Replies

1. 
   forestgirl | Jun 23, 2003 07:37am | #1

   Most stains and finishes are non-toxic when dry, but if you want to err on the side of caution, you could use water-based stain and finish.

   Laughter:  when I first read your post I thought you were finishing a basement and you were worried about him chewing on it.  What?!  forestgirl needs to slow down....

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

2. 
   HowardAcheson | Jun 23, 2003 06:47pm | #2

   All interior finishes are required to be non-toxic when cured. To err on the safe side, allow 3-4 weeks for a full cure of any finish.

   Waterborne products are not safer initially than other solvent based finishes. They have less odor but they still contain chemical solvents. You can't drink them. Water is just the carrier, not a solvent, and waterborne finishes still contain other solvents which are not safe while they are still active. Waterborne finishes take just as long to fully cure as do oil based finishes. The only thing safer about waterborne finishes is that they are not explosive or flammable.