installed...
N
nordanney9 Jul 2021 09:08basti009 schrieb:
I recently happened to read that Parker products may have contained pollutants like PAHs or PCBs in the past. I have read that asbestos was commonly used in house construction up until the 1970s. Are you planning to demolish your house now just to be safe? How many previous owners in the last 21 years have died prematurely from any mysterious illnesses or cancer?
So first, take a deep breath and continue to enjoy your parquet flooring calmly. Don’t let it stress you out.
Hello [B]basti009.
It is certainly possible that PAH-containing parquet adhesives were used during the building construction period. However, I don’t think it makes sense to raise alarm over something that is only suspected but not proven.
The question about how many previous owners may have died of cancer is also not very helpful, certainly.
Let’s instead focus on the facts.
The parquet flooring certainly has an appropriate material thickness (usually around 14mm (0.55 inches)), so the parquet wood itself also provides a certain level of vapor barrier.
If PAH-based adhesive was indeed used at the time, the small amounts of high-boiling compounds that diffuse through the wood would be overshadowed by the (what I would call unavoidable) fresh air ventilation during use.
I consider it much more important that the parquet surface was undoubtedly sanded before sealing.
PAH adhesives have the additional unpleasant property of becoming brittle over time.
In one project I oversaw, the parquet boards detached from the subfloor just due to the mechanical action applied during sanding.
So be glad that the adhesive, whether containing PAHs or not, still maintains enough bond to keep the boards attached to the floor.
What I also mean is that curiosity about whether PAHs are present or not could lead to the unexpected consequence of needing to break out a parquet board, which may start a chain of events with all the costs that you were not prepared for.
I see the current situation as satisfactory and encourage you to enjoy your beautiful parquet floor.
Best regards, KlaRa
It is certainly possible that PAH-containing parquet adhesives were used during the building construction period. However, I don’t think it makes sense to raise alarm over something that is only suspected but not proven.
The question about how many previous owners may have died of cancer is also not very helpful, certainly.
Let’s instead focus on the facts.
The parquet flooring certainly has an appropriate material thickness (usually around 14mm (0.55 inches)), so the parquet wood itself also provides a certain level of vapor barrier.
If PAH-based adhesive was indeed used at the time, the small amounts of high-boiling compounds that diffuse through the wood would be overshadowed by the (what I would call unavoidable) fresh air ventilation during use.
I consider it much more important that the parquet surface was undoubtedly sanded before sealing.
PAH adhesives have the additional unpleasant property of becoming brittle over time.
In one project I oversaw, the parquet boards detached from the subfloor just due to the mechanical action applied during sanding.
So be glad that the adhesive, whether containing PAHs or not, still maintains enough bond to keep the boards attached to the floor.
What I also mean is that curiosity about whether PAHs are present or not could lead to the unexpected consequence of needing to break out a parquet board, which may start a chain of events with all the costs that you were not prepared for.
I see the current situation as satisfactory and encourage you to enjoy your beautiful parquet floor.
Best regards, KlaRa
Similar topics