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Caulk selections and gun (C) Daniel FriedmanGuide to Non-Toxic Caulks & Sealants
Non-toxic caulk brands, sources, MSDS data for sealants used on buildings & other applications

Guide to finding & buying low-toxicity building caulk or sealant products:

This article describes non-toxic caulks & sealants used in buildings, aquariums, water cisterns or springs and similar applications.

We answer a reader question about how to seal a leaky water container for a spring, and we list several low-toxicity caulk brands for which we include key properties (and in some cases warnings) from the caulk MSDS data.

InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.

Guide to Choosing & Buying Non-Toxic or Low Toxicity Caulks & Sealants

Question: what to use to patch a leaky springwater container

Photograph of an open spring providing water to an old property.

I have a hand dug and stone and cement spring at my camp which isn't holding water very well.

I want to patch the inside with something that can stay wet and won't be toxic, any ideas?

- D.H. 4/3/2013

Reply: approaches to sealing a spring or other container intended to contain potable water

Aquarium sealers non-toxic choices (C) InspectApedia

Below we describe several products that may be suitable and successful in making a patch to a leak for a concrete (or other) container that is used to hold drinking water.

But before advising patching I'd need to understand how your water system is constructed. When I was a kid our spring-fed water supply entered up through sandy soil in the bottom of a spring-fed springhouse that was surrounded by concrete and covered with a roof.

[Click any InspectApedia.com image to see an enlarged detailed version.]

We tossed our watermelons in there to stay cold during the summer. But if the spring water level in that design dropped it wasn't a leak in the springhouse it was a drop in the groundwater levels.

Watch out: at SPRINGS as WATER SUPPLY we describe other more broad concerns with the safety of cisterns and springs as drinking water sources.

Silicone or acrylic compounds in caulks and sealants are key ingredients in forming their waterproof properties when cured.

Watch out: the Mother Earth Living website contributor Debra Lynn Dodd[1] (author of Home Safe Home [7]) recommended three caulks as "non toxic" that I list below.[1]

However a look at the product MSDS sheets is further informative so I include some excerpts, noting that the possible toxicity of caulks, sealants, and coatings may be quite different between when the product is opened and applied and when it has cured, as VOCs and other products diminish during the curing and drying process.

Certainly in the various caulk & sealant MSDS data sheets it is apparent that the risks discussed focus on exposure to the product "out of the box" or container, that is, before it has been applied, cured, diluted, etc.

List of Non-Toxic or Low-toxicity Caulks & Sealants

Durham's Water Putty hole filler - cited & discussed at InspectApedia.com

Note: For a helpful discussion of just what constitutes "adequate venitlation", see Offermann, Francis (Bud) J., P.E., C.I.H., ASHRAE & Mark Nicas, Ph.D., MPH, C.I.H., USE WITH ADEQUATE VENTILATION ? [PDF], ASHRAE Journal, May 2018.

Other Caulks or Sealants for Pools & Water-Containers

 




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Reader Comments, Questions & Answers About The Article Above

Below you will find questions and answers previously posted on this page at its page bottom reader comment box.

Reader Q&A - also see RECOMMENDED ARTICLES & FAQs

On 2020-09-15 by Anonymous

Thank you. We have used AFM products though (1) they aren't always ideal in a wet room setting because they have no mildewcide or fungacide (it's hard to find the sweet spot btwn low VOC and practical needs). Meanwhile, we found out the specific product our contractor used and the amount of VOC in it is off the charts.

Whereas most similar products have VOC levels btwen 30 and 50, this one had a level >300. So we bought a different one, did a test, and it was fine after about 24 hrs. Live and learn! (Lots of the latter on this website.)

On 2020-09-11 - by (mod) -

IMO silicone is among the most-inert stable sealants we can use, and is very long-lived. There is a "vinegar-like" odor at first application, that quickly dissipates.
Silicone sealant doesn't contain other solvents that may be irrritating as do some other products.

Companies who say they offer other "hypoallergenic" or non-irritating caulks and sealants include

AMF Safecoat

and Greenguard

On 2020-09-11 by Anonymous

Thank you. We had excellent ventilation, heat and humidity, and didn't mix sealants. But my wife is chemically sensitive and it was a nightmare. Not sure what other options we have and were hoping you might have some ideas. Thanks for all you do at this site where you have such a wealth of info that you share so generously with people. Very grateful.

On 2020-09-10 - by (mod) -

Anon

IN my experience silicone caulk offgasses and is odorless very quickly in normal use;

Ventilation + heat speeds the process.

Beware of mixing sealants; recently at a shower installation I used a silicone sealant that was not the right color at the shower base; I was sold a silicone substitute, tried it and found it would not bond to the existing silicone; had to peel it all out and start over.

On 2020-09-10 by Anonymous

A tile installer just installed a Corian backsplash in my bathroom that needed to be replaced. He used a Dapp brand silicon caulk to attach it and the odor is awful. After a few days with little improvement in the smell, I removed it and am now trying to figure out how to re-attach it to the painted drywall with product that won't stink.

I thought I'd found one made by ChemLink, but after speaking w/someone at the company they said none of their products would be appropriate for a bathroom application and recommended using thinset mortar. But after doing some research online it seems everyone recommends using silicone caulk for this kind of a job, so now I'm completely at a loss and am seeking your assistance.

What kind of product would you recommend I use to attach Corian to painted drywall? And, do you know of a brand that is low VOC? Thank you for your help!

On 2020-03-08 - by (mod) -

Most cement patching compounds ought to be fine once cured. For example Red Devil makes a pre-mixed acrylic-based cement patching compound. I've tried to find the actual MSDS for these patch products without success - perhaps you'll have better luck.

On 2020-03-08 by Anonymous

I meant we are looking for a non-toxic caulk, putty, or sealant to repair our sand cast cement bird bath.

On 2020-03-08 by americanprana@gmail.com

We need to plug up holes in our sand cast cement bird bath. We are looking for a job toxic caulk or putty or sealant for the repair. Any suggestions?

On 2017-08-12 - by (mod) -

Yes, Carolyn, breathing ethylene glycol fumes can be harmful, according to a typical Ethylene Glycol MSDS provided by Fisher Scientific. Of course we can't know what was your level nor duration of exposure, but if you are having breathing difficulty that is severe you should seek immediate medical attention.

Otherwise you should take your question to your doctor.

Here is an example MSDS

https://inspectapedia.com/hazmat/Etyhylene-Glycol-MSDS-Fisher.pdf

On 2017-08-12 by carolyn

i used a product to seal tile in my kitchen called wet look sealer by behr interior /exterior that containes ethylene glycol. i have astma and can this product cause breathing problems

On 2017-08-08 - by (mod) -

I'd use an Aquarium sealant as we discuss above.
Or look at the other non-toxic sealants or low toxicity sealants we discuss in this article like the Safecoat product line.

DynoSeal
Safecoat DynoSeal is a sophisticated, low odor, all weather, waterproof, vapor proof coating and sealer that remains flexible for years. It is highly resistant to flame spread and temperature change, and when cured is also highly resistant to gasoline, oil, grease, fungi, acids and alkalines. It has very low odor upon application and is odor free once cured.
Contact http://www.thegreendesigncenter.com/product/afm-2oz-samples

Manufacturers include

AllGlass, clear silicone sealant,
Aqueon Silicone Aquarium Sealant, Black
Aqueon 100 cleare silicone aquarium sealant
DAP Silicone aquarium sealant
DAP Household/Aquarium Adhesive Sealant. ASTM. Id: C920
and similar products

I looked at pourable sealants as an appealing solution for your birdbath but didn't quickly find one that sported an MSDS assuring safety for animals.

You might try talking with some of the manufacturers such as
L.H. Dottie Company
6131 Garfield Ave.
Commerce, CA 90040
(323) 725-1000

Watch out: all of these products warn that the surfaces to be sealed must be perfectly clean and usually dry too, for a successful seal.

On 2017-08-07 by Dee

I am looking for something to seal the whole surface of a pebble type bird bath . It does not have a crack , instead, the whole thing seeps water. I want something clear and safe for the birds and animals to drink from.


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