Ron, And if we can afford it, let the pros do their jobs. So, once workers can smell methylene chloride they are already being overexposed.. I found out the hard way. I use it in good ventilation and, if Im going to be doing much work, I use a respirator. If you have concerns you should discuss them with a medical professional. Thankyou for letting people know this danger alert! Weve added a resource to try and educate those who are using these processes and offered a number of safer alternatives to using substances other than methylene chloride here: http://jwcpropertyservices.co.uk/bathtub-refinishing-dangers/. theyre dangerous if not dealt with properly. Dust masks do not protect you from bathtub refinishing vapors. When we find a company to do it, Ill be sure to make sure that there is plenty of fresh air. We do have pets and have young kids. The process commonly involves removing the bathtub's existing finish before applying a new coating, usually a synthetic finish such as polyurethane or epoxy. And that tub refinishing is at top of my list besides them running heat too much. When engineering and work practice controls cannot decrease methylene chloride levels below OSHAs PELs (25 ppm over an 8-hour TWA or 125 ppm over a 15-minute period), employers must provide their workers with full-face atmosphere-supplying respirators. A 2015 report by the Center for Public Integrity on U.S. deaths connected to methylene chloride noted that researchers have argued for 30 years that regulation of methylene chloride in the U.S. isnt strong enough to protect workers and that warnings on labels for consumers are insufficient. I just bought this old house that has this beautiful tub if only it can get restored back to new. Bathtub refinishing is the process of restoring the surface of an old bathtub to improve the bathtubs appearance and repair surface damage. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO DRY SO NO DANGEROUS FUMES? She her nextwalked over to-door neighbor's apartment, where a team weari ng respirators was refinishi ng the bathroom with a spray-on resurfacing material and a chemical accelerator. If the job is not done right it starts to peel, he says. I am exposing myself by soaking in this tub? I did two tubs in old houses yesterday. I am unknown form this . I personally have never heard of this being such a serious problem. I think this blog is very helpful in knowing about the bad effects Bathtub refinishing of such dangerous products.We need to know what all are used while doing refinishing.Thanks a lot for sharing. I have never thought of this before! I repaired the tile finish as best I could and covered it with 123 primer and latex kitchen/bath paint by mohair brush. We would appreciate your assistance in circulating the information in this blog and the Hazard Alert to those involved in bathtub refinishing. Price changing out your bathtubs before ever considering a refinishing product that is known to be toxic! NIOSH has not evaluated isocyanates exposure among bathtub refinishers but products containing isocyanates should also be handled with care. It a huge peeled off spot in the tub, dangerous to me? We have had a terrible experience. You should contact 911 and move to an area with fresh air (outside), or if possible open an window to let fresh air in. Our beloved pet went into respiratory failure the next day, was rushed to the ER and spent three nights in the veterinarian ICU. Methyl chloride has high vapor pressure, meaning that it evaporates extremely quickly and turns into gas that can easily be inhaled, especially in a small bathroom that may not be adequately ventilated. NIOSH research and prevention efforts focus on worker risk, so we are not able to address this kind of exposure. Adults? For consumer-related questions after the tub has been refurbished, please contact the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Hello I wish they warned me and Id have had means to stay out of house for a few days. Thanks so much for the info! Earlier this week NIOSH and OSHA released a joint Hazard Alert titled Methylene Chloride Hazards for Bathtub Refinishers. It hurt to know he was no longer mentality or livingly present with us in that room. Contact Us Today For A Free Bathtub Refinish Estimate Call [phone] or complete the contact form below for a FREE estimate! Ask Sam: Will the U.S. Supreme Court end rent stabilization? Anyone who is curious to try alternatives to MC-based strippers are encouraged to read these small business success stories. We are sorry to hear about your symptoms. Avoid use of methylene chloride or minimize the amount of methylene chloride used at each site. There were 13 Fatal Exposures to Methylene Chloride Paint Strippers Among Bathtub Refinishers in the last decade. (Centers for Disease Control) Not to mention those who experience unexplained symptoms that go undiagnosed that may also be caused from these dangerous bathtub refinishing and paint stripping chemicals. Hi, so I had my bathtub reglazed in March. When there is not a properly designed local exhaust ventilation system to remove vapors, the workers should have used full-face supplied-air respirators, protective gloves, and other appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) that is resistant to methylene chloride during the entire refinishing process. Use a qualified occupational safety and health specialist to assist in the design and installation of local exhaust ventilation (LEV) to effectively control vapors to below applicable PELs. Thank you for your comment. Symptoms such as difficulty breathing, chest pain, palpitations, dizziness or difficulty staying awake require immediate medical attention. I am a 48 year old single woman, who tries to do everything myself, and I am really concerned about how dangerous this is. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. As exposure increases so do the health effects, with a potential for suffocation, loss of consciousness, coma, and sudden death. Bathtub refinishing is being used more by hotels, apartment complexes and homeowners because of a housing downturn, a mortgage-meltdown, and overall depressed and depressing economy as a way to save money in their bathroom renovation. Provide local exhaust ventilation (LEV) and fresh makeup air to exhaust vapors released from the stripping agents in the bathtub. Exposure to as little as six ounces of methylene chloride-based material has been enough to cause death. What is the LEAST TOXIC alternative for bathtub reglazing? When methylene chloride enters the human body, it affects brain function, such as concentration. Posts: 19. ive found a majority of the time the diy kits people use never adhere well. An apartment maintenance man entered the apartment to look for the man and found him behind the closed bathroom door, unresponsive, and slumped over the tub. If you are concerned about the smells, you could seek help from your local health department. Thanks if you reply. It always falls on us, to make sure, inspections we pay for, cover areas of higher hazard. Please respond quickly. We are in a rental and I had to stop allowing my daughter to take baths because its everywhere. How much should you renovate your NYC apartment before selling it? Also I have asthma, and after the job was done today I cant stop wheezing. Does anyone know what would cause the reglazing to peel and chip from the tub? Thank you so much for this great article and hope that others now are aware of the safety measures that need to be followed. We do not have any information about the paint chips that are peeling off of your refinished bathtub. You can refinish a tub yourself if youre a true DIY-er, but the new finish can look painted or different than the original color or texture. It won't last forever, but it's a pretty good temporary fix. I have personally resurfaced in the past for investment properties, and have smelt the sweet smell, but never was affected , luckily. Some will work but they require 24 hours of wet saturation and even then they require a lot of hard work. Saving Lives, Protecting People, Methylene Chloride Hazards for Bathtub Refinishers, http://www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/Research/Pubs/#General, http://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/sites/SWA, http://retrorenovation.com/2016/05/02/understanding-potential-lead-hazards-old-porcelain-enamel-bathtubs-sinks-ceramic-tile-any-age/#ixzz47UvHcM00, https://www.publicintegrity.org/2015/09/21/17991/common-solvent-keeps-killing-workers-consumers, http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/isocyanates/default.html, http://jwcpropertyservices.co.uk/bathtub-refinishing-dangers/, https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/indoor-air-quality-apartments, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website. TENANT INSTRUCTIONS: . Great amazing blog post I really love such lovely blog posts. Read more about our comment policy . It took me a little bit to get used to, and while it doesn't look super cool, it's clean and an upgrade from the '90s pink tile for sure.. Methylene chloride is a volatile liquid and would fully evaporate shortly after a project is completed. NIOSH work in this area only pertains to workers exposed when using stripping agents containing methylene chloride during bathtub refinishing. I myself am in the process of creating a technique that will eliminate the need for methylene chloride. In Europe, the use of paint strippers containing more than 0.1 % methylene chloride is allowed only in industrial installations with adequate controls to reduce exposure. We are not familiar with the finishes you mention. The blog is not designed to provide personal medical or emergency information. I like taking baths, but will not do so in this tub now knowing how unhealthy it actually is. What to know about adding skylights to your NYC brownstone or apartment, How to evaluate different types of NYC contractor bids when you're renovating, New Yorkers moving out of state save more money on housing than taxes, 5 houses for sale in Margaretville, NY, a small town in the Catskills, 5 houses for sale in Sagaponack, the most expensive zip code in NY. /box. I think this post was very helpful in knowing the bad effects Bathtub refinishing of such dangerous products. When selecting a PID care must be taken to make sure that the instrument is equipped with a lamp that has the ionization potential necessary to detect methylene chloride (11.7 eV lamp). We refinish or "reglaze" bathtubs, showers, wall tile, bathroom sinks and counters as well as . Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website. I could not believe how hard it was to even find a kit to purchase, which led me to wonder why. The first one was a very long process because there was no air circulation what so ever si the two part paint kit kept separating from one another which kept me in the room with only my Tshirt pulled over my nose. Now Im cleaning up the interior; its not in terrible condition, but it has a few chips and the surface is not as smooth as Id like. After collecting these samples following the NIOSH analytical method the samples are sent to a laboratory for analysis. The odor and fumes were suffocating. Winter renters lose leverage, questions for condo and co-op buyers, & more, The allure of tax abatements, a Chelsea affordable housing lottery, & more, Co-ops may have some 'splaining to do, renting a penthouse, & more. His death could have been easily prevented if he had simply had a co worker outside the door to verbally check on him every 30 seconds. I also have a 6 year oldshould we leave? Superior heavy duty Reglazing. White advises keeping away fromcleansers likebleach oreven Soft Scrub. We're starting to see chipped areasThey're more in the tub than on the walls. Myown life was almost cut short stripping a bathtub and I was using the best Equipment money can buy but machinery or equipment can fail. You should always wear protective clothing and use the appropriate safety-rated equipment whenever you are doing any household repair or remodeling work, and reglazing a bathtub is no exception. There are alternatives to using methylene chloride (MC) for bathtub stripping. For consumer concerns such as this you may want to contact the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Thetoxic fumesreleased during the processnot only make your apartment smell bad. It can and will save your life. I also had diarrhea several times this morning. Methylene chloride is a volatile liquid and will fully evaporate shortly after the project is completed. I had my cast iron tub reglazed on a very hot humid day. I have stripped hundreds of tubs. Theyll also ensure adequate ventilation during the project, if necessary deploying powerful fans with duct extensions to exhaust hazardous vapors to the outdoors, says DeClerico. This is great information to share to hopefully make us more aware and careful. More needs to be done to protect the workers!. I now have a colostomy, urostomy,skin cancers and CKD(chronic kidney disease)with only one kidney working and that only functions at 15%. I have one side of my nose feeling congested and post nasal drip and a headache. Perfect for renters, apartment dwellers, and residential or commercial tubs, sinks, showers. Sometimes, it's less expensive to replace a tub than to get it refinished, especially if it's a rare type of tub made of an unusual material. Comments listed below are posted by individuals not associated with CDC, unless otherwise stated. Bathtub Refinishing matters should be left to professionals to complete. Look for an alternative to do the bathtub refinishing. I dont think I had the right mask on. Cookies used to enable you to share pages and content that you find interesting on CDC.gov through third party social networking and other websites. Obviously, I would have paid any price to do this rather than suffer these sad consequences. Reglazing a tub doesnt actually take that long to do. Karma: 3. We face inspections every year where lots of tubs are refinished in this building.but no precautions are ever taken to protect the residents and their animals. Long story short, today my face is red as a tomato and I feel very unsettled and almost as if i drank 3 beer. I went outside after he was finished. I have 3 kids in a tiny apt in Brooklyn. As a point of comparison, water boils at 212 F and has a room temperature vapor pressure of 17 mmHg. CDC is not responsible for Section 508 compliance (accessibility) on other federal or private website. It was a small job, and I messed up with the paint brush I used, leaving lines in the finished product. There is a lot of toxicological information available on the Internet which can be found by joining the term MSDS with as specific a description of the product about which you are interested in knowing. I didnt know that the bathroom fans and windows wouldnt provide the right amount of ventilation. Very good to know, Ill let the pros do it from now on, and let my readers know the same. Thank you for introducing this sensitive topic in such a way I never thought these chemicals were so dangerous.

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