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Last week, we highlighted the environmental impact of buying wood furniture, but that's just the tip of the so-called iceberg; where and how we choose to source wood furniture also has some pretty serious health and social implications. So, our choices not only affect our homes and our families, but people and communities half a world away; today, we'll take a closer look at the factors affecting your health.
It may seem counter-intuitive, but the air inside our homes can be two to five times worse than the air outside, and the things we bring into our homes are often to blame. When it comes your wood furniture's impact on your health, there are two basic factors that can cause your furniture to harm you: how it's put together, and how it's finished. The first refers not only to construction -- how it's glued or joined together -- but, in the case of plywood, medium-density fiberboard (MDF) and particleboard, how it's created.
Many common adhesives used in both the glues that join solid wood furniture and hold plywood and MDF together have harmful organic compounds -- that is, carbon-based molecules -- that leave their homes in your furniture (it's called "volatilize") and enter the air, where you breathe them (and that's not a good thing). Breathing these volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can lead to allergies, asthma and cancer, over time, and are definitely to be avoided.
When it comes to the finishes on your furniture, it's often the same story: paints, lacquers, varnishes, and urethanes often contain VOCs that readily enter your home's indoor air (this happens all by itself, at room temperature) and your lungs. The basic rule is this: if it smells bad -- you know, that strong, nose-burning, gag-reflexing stink -- it is bad, and you shouldn't be breathing it. Thankfully, there are ways around it.
1. Avoid particleboards and plywood with formaldehyde-based glues
These wood products can be quite green -- the often use leftover chips and sawdust that would otherwise be discarded -- but only if they're bonded with water-based adhesives. And if the retailer or building materials source can't tell you whether or not their products use formaldehyde bases, skip 'em.
2. Go for low or no-VOC paints, finishes and varnishes
No matter if the furniture is made from veneers, particles or solid wood, stay away from finishes laden with VOCs. Buying unfinished furniture is an easy way to be sure nothing bad sneaks into the finishes, since you get to pick what goes on.
3. Look for water-based glues and adhesives
It might seem trivial, but there's a surprising amount of glue in furniture, even if its held together with nails or screws.
4. Pick out vintage furniture
Second-hand or vintage furniture, as long as it hasn't been recently refinished, generally has a lower incidence of off-gassing. And, if it's in need of a little TLC, you can refinish it with your health in mind.
Stay tuned for a peek into the social implications of your wood furniture; in the meantime, read up on the environmental impacts here: Learn How to Find Eco-Friendly Wood Furniture
See also, in TreeHugger: Green Basics: Indoor Air Pollution and Green Basics: Volatile Organic Compounds
Difficulty level: Moderate
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