Can You Sleep In House After Polyurethane? [Answered]

Polyurethane is an excellent material for finishing products.

However, this comes with the downside of its dangers to human health and the environment.

Most customers keep an eye on the work being done in their houses, which is perfectly acceptable.

On the other hand, specific construction projects may demand that residents vacate their homes, while others do not.

Read this article to the conclusion for advice on what to do and what to expect if you currently have or will soon have a polyurethane project.

Let’s get into it.

VIDEO: DUCO Paint VS PU Paint (Polyurethane Paint)

After Polyurethane, Is It Safe to Sleep in the House?

No, doing so is not advised, and you shouldn’t risk your health.

Even the water based variety of polyurethane will produce a significant amount of off-gas within the first twenty-four hours.

It is even more dangerous if you use finishes based on oil based polyurethane because they are highly poisonous and can lead to various health issues.

Therefore, remain away for a minimum of two days.

Following the application of water based polyurethane, is it safe to sleep in the house?

You can also get some shut-eye in the other rooms, even if they were not treated with polyurethane.

This is due to the fact that water based poly is generally believed to have a lower odor and to be less hazardous than its oil based equivalent.

Additionally, it dries within two to three hours, allowing you to apply many coats in a single day.

Maintain a sock-only policy for the first twenty-four hours of traffic.

After applying oil based polyurethane, will you be able to sleep in the house?

No. After utilizing oil-based chemicals to refinish surfaces, you should only sleep in the house for a short time.

The odor of oil based poly is pungent and unpleasant, making it challenging to remain in its presence.

It is neither prudent nor safe to expose yourself and others to an environment with such a high toxicity level.

How Long Do You Have to Wait Before You Can Return Home After Using Polyurethane?

After the last coat of polyurethane has been applied, you should at the very least refrain from entering the house for the first two days.

After that, even if the rest of the rooms in the house have not been redecorated, you should try to go out of the house for at least five to seven days.

It would be best if you didn’t take any chances with polyurethane fumes because they are incredibly toxic and highly destructive to human and animal health.

In addition, the residence should have as little activity as possible at all times.

How Long Does It Take for Polyurethane to Dry and Cure After Being Applied?

The application of polyurethane is as easy as breathing. However, the quality of the results is contingent on the conditions present during the polyurethane drying and curing time.

The amount of time, usually measured in hours, it takes for a product to dry to the point that it may receive its subsequent coat is the drying time.

Even though curing time refers to a finished surface needing to dry completely, become firm, and be beneficial without chipping off, the process typically takes weeks.

You may learn more about how to speed up polyurethane drying time by reading the article “how long does it take for polyurethane to dry.”

Polyurethane with an oil-based solvent

The oil-based polyurethane is more viscous, and it takes about twenty-four hours to become dry enough to accept the second coat.

On the other hand, for additional coats, the fast-drying formulations require only as little as four hours to dry completely.

Before an oil polyurethane coating may be wholly cured, more than a month must pass. However, the amount of time needed to complete the task depends not only on the weather but also on the number of coats applied.

Polyurethane based on water.

Floors treated with water-based polyurethane can cure sufficiently for another coat in as little as two hours under ideal conditions, including warm temperatures and low humidity.

A water-based polymer can also harden in as little as three days or as much as three weeks.

The time required depends on the prevailing weather conditions and the amount of polyurethane applied.

Because the water quickly evaporates from the surface of water-based polyurethane, the drying process is significantly sped up.

Are Polyurethane Fumes Dangerous to Breathe?

Polyurethane fumes pose a health risk to humans and animals since they are poisonous. In addition, isocyanates are toxic to the respiratory system, and this product is formally classified as a petrochemical resin.

People with respiratory conditions are at an increased risk for adverse effects from these chemicals.

What Constitutes Polyurethane’s Dangerous Properties?

What makes polyurethane a practical finish for woodworking projects, even though it is a hazardous chemical? The gist of it is as follows:

Volatile organic compounds are the basic building blocks of producing polyurethane goods.

These volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are discharged into the atmosphere in the form of gas, and it is they that are to blame for the poisonous nature of this substance.

Isocyanates are another ingredient that contributes to the hazardous nature of polyurethane. Isocyanate is a chemical that exhibits the same hazardous effects as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), except that it has only been discovered to cause cancer in animals, not humans.

The production, application, and drying and curing processes are the most dangerous times for volatile organic compounds and isocyanates to be present.

However, it is no longer dangerous when it has reached its last curing stage.

When working with this and other finishing products, you must use appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) at all times.

What Kind of Effects Does Breathing in Polyurethane Have on the Body?

Polyurethane fumes pose a risk to one’s health if they are inhaled for an extended period.

If you breathe in these fumes, you could get discomfort in your eyes, nose, throat, and skin.

People may have symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, headaches, dizziness, and even difficulty breathing when exposed for an extended period.

Inhaling these fumes for extended periods, say many years, has also been related to producing asthma and harm to the brain, bone marrow, kidneys, and liver.

Do you know that the fumes from polyurethane can be harmful to animals? They have the potential to induce cancer in animals. Keep your pets safe.

How Long Does Polyurethane Continue to Retain Its Fumes?

The fumes produced by water-based polyurethane can linger for up to 21 days, whereas the fumes produced by oil-based polyurethane can linger for at least 30 days.

Nevertheless, there are products made of polyurethane that have extra-fast drying times; the smells produced by these products are gone within a week of their application.

How Much Time Is Needed for Water-Based Polyurethane to Degas?

The off-gassing of water-based polyurethane continues for twenty-four hours after the last layer has been applied.

During the drying and curing process, a phenomenon called off-gassing refers to mixing polyurethane with oxygen.

During the curing process, polyurethane releases compounds into the air that could be dangerous. In addition, these substances have a distinctive “poly scent.”

However, within twenty-four hours, the stench starts to fade away because this product dries and cures in such a short amount of time.

How Easily Is It Possible to Get Rid of the Smell of Polyurethane?

A variety of tried-and-true approaches can be utilized to rid the home of the toxic odor of polyurethane.

Using these procedures, you can restore clean, fresh air in the family room and any other impacted rooms.

One significant benefit is that you can choose various approaches to expedite the procedure.

Ventilate

Working in an area with adequate ventilation is something that we strongly advise. So therefore, let’s start right now.

Open windows

This is one of the most straightforward approaches.

To facilitate air exchange and the removal of a putrid odor, open all windows, doors, and any other entryway that provides fresh air.

Maintain the open status of the windows and any other air vents for as long as required.

Additionally, check to see that rags and cans of polyurethane are disposed of in the appropriate locations.

Use Fans

Running fans is another practical strategy that may promote unrestricted airflow and finally drive away the odorous gases causing the problem.

You can use table fans, box fans, or even overhead fans. Box fans should be put in open windows.

Once more, the objective is to get air moving throughout the house to eliminate the residual scent.

Utilize an air purifier to rid the air of harmful substances.

Run an air purifier in the room where the polyurethane is off-gassing.

The purifier can use ozone or an activated charcoal filter to neutralize the volatile organic compounds found in the air after breaking down.

Keep it going until there is no longer any trace of the offensive odor.

In more extensive workshops, you might install an air filtration system designed explicitly for wood shops.

Raise the temperature

By activating the thermostat, you will be able to bring the temperature of the room up.

Polyurethane goods’ drying and curing process can be sped up by maintaining warm temperatures with low relative humidity.

While at it, ensure all the doors and windows are shut to keep the temperature inside consistent.

After the polyurethane finish has completely cured, it is time to ventilate the house using any means possible.

Take in all of the offensive odors.

Taking in the odor is another way that can be utilized.

Utilize this choice with the other approaches to get the desired outcomes in the shortest possible time.

Utilizing this strategy allows you to use a wide variety of different things.

Put slices of onion and lemon in the water in the dishes.

Put a few bowls on the floor in various locations, then leave them there overnight.

It is healthy knowledge that onions can remove odors and poisons from the body.

They should be changed out frequently.

Make use of baking soda in conjunction with activated charcoal.

These powdered products are highly effective at eliminating the smell of polyurethane in a short amount of time.

Place a small amount of one or both of these materials on paper plates and then scatter them throughout the floors that have been refinished.

They should be changed out frequently.

Try vaposorb granules or cat litter.

These goods are deserving of a try.

After the last layer of polyurethane varnish has dried for 24 hours, scatter them throughout the floor.

Make sure it only adheres to the finish while sitting on the surface.

These items will lessen the harmful effects of the gases by absorbing them.

Clear the area and reapply the salt as required.

When Will the Polyurethane Floor Allow Me to Put Furniture on It?

If you need to return the furniture quickly, wait between two and four days.

If you use a water based polyurethane, you should wait two days before walking on the floor.

If you choose to use an oil-based polymer, you must wait a minimum of four days.

Remember that the better the results will be, the longer you wait for the surface to dry.

In any event, you should lift the furniture and position it so that it is on the wooden floor.

Please fight the impulse to drag it around the room; if you do, you will scratch the floor that has just been completed.

However, if you inadvertently create a noticeable scar, you can read here for advice on how to put new polyurethane product over the old poly.

Can I continue living in my home while the floors are being refinished?

Staying in the house while the floors are being refinished, whether they are white oak flooring or another type of hardwood floor, is often considered an inconvenience.

This is because refinished hardwood floors typically results in a certain amount of dust, noise, and fumes from the products utilized.

These vapors have the potential to remain in the air and cause irritation to the respiratory organs, as well as nausea and headaches.

Aside from the foul odor, moving around on the wood floor in the different rooms may interfere with the process of refinishing it, ultimately putting the work’s quality at risk.

You may get some ideas on choosing a polyurethane finish for your hardwood floors by reading the post we have written.

FAQ on Can You Sleep in House After Polyurethane