Safe Seal FAQs

I am laying a plywood subfloor over a concrete floor with radiant heat and would like to seal the plywood with Safe Seal. Would you recommend treating one or two sides?

One side is sufficient.

I would like to apply Safe Seal to my plywood subfloor, but have noticed some dampness in the plywood. Will the moisture be able to escape through the Safe Seal?

Yes, but very, very slowly.

How much off-gassing does Safe Seal prevent?

90-95%.

How much formaldehyde is trapped in my plywood subfloor after apply Safe Seal? How long
will it take to gas off? Will it gas off slowly over time, or will some gas off initially and the rest be trapped forever?

Applying Safe Seal will have a flushing affect on the plywood, releasing some of the formaldehyde. Once Safe Seal has cured, those emissions will be contained and trapped under the sealer.

AFM Paint FAQs


Does "Zero VOC" mean paint is healthy?

Zero VOC does not mean zero emissions. This is because the government allows the use of many chemicals that are VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), but do not cause smog. These
are called "exempt compounds" that allow the product to be marketed as "Zero
VOC". It is important to note that government regulation of VOCs is not based on toxicity or health, but on the fact that some VOCs react with nitrous oxides and ultra violet light to form low-level ozone, or smog. If the VOCs do not cause this type of reaction, the government isn't concerned if they are toxic or not, therefore exempting them from the VOC calculation.

What makes AFM paints different from other paints that are marketed as healthy paints?

It is not enough to simply take regular paint and remove the VOC so that you have a product that can be marketed as environmentally sound. To make a paint that works from a health and reduced toxicity standpoint, you have to build it from the ground up. This is what AFM has been doing for over 20 years. It is why AFM regular paints, which have low VOC, are well tolerated - even by people who are chemically sensitive. Since the introduction of "Zero VOC" paints by the multi-billion dollar paint companies, AFM has received many calls and letters from people who have used those paints, only to find that something in the paint is making them sick. Most of the time, these people end up repainting with AFM Safecoat paint as a solution.

AFM goes far beyond VOC issues in its formulation process. One key reason for the price difference between AFM paint and other manufacturers' paint is AFM's use of high quality, refined resins and raw materials to prevent the residual chemical compounds that offgas and
cause problems for people with allergies or sensitivities. AFM products not only contain no formaldehyde, but no formaldehyde precursors as well.