Hello. We're having some guys come in to do our upstairs bedrooms.
They'll be using oil based polyurethane. I just wanted to know if this would cause anything harmful to the body, like brain damage. We'll be sleeping in the basement, so we are pretty far away from the bedrooms. Do you think that's good enough? Thanks.

solvents in polyurethane are heavier than air so being in the basement may not be the best idea because thats where they may end up.

Ugh. I'm so confused. Does anyone know if it's dangerous?

Depends on the amout they put down, then ventilation and you sensitivity to chemicals. I dont think its do permanent damage to your noodle but you may wake up with a big ol headache. You need to ask these questions to the finishers btw they are the ones who should know.

But don't you know? You have a hardwood floor business.
Haven't you ever worked with oil based polyurethane?

What I dont know is all the particulars. How much urethane they are putting down, how long its gonna take and what kind of ventilation is available and so on. I would look for somewhere else to stay because sniffin poly fumes all night while i sleep is not what I personally would want to do. There is a big difference between putting down 1 gallon of finish vs putting down 5 gallons. And BTW being smart wont get you anywhere fast with me, ive helped hundreds and hundreds of people like yourself over the past 15 years for FREE. Kinda makes me want to give you some bad info and lead you down the wrong path but Im just not that mean. Anyway I hope your floors turn out and you dont have a brain hemorrhage or anything from the fumes.

Didn't mean to offend you. Just curious. Besides, it's not that you're "just not that mean" it's more like your reputation is on the line. If you give bad advice then no one will take you or your business seriously. Take it easy.

P.S. You can't get a brain hemorrhage from fumes. Then again you do floors, you're not a doctor.

You will be fine. The fumes produced by oil based polyurethane are not good for you, but dealing with them for a couple of nights is not going to kill you.

Dr. Rhodes I presume??

Hey if someone looks at my track record I think the answer would be pretty clear that its you that are being the hag and my reputation is gonna be just fine. You coming off brash and somewhat bratty imo. Why dont you just go and huff some poly for a few hours and see for yourself, thank you and good day.

Wow. Could the original poster be any more condescending ? Here's something for her to think about . Why not call the EPA and get the answer or perhaps consult an atomic physicist ? Maybe Dr. Phil .

Kevin actually tried to give an intelligent answer and got lashed for it. So let's summarize , the woman is nervous and anxious about the urethane ( Big surprise) and wants someone to tell her it will be okay. No one specifically said it would be okay so she gets indignant (that's never happened before).

Mrs. , you have a pro contractor doing the work .He should have all the answers for you.Either accept his answers or do not .Make a choice to either stay in the basement or sleep elsewhere . The thinking person would generally seal off the rest of the house from the second floor with plastic so that the fumes are contained.

And are poly fumes harmful ? Yes they are . So do not breathe them in if you do not have to. And please do consider reasoning on the answers that people give you in the future. And intelligent person will answer you by asking you questions sometimes rather than a blanket answer of yes or no .

Yeah. You're right. I was being a bitch. I'm just so stressed about all this. We sealed everything off, and spent most of our time outside the house or in the basement. Sorry about the attitude.

That's so much better . In the end, when politicians get done ruining the earth , all we'll have is each other .

True...
I know this isn't the forum for it...But, I never realized just how condescending I can be...Thanks for the wake up call. I really mean that.