Is it ok to breathe in here?
January 25, 2011 12:43 PM Subscribe
What's this smell coming from my new window? Is it toxic?
My landlord recently replaced a window in my apartment. There's now a horrible noxious smell in the room where the window was replaced. It's been two days, and despite other windows in the room being open, the smell refuses to dissipate.
I'm concerned that the smell might indicate that some sort of toxic substance was used in the installation. (My landlord is cheap and irresponsible, and she's hired repair people before who cut corners and were incompetent.) The window seems to have been sealed into the frame with a white glue / putty, and I think this may be what's causing the smell, but I'm not sure.
What are the likely causes of this smell, and is it hazardous to breathe the air before the smell goes away? The room in question is my bedroom, and I'm concerned about breathing in toxic fumes while I sleep.
My landlord recently replaced a window in my apartment. There's now a horrible noxious smell in the room where the window was replaced. It's been two days, and despite other windows in the room being open, the smell refuses to dissipate.
I'm concerned that the smell might indicate that some sort of toxic substance was used in the installation. (My landlord is cheap and irresponsible, and she's hired repair people before who cut corners and were incompetent.) The window seems to have been sealed into the frame with a white glue / putty, and I think this may be what's causing the smell, but I'm not sure.
What are the likely causes of this smell, and is it hazardous to breathe the air before the smell goes away? The room in question is my bedroom, and I'm concerned about breathing in toxic fumes while I sleep.
The window was likely sealed with silicone caulk. Even the best-installed, precision fit window needs to be sealed to prevent drafts. Silicone caulk has a sort of sour odor which should dissipate after a few days. If it's a vinyl window (plastic frame), the vinyl may also have a "new plastic" smell to it which should also clear up soon. Assuming they did everything properly using correct materials, there should be no health issues, just the unpleasant odor, which should clear up soon.
posted by xedrik at 12:48 PM on January 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by xedrik at 12:48 PM on January 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
You're probably right that it's the sealant that's causing the odor, they often have volatile chemicals in them. Here is a whole page of Material Safety Data Sheets for DAP products, a brand that makes a lot of sealants. That said, it's easy to scare yourself with an MSDS, and we don't know what sealant your installer used.
It is unlikely the fumes will be toxic in the short time that you're going to be exposed before they volatilize off (think about how much more exposure the guy who uses the stuff all day every day is getting) but the advice in these cases is always to do exactly what you're doing: ventilate.
posted by ldthomps at 12:53 PM on January 25, 2011
It is unlikely the fumes will be toxic in the short time that you're going to be exposed before they volatilize off (think about how much more exposure the guy who uses the stuff all day every day is getting) but the advice in these cases is always to do exactly what you're doing: ventilate.
posted by ldthomps at 12:53 PM on January 25, 2011
"This smell" won't do, for an online diagnosis of how hazardous.
Neither does "Replaced a window." What did they do, replaced the glass and stuck it into the old frame with caulk, or replaced the whole window, frame and all?
Your candidates, however are: one of two: paint, varnish; any kind of sealing agent like said caulk, used either for sticking the panes in place, or between the frame and the wall; materials the window frame is made of, if not wood. (White glue doesn't smell much). Most of these stinks do dissipate after a few days, but I agree, they can be a worry.
posted by Namlit at 12:54 PM on January 25, 2011
Neither does "Replaced a window." What did they do, replaced the glass and stuck it into the old frame with caulk, or replaced the whole window, frame and all?
Your candidates, however are: one of two: paint, varnish; any kind of sealing agent like said caulk, used either for sticking the panes in place, or between the frame and the wall; materials the window frame is made of, if not wood. (White glue doesn't smell much). Most of these stinks do dissipate after a few days, but I agree, they can be a worry.
posted by Namlit at 12:54 PM on January 25, 2011
Does it smell like vinegar? If they used silicone caulk, you will smell the acetic acid (i.e. vinegar) that is emitted from the caulk as it dries. Perhaps if you describe the smell, it would be easier for people to help you.
posted by ssg at 1:05 PM on January 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by ssg at 1:05 PM on January 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
If whatever it is was toxic it would literally not be for sale in the US. There are lots of great home repair products that have been made illegal over the years in the US because of even low levels of toxicity - paint additives, varnishes, glues, etc.
It may stink, but being stinky is not the same as being toxic.
if you're in rural China, yes, there's a possibility that the product is toxic.
posted by GuyZero at 1:10 PM on January 25, 2011
It may stink, but being stinky is not the same as being toxic.
if you're in rural China, yes, there's a possibility that the product is toxic.
posted by GuyZero at 1:10 PM on January 25, 2011
It may stink, but being stinky is not the same as being toxic.
That is rubbish. Toxicity is a relative matter, and many things that are toxic to people are, of course, saleable in the US. You're most likely smelling some variety of Volatile Organic Compound (VOC); these are common in caulks, sealants, varnishes, paints, and strippers. These are toxic compounds, but the degree to which they are toxic varies greatly based on the person, exposure, and duration. I'd try to figure out what caulk they used and get some ventilation in there. It will dissipate, but it could take a week or more before you stop noticing.
posted by norm at 1:51 PM on January 25, 2011
That is rubbish. Toxicity is a relative matter, and many things that are toxic to people are, of course, saleable in the US. You're most likely smelling some variety of Volatile Organic Compound (VOC); these are common in caulks, sealants, varnishes, paints, and strippers. These are toxic compounds, but the degree to which they are toxic varies greatly based on the person, exposure, and duration. I'd try to figure out what caulk they used and get some ventilation in there. It will dissipate, but it could take a week or more before you stop noticing.
posted by norm at 1:51 PM on January 25, 2011
Zero VOC paint smells noticeably stronger than regular latex paint. Smelliness and VOC content are not perfectly correlated.
posted by GuyZero at 1:54 PM on January 25, 2011
posted by GuyZero at 1:54 PM on January 25, 2011
A smelly thing I've encountered near a newly replaced window pane (replacing just the glass, not the frame) is putty.
It's a linseed oil smell, which I quite like - but I can imagine everyone wouldn't.
posted by selton at 1:55 PM on January 25, 2011
It's a linseed oil smell, which I quite like - but I can imagine everyone wouldn't.
posted by selton at 1:55 PM on January 25, 2011
Zero VOC paint smells noticeably stronger than regular latex paint. Smelliness and VOC content are not perfectly correlated.
Subbing acetone for xylene does that for you. But for the questioner -- asking about a caulked window-- my guess is a pretty reasonable one. And please, Mr. Zero, try not to convert people to the naive belief about how the government has stopped all toxic products from going on sale here. That is misleading and dangerous.
posted by norm at 1:59 PM on January 25, 2011
Subbing acetone for xylene does that for you. But for the questioner -- asking about a caulked window-- my guess is a pretty reasonable one. And please, Mr. Zero, try not to convert people to the naive belief about how the government has stopped all toxic products from going on sale here. That is misleading and dangerous.
posted by norm at 1:59 PM on January 25, 2011
Nobody is going to get brain cancer from one window's worth of caulk and/or putty.
By all means, do not attempt to reduce the smell by eating the caulk or putty. That would be bad.
posted by GuyZero at 2:34 PM on January 25, 2011
By all means, do not attempt to reduce the smell by eating the caulk or putty. That would be bad.
posted by GuyZero at 2:34 PM on January 25, 2011
As noted, it's probably the silicone caulk that is now pretty standard in construction. It may smell, but in the concentrations from a single window's installation is very unlikely to be hazardous unless you have a particular sensitivity. The deal with these VOCs isn't so much that a single exposure will make you sick (although it may make you nauseated), it's cumulative exposure. Some people firmly believe that too many VOCs in new homes can make the residents ill, especially combined with the super-weathertight construction techniques for energy savings, and I'm not disputing that possibility, but it seems like a fairly rare occurrence. The greater risk is really to the contractors who work with the materials daily.
If whatever it is was toxic it would literally not be for sale in the US.
That's a lovely thought, but these sorts of things change over time based on accumulated scientific knowledge. For instance, recent rules changes made levels of lead previous considered de minimus eligible for strict remediation techniques like floor-to-ceiling plastic during demolition. Believe me, I have breathed in more lead paint than you can imagine, and looking back I'm not happy about it. Before the 1970s there were literally no standards whatsoever.
It is probably fair to say that US regulations have removed many of the most dangerous known compounds from the home environment, but at the same time there are new products all the time that may introduce new ones not yet understood.
By the way, VOCs are the source of the coveted "new car smell" -- you can even get little rear-view-mirror hangers that emit something like that smell.
I would ventilate strategically -- maybe crack the window during the day for a couple of days, leaving it wide open for an hour or so before you begin to use the room (leaving enough time to warm back up). See that any cold-air returns in the room are not blocked or that the door is open during the day so that the fumes can be filtered into all the air in the apartment, reducing their intensity.
posted by dhartung at 3:28 PM on January 25, 2011 [2 favorites]
If whatever it is was toxic it would literally not be for sale in the US.
That's a lovely thought, but these sorts of things change over time based on accumulated scientific knowledge. For instance, recent rules changes made levels of lead previous considered de minimus eligible for strict remediation techniques like floor-to-ceiling plastic during demolition. Believe me, I have breathed in more lead paint than you can imagine, and looking back I'm not happy about it. Before the 1970s there were literally no standards whatsoever.
It is probably fair to say that US regulations have removed many of the most dangerous known compounds from the home environment, but at the same time there are new products all the time that may introduce new ones not yet understood.
By the way, VOCs are the source of the coveted "new car smell" -- you can even get little rear-view-mirror hangers that emit something like that smell.
I would ventilate strategically -- maybe crack the window during the day for a couple of days, leaving it wide open for an hour or so before you begin to use the room (leaving enough time to warm back up). See that any cold-air returns in the room are not blocked or that the door is open during the day so that the fumes can be filtered into all the air in the apartment, reducing their intensity.
posted by dhartung at 3:28 PM on January 25, 2011 [2 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by something something at 12:47 PM on January 25, 2011 [1 favorite]