Aluminum Oxide Flooring Health

Inhaling aluminum oxide can irritate the nose throat and lungs causing coughing wheezing and or shortness of breath.

Aluminum oxide flooring health. About aluminum oxide floor finishes. However depending on the circumstances it could also be a totally safe choice. First from a healthy house standpoint very little if anything is known about possible health effects from the aluminum content in aluminum oxide floor finishes. Aluminum oxide is a lung irritant and a possible carcinogen.

The truth is that aluminum oxide can be toxic and not a proper choice for a hardwood floor finish. When ground into a white powder it s used as a filler ingredient for paints plastics sunscreen and cosmetics. Aluminum oxide is a naturally occurring element typically found in a crystal form and used as an abrasive for sandpaper. Most new product smells will have dissipated long before the flooring has been delivered for installation usually during the shipping and.

In the past few years there has been a growing heightened awareness of the potential toxicity from nano sized heavy metals in products that touch the skin. Aluminum oxide finished flooring it sounds scary and harmful but really it s both very safe and durable. We ll offer an explanation for both situations which impact the health risks of coming into contact with aluminum oxide so you can determine whether it affects you. All types of flooring require a finish coating for protecting the underlying material from the wear and tear of foot traffic furniture marks pet toenails and other life events.

But think for a second what happens when these floors are sanded some time in the future. If you are looking for a floor that is safe and has great durability aluminum oxide finish should be your top choice. Safety concerns regarding aluminum oxide finishes are understandable. You are correct about the pre finished floors with uv cured finishes and embedded aluminum oxide anti scratch components.

Cancer hazard while aluminum oxide has been tested it is not. Chronic health effects the following chronic long term health effects can occur at some time after exposure to aluminum oxide and can last for months or years. Aluminum oxide is one of several products used for this purpose and it has more than one advantage in the. The metal oxide can become airborne during sanding and pose health problems.

Oh you may think i m never going to have to sand a floor with a 25 year warranty on it. It s also used as a fortifier for urethane imparting hardness and abrasion resistant qualities lacking in polyurethane. In fact aluminum oxide pre finished wood floors are the most preferred floors today. When buying new wood flooring make sure to look for how long the pre finished layer will last and plan for the day when the flooring may need to be refinished or replaced.

Also look for engineered flooring made with no added formaldehyde glues naf or nauf some manufacturers include eddie bauer home luzon and revel woods. This will not be toxic in the manufacturing process or in daily use of your floor.