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| Sustainable Building Sourcebook | ||
| Chapter: Health and Safety | ||
| Construction Adhesives | ||
| CSI Numbers: 09601 Flooring Adhesives, 09728 Wall Covering Adhesives | ||
| Introduction: | ||
An adhesive is any chemical substance used to bond one surface to another surface by attachment other than by mechanical means. Adhesives are used for a wide variety of purposes in the manufacturing and installation of building products. Examples of construction adhesives include: flooring adhesives, cove base adhesives, laminate and veneer adhesives, duct sealers and adhesives, PVC adhesives, vinyl adhesives, roofing adhesives, wall coverings adhesives, and multi-purpose adhesives and glues. Environmental concerns of construction adhesives include their process of manufacture, emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs , application tool cleanup, and disposal. Choosing products or applications that use little or no adhesives is preferred. | ||
| At-A-Glance Notes: | ||
| Technology: | ||
| Low- and no-VOC adhesives are now manufactured for most uses. | ||
| Suppliers: | ||
| Low- and no-VOC adhesives are available. Some of these products have a relatively short shelf life, which may affect availability. | ||
| Cost: | ||
| Low- and no-VOC adhesives, depending on their purpose, may be purchased at competitive prices to those with a higher VOC emissivity. | ||
| Public Acceptance: | ||
| Accepted. | ||
| Regulatory: | ||
| There are no regulatory considerations for use of adhesives within the State of Texas. However, VOC content is required for disclosure on each product's Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). In California, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District Regulation 8, Rule 51 limits the allowable emissions of organic compounds from adhesive and sealant products. | ||
| Considerations: | ||
Adhesive choices can significantly impact a building's indoor air quality, often because adhesives are more harmful than the materials they are bonding. Adhesives are used most commonly in construction for gluing down carpet and other flooring materials, sub-flooring, countertops, and paneling. Laminated and veneered goods, engineered wood products including MDF (modified density fiberboard), and finger-jointed studs are all manufactured using adhesives. A few of these are available in no- or low-VOC. When applications allow, choose those installation methods that do not require the use of adhesives. Many products and materials have the option to be installed with mechanical means. If adhesives must be used, choose those that will best promote indoor air quality. Water-based adhesives have lower VOC content than solvent-based products. Most product manufacturers recommend a particular adhesive for their specific products. Choose those adhesives with the lowest VOC content or check with the manufacturer to see if there are low- or no-VOC alternatives. Construction Adhesives, Fig. 1
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| Guidelines: | ||
The quality of the indoor environment is not only important to those who will be occupying a space, but also to those individuals who install materials and systems during construction. Careful choice of adhesives is important for several reasons. The first is that adhesives, similar to paints and other coatings, have their greatest effect on indoor air quality during and directly following installation. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has found that, "the probability of a source emitting contaminants is related to the age of the material. The newer the material, the higher the potential for emitting contaminants. These can act as a sponge or sink in which VOCs are absorbed and then re-emitted later." Choosing low- and no- (VOC) adhesives will promote work-site health and safety of construction workers and do-it-yourselfers. Volatile solvents were traditionally used in adhesives to emulsify or liquidify the resin that acts as the bonding agent. Since adhesives are applied wet, these volatile organic solvents become airborne VOCs as they cure, or dry. Little is known about many of these solvents, though several--including benzene, toluene, xylene, and formaldehyde--have known adverse health effects. Formaldehyde, for example, is highly reactive, easily combining with proteins in the human body. This reaction may cause a painful inflammation of the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, and mouth, even at low concentrations. Public concerns about health in the indoor environment have led many manufacturers to develop water-based solvents. These products are continuously being improved; so low-VOC products that are available today may be superior to those that were offered in earlier generations. When possible, use installation techniques that do not include adhesives. These options include tackless strips common in residential carpet installation, hook & loop tape, peel & stick systems that are integral to several flooring systems, and other mechanical methods. If adhesives must be used, choose those with the lowest VOC content allowable for the installed material and allow proper curing time before installing porous materials, as these materials will act as emissions sinks and continue to release VOCs over a long period of time. Isolate spaces during application of construction adhesives and throughout their curing period from the construction zone. High levels of VOCs will continue to outgas for months and, in some cases, years, so proper ventilation is necessary to dilute accumulations of construction adhesive VOCs, particularly directly following installation during their highest levels of concentration. Related Materials subchapters:
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| Resources: | ||
| Professional Assistance: | ||
GREENGUARD Environmental Institute Carpet & Rug Institute
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| Components/Materials/Systems: | ||
Flooring Adhesives:AFM Safecoat & SafeChoice Bostik Findley Chicago Adhesive Products Co. Eco Design Co. / Natural Choice Catalog Gibson-Homans Johnsonite Sinan Co. W.F. Taylor Company W.W. Henry Company Multi-Purpose Adhesives:Titebond Construction Adhesives Industrial Polymers Incorporated Wall Covering Adhesives:Sinan Co. |
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General Assistance: |
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Regulatory AssistanceOccupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Flooring AdhesivesCarpet & Rug Institute |
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