New TT off-gassing period?
How long does it take for a new TT to stop off-gassing? I have problems with the fumes from new trailers. It makes me feel ill.
Forum Discussion
The most common source of off-gassing odors is from the glue used in plywood, OSB and furniture and cabinetry. It's in OSB or plywood in the subfloor and in luan plywood in walls, ceilings and cabinetry. If your TT has any of these, it will have some degree of formaldehyde off-gassing. A manufacturer may have fancy composite materials for some of the construction but the subfloor will still usually be OSB or plywood. Evergreen's ComposiTek is one exception I know of. Even if the floor has a layer of sheet flooring on it, there's still holes cut through it for piping, ductwork, etc. and gas will escape inside the TT. It can also be in materials like carpeting and bedding.
Formaldehyde is in a lot of things - paper products, cosmetics, permanent press and waterproof fabrics, household cleaners, paints & finishes, medicated creams and more. The gas is even produced by burning wood and gasoline and from tobacco smoking. So it may not be 100% the fault of your new RV.
Every new house built today has materials made that include formaldehyde. It will even be in some workplaces to some extent. It does eventually subside over time. You are more likely to notice the smell this time of year but in the camping season, you have windows and doors open a lot. It would help to open closets, cabinets, etc. to air out the dead space.
I don't think any deodorizer will neutralize the smell, just mask it. In fact, some deodorizers actually contain formaldehyde!
In Canada in the late 1970s, the gov't approved urea-formaldehyde foam spray-in insulation for exterior wall retro-fits. There was even a grant available. It was all the rage for a while until it was realized that off-gassing was a serious problem and then they banned it. Homeowners had to either rip off the entire exterior walls or the drywall on the inside and meticulously clean all the foam out. Contractors made a killing installing, then removing it.
Some interesting reading here:
off-gassing thread
ABC news story (2007)
ComposiTek
EPA info.
Chemical-free trailer
Formaldehyde is in a lot of things - paper products, cosmetics, permanent press and waterproof fabrics, household cleaners, paints & finishes, medicated creams and more. The gas is even produced by burning wood and gasoline and from tobacco smoking. So it may not be 100% the fault of your new RV.
Every new house built today has materials made that include formaldehyde. It will even be in some workplaces to some extent. It does eventually subside over time. You are more likely to notice the smell this time of year but in the camping season, you have windows and doors open a lot. It would help to open closets, cabinets, etc. to air out the dead space.
I don't think any deodorizer will neutralize the smell, just mask it. In fact, some deodorizers actually contain formaldehyde!
In Canada in the late 1970s, the gov't approved urea-formaldehyde foam spray-in insulation for exterior wall retro-fits. There was even a grant available. It was all the rage for a while until it was realized that off-gassing was a serious problem and then they banned it. Homeowners had to either rip off the entire exterior walls or the drywall on the inside and meticulously clean all the foam out. Contractors made a killing installing, then removing it.
Some interesting reading here:
off-gassing thread
ABC news story (2007)
ComposiTek
EPA info.
Chemical-free trailer
