GREEN SEAL’S

REPOR T pollution andchemical awareness ofindoorair of increasingpublic impacts. Butbecause and possiblehealth poor indoorairquality that havebeenlinkedto and othertoxicchemicals volatile organicsolvents traditionally contained around thehomehave used tocoatwood as alternativestopaint. demand for wood finishes furniture increasethe floors, walls,andhome wood intheformofexposed on thewarmthandbeautyof decorating trendsthatfocus out. Atthesametime, their dwellings,insideand improving andredecorating increase inhomeowners expensive homes,andan trend towardlarger, more by lowinterestrates,the housing marketsfueled T About $2billioninwood About finisheswere soldin2004.  Thedemandforfinisheswood furniture, floors, andfixtures  wood’s maskthe completely do not appearance --hasbeengrow The overall market forwood unlike finishes--coatingswhich, paint, WOOD FINISHESANDSTAINS finishes. demandforenvironmentally the preferableing, alongwith wood Many oftheproducts the last 5years. last the has increased from 100 to 82milliongallons over milliongallons been drivenbyfavorable for woodcoatingshas his increaseddemand in obtainingLeader certification fornew products becauseof stepped upthepro facturers havealso ship inEnergyand Wood-finish manu duction of“green” among developers the risinginterest Environmental Design (LEED) buildings. do-it-yourself homeowners–as home constructionprojectsand coatings areofferingmanymore products, manufacturersofwood toxicity inhouseholdandbuilding – namely, workers onnew - - - the usersoftheseproducts products arehealthierfor causing chemicals.These heavy metals,orcancer- products thatarelowin volatile organiccompounds without aromaticsolvents, (VOCs) andformulated dominate thenational wood finishes)now (including paintsand of waterbornecoatings new buildings.Sales (LEED) certificationfor Environmental Design Leadership inEnergyand developers inobtaining rising interestamong products becauseofthe production of“green” have alsosteppedupthe finish manufacturers been applied.Wood- finishing productshave buildings wherethese well astheoccupantsof FEBRUARY 2005 - What is a Wood Finish? A finish is a liquid, paste, or gel that can be spread thinly onto wood. There are two basic types of wood finish: those that form a film or coating on the wood and those that penetrate the wood surface. Film finishes, which cure hard and can be built up in layers, include varnish, shellac, lacquer, water- and latex-based semi- transparent stains, and solid-color stains. Penetrating finishes are oil-based and don’t cure to a hard film. These include oil finishes, such as tung and linseed oil, and oil-based stains.

Wood finishes, rather than paints, are often used to showcase market; in California, waterborne coatings (excluding paint). The the natural beauty of wood grain, coatings accounted for 83% of report begins with a general such as on floors and interior trim. sales of architectural coatings in description of wood finishes Outside, wood finishes are used on 2001. and continues with a discussion decks and siding. of health and environmental concerns associated with the This Choose Green Report Wood finishes can include a use of these finishes. The report focuses on interior and exterior number of components: wood finishes used as architectural concludes with a description of Green Seal’s criteria for • Pigments or dyes are used in environmentally preferable wood wood stains to add color and The Choose Green Report is published finishes and a list of product for Green Seal Environmental Partners. hide flaws. To become an Environmental Partner, recommendations. or to receive a copy of this report, • Resin is the natural or synthetic contact Green Seal at (202) 872-6400 or [email protected]. A WOOD FINISH: film-forming component of these finishes. (Resins are also Green Seal President and CEO, Arthur B. Weissman, Ph.D. Protects wood from called binders, especially when used in stains or paints, because Researchers and Writers, Kimberly Davis, scratches, dirt, and wear P.E., Kristen VanHooreweghe and Mary they hold – or bind – the Swanson, The University of Tennessee, Enhances wood’s natural pigment to the wood surface.) Knoxville, Energy, Environment and Resins include acrylics, vinyls, Resources Center beauty, color, figure pat- alkyds, cellulosics, epoxies, Design, Cutting Edge Design terns, grain, and depth. polyurethanes, and oils. The Original printed on Green Seal-certified type of resin determines the Mohawk Satin Cool White Recycled finish’s hardness, flexibility, and paper, 30% postconsumer content Preserves wood from wa- ter, oxidation, and the resistance to stains, solvents, This Choose Green Report was pro- and water. duced with assistance from the U.S. sun’s ultraviolet rays. Environmental Protection Agency’s Pollution Prevention Division. • Solvents and/or thinners are Copyright © 2005, Green Seal, Inc. Changes wood’s appear- used to maintain the finish www.greenseal.org ance by adding color and in liquid form. Solvents are hiding defects. needed to dissolve resins. GREEN SEAL Thinners are used to reduce ENVIRONMENTAL PARTNER viscosity (thickness) of the

2 Choose Green Report liquid. Some finishes contain Varnishes. Technically, all resin- type, nitrocellulose lacquer, both solvents and thinners. and-solvent mixes are varnishes. uses a binder made from a Solvent-based coatings typically Shellac is a spirit varnish—it natural polymer, cellulose, use organic solvents such as uses distilled spirits (denatured which is derived from wood or alcohols, ketones, glycol ethers, alcohol) as a solvent, while cotton. Lacquer thinner is a petroleum distillates (mineral spar varnish uses a drying-type blend of solvents, which may spirits, toluene, xylenes, and vegetable oil (typically tung include ketones and esters, naphtha), and turpentine. The oil) combined with phenolic alcohols, and fast-evaporating solvent in a waterborne coating resin. In today’s common hydrocarbons such as toluene is usually a glycol ether, and usage, “varnish” means a mix or xylene. Like shellac, lacquer water is used as a thinner. of drying oil and a natural or cures by evaporation. Without artificial resin that is a clear protective coating, • Various additives Beginning in the cooked (often with an it is easily scratched and are used, in smaller susceptible to water damage. 1970s, increased inert-metal catalyst) to amounts, to adjust make a clear finish that Another drawback to lacquer drying time, prevent concerns over the is typically used indoors. is its typically high solvent fungus and mildew impact of certain Varnish, which cures content. growth, act as chemicals on hu- by chemical reaction thickeners, etc. (polymerization), Natural oils. Linseed and tung man health and is known for good oils are penetrating finishes For centuries, varnish the environment resistance to heat, that cure by absorbing oxygen from the air, a process that (a catch-all term for accelerated a trend solvents, and water. clear wood finishes) Alkyd and polyurethane strengthens the finish. Linseed toward the develop- was made from resins varnishes, however, oil is extracted from flax seeds. collected from natural ment of high-solids may contain high VOCs. Boiled linseed oil used in wood finishing has been mixed with products such as tree (lower-VOC) finishes Water-based varnishes saps or insect secretions using polyurethane or chemical additives to hasten the and water-based and mixed with linseed acrylic polymers have drying time. Tung oil is derived or other natural oils. products. been developed that emit from the nuts of trees that To create the final lower VOCs. are native to Asia. These oils product, the mixture was thinned are durable, water-resistant, with turpentine. More recently, Shellacs. In its pure form, shellac and easy to apply but require synthetic resins derived from is a natural resin secreted by several coats and are slow- coal tar and petroleum began to the lac insect, found mostly in drying. Natural oils that have replace the natural resins, and India and Thailand. Shellac been heat-treated to increase petroleum distillates became the cures as its solvent, alcohol, gloss and hardness and most commonly used solvents. evaporates. Although it creates reduce curing time are called The petroleum-based products a brilliant shine, shellac’s polymerized oils. in the synthetic resins helped uses are limited because of its increase durability. But, beginning susceptibility to damage from Water-based. Water-based in the 1970s, increased concerns liquids and heat. Shellac is finishes are actually made up of over the impact of certain useful for touch-ups because droplets of solvent-based finish, chemicals on human health and it bonds well to most other usually acrylic or polyurethane, the environment accelerated a finishes. Shellac is also used and a solvent, usually a glycol trend toward the development of as a sealer and under-coat ether, with water functioning high-solids (lower-VOC) finishes with lacquer or varnish and as a thinner. Water-based and water-based products. A polyurethane. It may not be finishes cure by coalescing: the resurgence in the use of pure oils compatible as a sealer under droplets of finish move closer and shellacs containing natural certain polyurethanes, though, together and interlock as the ingredients marks another recent because of the natural wax it water evaporates. Water-based trend in wood finishes. contains. finishes offer minimal solvent fumes, easy cleanup, and good This Choose Green Report covers Lacquers. Lacquer is a clear finish scuff resistance, but they may varnishes, shellacs, lacquers, best suited for accenting wood raise the wood grain and offer natural oils, water-based wood grain. It dries fast and is very only moderate resistance to finishes, and wood stains. durable. The most common water, heat, and solvents. Wood Stains Interior stains. Interior The American Lung outdoors, with numbers stains, used for rising up to 1,000 times A wood stain is a finish for Association reports furniture and higher immediately wood that contains a dye or that VOCs and their woodwork, come in following application pigment. Stains typically impart either pigmented byproducts can of a new coat of finish. a semi-transparent or opaque or dye categories. Outside, VOCs released coating and are designed to produce a number Both can have an oil, into the atmosphere change the color of a surface of physical prob- synthetic, or water can combine with without concealing the grain base. Pigmented lems, including eye each other, or with pattern or surface stains color the wood other substances in texture. More and Unlike paints, and skin irritation, with the same type the air, to create new more homeowners, lung and breath- which form of pigments used in chemical compounds, builders, and a film on the paint. They range in ing problems, such as ground-level architects are color from almost clear ozone. Ozone is a turning to surface, these headaches, nausea, to semi-transparent. major component of penetrating stains muscle weakness, stains soak into They are easily applied smog, which causes instead of paints, the wood, ac- with a brush or a rag, and liver and negative health and especially for and are then wiped off environmental impacts exterior use. Unlike centing the wood kidney damage. to control the depth when present in high paints, which form a grain rather of the stain. An oil concentrations at film on the surface, than hiding it. or polyurethane finish ground level. these stains soak into is often mixed with the wood, accenting the stain, so the VOCs are the wood grain rather than hiding do-it-yourselfer can considered air it. Stains become part of the complete the staining pollutants, and wood, which helps to prevent the and finishing job in one the amount that cracking, peeling, chipping, or step. can be released for blistering that commonly occurs a given amount of with paints. Health and Environ- solids is now regulated in many areas. Regulations that Exterior stains. Exterior stains are mental Concerns restrict the amount of VOCs in used primarily on wood siding, As organic materials in finishes architectural coatings have been shingles, decks and outdoor evaporate during the drying/curing enacted federally and in many structures, and furniture. They process, VOCs are released into states, including California, New are available in latex- and the air, affecting indoor and York, Texas, Massachusetts, oil-based formulas. Oil-based outdoor air quality. The American New Jersey, and Arizona, with semi-transparent stains offer Lung Association reports that legislation pending in many other the best protection of wood VOCs and their byproducts can states. Legislation controlling fully exposed to weather; they produce a number of physical VOC content varies around the can also be used on new or problems, including eye and skin country, but most U.S. companies weathered wood, or wood irritation, lung and breathing are formulating their finishes to previously finished with other problems, headaches, nausea, comply with California regulations, penetrating finishes, without muscle weakness, and liver and which allow up to 350 grams per extensive surface preparation. kidney damage. VOC levels can liter (g/L) of VOCs in varnishes and If a solid color is desired, latex be ten times higher indoors than up to 250 g/L of VOCs in stains. opaque stains are preferable over oil-based opaque stains, since they are more flexible, have better color retention, and are less prone to mildew. The Environmental Protection Agency’s National Volatile Organic However, extensive surface Compound Emission Standards for Architectural Coatings went into preparation is required for effect in 1999, under the Clean Air Act. proper adhesion, and latex stains in general should not be The EPA determined that architectural coatings account for used on structures exposed to 9 percent of the VOC emissions from all products. direct sunlight. Other new air-quality regulations finishes may contain higher Product for VOC levels are poised to go solids content, reactive diluents, into effect around the country, new types of solvents and/or co- Recommendations some beginning in January 2005. solvents, or other non-traditional In order to recommend specific In many U.S. states, including substituents. These low-VOC wood-finish products, Green Seal Delaware, District of Columbia, requirements favor film-forming developed product selection criteria Maryland, New Jersey, New York, formulations over products that and evaluated wood-finish products Pennsylvania, and Virginia, the penetrate the wood surface, since currently available on the market. VOC limit for finishes will drop to traditional wood stains were These criteria are based on health 350 VOC g/L. formulated to penetrate the wood, and environmental concerns Wood finishes may also and the new formulations that related to the use of wood finishes, contain other toxic ingredients. meet the VOC requirements may a review of existing environmental For example, 1,4-dioxane and not penetrate as well. standards and criteria for paints, acetaldehyde are suspected stains, and varnishes as well carcinogens. N-methyl as applicable state and federal pyrrolidinone is a reproductive VOC regulations, and a survey of toxin. And aromatic solvents such product manufacturers. Existing as toluene and xylene can cause environmental standards and a number of health problems if criteria generally limit VOCs and inhaled. All of these examples are prohibit or limit carcinogens, currently reported as ingredients aromatic solvents, phthalates, in some wood-finishing products. heavy metals, reproductive toxins, Lead, a well-known toxic metal, Water-based Finishes and ozone-depleting chemicals. had been used as a metallic drier We also surveyed wood-finish in oil and resin varnishes; lead Another way to decrease air manufacturers. Survey responses emissions from wood finishes is to has since been replaced by other and product data, such as Material metals such as cobalt and zinc. change the formulation to a Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs), from water-based coating. The new Metals may still be problematic the companies that participated because of their environmental water-based products achieve in the Green Seal survey indicated toxicity and persistence. a dramatic improvement over a number of products available solvent-based finishes in terms Phthalates, used as plasticizers, on the U.S. market that met our are of concern because they may of VOC emissions and worker selection criteria. potentially affect human and comfort and health. Companies Stains generally contain less animal hormone systems. Ozone- that have successfully switched to VOCs, so the VOC limit is lower water-based depleting compounds, such as the The new water- for stains than for other finishes. coatings Other than VOC level, the selection solvent 1,1,1-trichloroethane, have based products been phased out of most products. have worked criteria were the same and are closely Wood finishes that include a achieve a dramatic indicated at the beginning of the with their preservative, such as a fungicide, improvement over tables below. The first table lists suppliers to recommended interior and exterior must be registered under the solvent-based Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and determine wood-finish products (excluding Rodenticide Act. finishes in terms of the best stains). The second table lists water-based VOC emissions and recommended interior and exterior formula for wood-stain products. The last Lower-VOC Finishes worker comfort and their specific table provides contact information Over the past few years, health. uses. for manufacturers with listed regulation under the Clean Air products. Act and consumer demand for low-VOC finishes have led to the creation of a variety of new products. Many penetrating finishes, such as semi-transparent • Always review the manufacturer's recommendations before applying any type of wood finish. stains, have low solids content (pigment, oils, polymers) and are being reformulated to meet low- • Use proper respirators, ventilation, and protective clothing as VOC regulations. To meet the VOC recommended by the finish manufacturer. requirements, these reformulated

Choose Green Report 5

Table 1. Recommended Wood Coatings (Excluding Stains)

All of the recommended protective coatings listed in this table do not contain…

 VOCs exceeding 350 g/L  Carcinogens  Aromatic solvents  Phthalates  Heavy metals and their compounds  Reproductive toxins  Ozone-depleting chemicals

Manufacturer Product Names VOC concentration (g/L)

AFM AFM Naturals Clear Penetrating Oil 200

AFM Naturals Oil Wax Finish 200

Safecoat Polyureseal BP Satin 258

Safecoat Acrylacq Satin 273

Safecoat Acrylacq (5101) 281 -

Safecoat Acrylacq Gloss 283

Bona Kemi BonaKemi Bona Eon 70 70

BonaKemi Bonaseal 200

Fuhr International Fuhr Double Z Self Cross Linking Acrylic Clear Coat 0

Fuhr Ultra Clear Water base Lacquer 58

Fuhr Waterborne Urethane Finish 57

Hood Finishing Products Hydrocote Resisthane Plus 27

Masters Blend Masters Blend Tung Oil or China Wood Oil 0

Target Coatings Target Coatings 9000 Series Super Clear Polyurethane 200

Target Coatings UltraSeal Water-Based Shellac 200

Target Coatings Oxford Ultima Spray Lacquer - 1000 250

Tried and True Wood Finishes Tried and True Danish Oil Finish 0

Tried and True Original Wood Finish 0

Tried and True Varnish Oil 0

Van Technologies VanUltra-545 UV Wood Sealer 2

VanUltra-540 UV Wood Sealer 7

VanAqua-240 WATER BASED WOOD SEALER 118 © 2005, Green Seal, Inc. Use of this table for commercial purposes is prohibited. Information Seal, Inc. Use of this purposes in this con is prohibited. © 2005, Green table table for commercial was firmed with the manufacturer. It has not been independently verified by Green Seal unless otherwise Green by It has not been independently verified firmed identified as with the manufacturer. Seal certified.Green

6 Choose Green Report Table 2. Recommended Stains -

All of the recommended stains listed in this table do not contain…

 VOCs exceeding 250 g/L  Carcinogens  Aromatic solvents  Phthalates  Heavy metals and their compounds  Reproductive toxins  Ozone-depleting chemicals

Manufacturer Product Names VOC concentration (g/L)

AFM Safecoat DuroStain Clear Base 208

Bioshield Bioshield Aqua Resin Stain Finish #33 0

Fuhr International Fuhr Heritage Wiping Stains 80

Fuhr ZVOC® Exterior Deck Stain 0

Fuhr ZVOC® Exterior Waterbased Stain 0

Fuhr ZVOC® Universal Stain 0

Hood Finishing Products Hydrocote Penetrating Stain 238

Van Technologies VanUltra - 520 UV Curable Chestnut Stain 7

Van Aqua - 220 Water Based Wood Stain 49

Note for stains: recommended product lines can contain several different stain colors. © 2005, Green Seal, Inc. Use of this table for commercial purposes is prohibited. Information Seal, Inc. Use of this purposes in this con is prohibited. © 2005, Green table table for commercial was firmed with the manufacturer. It has not been independently verified by Green Seal unless otherwise Green by It has not been independently verified firmed identified as with the manufacturer. Seal certified.Green

Choose Green Report 7 NON-PROFIT ORG. US POSTAGE PAID WASHINGTON, DC 1001 CONNECTICUT AVE., NW PERMIT NO. 5515 SUITE 827 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20036

IN THIS ISSUE

— Recommended Wood Coating and Staining Products — Wood finish components — Lower VOC finishes — Water-based finishes

MANUFACTURER CONTACT INFORMATION

AFM 800-239-0321 www.afmsafecoat.com

Bioshield 800-621-2591 www.bioshieldpaint.com

Bona Kemi 800-872-5515 www.bonakemi.com

Fuhr International 800-558-7437 www.fuhrinternational.com

Hood Finishing Products 800-229-0934 www.hoodfinishing.com

Masters Blend 860-651-5536 Not available

Target Coatings 800-752-9922 www.targetcoatings.com

Tried and True Wood Finishes 607-387-9280 www.triedandtruewoodfinish.com

Van Technologies 218-525-9424 www.vtcoatings.com