Your New Floors May Be Polluting Your Air
Volatile Organic Compounds — VOCs — are gases released from paints, carpets, vinyl flooring, cabinets, cleaning products, and building materials. In an Anchorage home sealed for winter, they accumulate.
Formaldehyde from pressed wood products. Benzene from attached garage exhaust. Toluene from fresh paint. These chemicals do not smell dangerous — but their effects are cumulative.
High-Risk VOC Situations in Anchorage:
- Recently renovated homes — off-gassing highest in first 6-12 months
- New construction — all materials off-gassing simultaneously
- Attached garages — vehicle exhaust infiltrates living spaces
- Homes with new carpet installed before winter sealing