Time it Takes for Kitchen Cabinets to Offgas

September 15, 2015, by Debra Lynn Dadd

Question from Nancy

Hi Debra,

I have sent you questions a number of times and really appreciate all the help you provide.

We are having new kitchen cabinets built (using solid wood doors and Purebond plywood interiors). My builder is suggesting using waterborne products for finishing but I am nervous about the VOC's. He would be spraying them at his shop then bringing them to our house. I was searching for info. on the internet and came across this claim by a cabinet company. Is this true?

"Some interesting facts about any finishing product:
Only top coats emit gases.
By the time cabinetry reaches the home, 97% of the off-gassing has already dissipated.
The remaining 3% takes as little as 28 days (stained with top-coated product) or up to 40 days (painted product) to dissipate; no off-gassing occurs after this."

Debra's Answer

Mmmm. Yes and no.

First of all, there are many types of finishing products and each are formulated differently.

Some act as barriers and others don’t.

If a coat is not fully cured, it will still outgas, and if the coat on top of it does not block gasses, I don’t see why outgassing from layers below wouldn’t go right through it.

It takes different amounts of time for different finishes to fully cure, so to say 97% of all outgassing has occurred for all finishes by the time the cabinet reaches the home can’t be accurate. And it also depends on how long the cabinet has been sitting from the time it is finished and it reaches the home, and under what conditions.

Again claiming that the remaining 3% takes a specific amount of time for all finishes is inaccurate.

The part that’s true is: once the finish is fully cured, there is no further outgassing.

All paints and finishes are made from solids and solvents. The solvents outgas until there is no solvents left, leaving a film that becomes more and more solid as it dries. That’s just the mechanics of it. How long it takes to cure fully differs according to the finish and conditions. Heat speeds as it aids the solvent in outgassing.

I suggest a low-VOC finish and contact the manufacture to find out “how long it takes to fully cure.” Don’t let them tell you how long it takes to be “dry to the touch.” Dry to the touch is still outgassing.

My favorite finish at the moment is Vermont Natural Coatings