Formaldehyde-free plywood in Northern California?
user-894335
| Posted in Green Products and Materials on
I asked my builder to use formaldehyde free plywood for walls and he told me that he can’t find any formaldehyde free plywood in my area (San Jose). I checked Sunnyvale Lumber and Home Depot and can’t find it either.
For roof, he is able to find plywood with radiant barrier instead of OSB with radiant barrier, but it costs a lot more.
Does any one know where I can these building materials around San Jose, CA?
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Replies
Rian,
I am not a materials expert but this is how I understand the issues concerning plywood and offgassing issues.
There are two common types of glues in plywood - one that contains phenolic-formaldehyde and one that contains urea-formaldehyde. The phenolic-form. based glue is of superior quality and is usually associated with plywood rated for exterior applications. The phenolic-form. based glue is considered stable enough not to out gass and contribute to indoor air quality problems.
It is the urea-form. glue that is less stable and is the one attributed to indoor air quality problems.
When you are talking about plywood products exposed indoors (cabinetry for example) you should avoid urea added formaldehyde glues. For plywood that is used for exterior sheathing again it is typically phenolic based and there is less exposure to the indoor air so in my mind it is not an indoor air quality concern.
You should be able to get Pure-Bond formaldehyde free plywood at Home Depot. See
http://www.homedepot.com/hdus/en_US/DTCCOM/HomePage/Commerce/Building_Supplies/Lumber_Composites/Docs/HardwoodPlywoodCoreGuideforWebFINAL5-4-10.pdf?videoID=000616
If they don't have it in stock, it can be ordered. My understanding is that it is no more expensive that plywood that emits formaldehyde. We need more people to request this product in order to "green" the housing industry.
Becky Gillette, formaldehyde campaign director, SIerra Club
Columbia Forest products makes a line of non-formaldehyde products called Pru-Bond. Lowes and Home Depot both sell the Pru-Bond and I believe Lowes carries it in stock.
Either type of formaldehyde resin can be an issue when the product is in a minimally ventilated area. This would include anything inside the home but also the wall gravities as formaldehyde easily passes through drywall but does not pass through the house wrap (Tyvek) that is now required on the outer side of the walls.
Other significant contributors to formaldehyde in homes includes insulation, laminate flooring, MDF (trim boards and closet organizers), cabinets, and even your furniture that is often the biggest offender.
If your construction is typical with ventilated attic and crawl space these areas really will not matter as the ventilation allows the off gassed formaldehyde to be ventilated out into outside air. This would mean that the extra expense for roof sheathing is likely NOT justified. Also floor and attic insulation likely do not matter. However, wall insulation and wall sheathing are important.
Your concerns are justified. I live nearby and have helped many families with unhealthy homes remediate their issues. Avoiding them initially is smart. Be careful of your furniture, as I moved from an older home with double pane windows into a newer home with double pane windows bring my furniture with me. I then got sick and it took awhile to find out it was my expensive bedroom set. I removed that furniture and then was fine. The natural ventilation rate between the homes was different enough to have 15 year old furniture to become a problem. Newer construction is very well sealed and takes very minor sources to cause real issues.
The poster above posted a worthwhile line for the PureBond material that you referenced.
I agree with you that as building tightness improves, so this becomes that much more critical.
I am looking for plywood for subfloor, roof deck, and exterior walls. According to Columbia web site, its product is for decorative interior cabinets (see quotes below).
I do plan to use house wrap, so the formaldehyde (phenolic based) will still migrate to the indoor through dry wall. Is there any paint product that would stop the migration of formaldehyde into the living space?
Can I use PureBond plywood as a sub-floor?
Our product is rated as a decorative and not structural panel. Just as with any wood product, our panels obviously have structural properties, but because they are specifically designed for aesthetic applications where the beauty of the wood is to be seen, we don't recommend them for structural use or hidden beneath a floor.
Rian,
I'm not sure I agree with your statement that "the formaldehyde (phenolic based) will still migrate to the indoor through drywall." Do you have a source for that statement?
All of the studies I have seen have concluded that the main building-related sources of indoor formaldehyde are from cabinets and furniture. I have never heard an academic researcher or building science researcher point the finger at wall sheathing or subfloors.