I had a national company install a polyaspartic floor system in my attached garage a few days ago, and the smell from the installation is overwhelming. The crew finished by 3:30 PM on Thursday, but the strong acetone-like odor filled the garage, house, and even the basement, leading my wife and kid to sleep elsewhere for the night. I've kept the windows open and the heat off since then to try to air things out, but while the smell has gotten better, it's still present, which worries me about health and safety. The company claims that the odor isn't from the polyaspartic coating itself but rather from the acetone solution used during the prep. I live in a northern climate where it's hard to keep the heat off all the time. The smell seems to be stronger in the basement near the garage. Any ideas for mitigating this lingering smell?
3 Answers
Hey! To tackle the smell, try using a box fan to ventilate the garage. Set the fan to suck the air out and seal off everything else so you create negative pressure, which will stop the fumes from coming inside. Just leave the garage door slightly open for the fan, and cover the rest of the opening with plastic. It works wonders!
Just to give you a heads up, coatings like polyaspartic off-gas until they fully cure, which typically takes about 48 hours. If the concrete was too damp during installation or if they thinned the coating, it might take longer to cure. Keeping an eye on ventilation is key!
You could try to positively pressurize your house as the garage airs out. If you can leave the garage doors open, that would help. Position a fan in a window on the other side of the house to blow fresh air inside; this can push out the bad air. Using filters will keep dust out, too.
This is spot on! Just cracking a window might not cut it. More fans in the mix will help, too!