I'm in the process of putting down Varathane Floor Finish (oil-based polyurethane). I have two coats on OSB (I'm using DriCore as basement flooring). Unfortunately, I was unaware of just how toxic polyurethane is and am concerned about the potential long duration of off-gassing. I'm looking for an encapsulating sealer to contain the VOCs and the off-gassing. Will the SafeCoat Soft or Hard Sealer work for this? SAMPLE - AFM SafeCoat, Hard Seal Wood Stains & Sealers

Question

I'm in the process of putting down Varathane Floor Finish (oil-based polyurethane). I have two coats on OSB (I'm using DriCore as basement flooring). Unfortunately, I was unaware of just how toxic polyurethane is and am concerned about the potential long duration of off-gassing. I'm looking for an encapsulating sealer to contain the VOCs and the off-gassing. Will the SafeCoat Soft or Hard Sealer work for this? SAMPLE - AFM SafeCoat, Hard Seal Wood Stains & Sealers

Status: Open Jul 16, 2019 - 02:48 AM

1answer

Answer

Jul 16, 2019 - 02:48 AM

The best way to seal an oil-based polyurethane is to coat it with Zinsser Bin Shellac followed by two coats of AFM Safecoat Polyureseal BP. Used in this sequence, the shellac will provide good adhesion to the oil and the AFM Safecoat Polyureseal BP will seal the VOCs emitting from the shellac. It will also provide a more durable top coat. This is costly and laborious for sure, but is better than having to sand off the finish and start over. We have not found a better solution to this common problem.