Hi All,

 I am not a woodworker but I have been unable to find answers about a safety question regarding the flaking water-based semi-gloss polyurethane finish (brand unknown) on the hardwood floors of my (rented) apartment. The manager told me that’s what the finish is, and that in some units it had been put over a previous oil-based coat so clouding had resulted and they had quit using it.

My husband and I have a one-year-old baby, and as she became more mobile, we began to realize how bad the flaking is. Once she was crawling around outside of her play area (which has a big soft mat) she started getting little sparking coats of polyurethane flakes on the palms of her hands (we wear socks around the house so hadn’t had the experience ourselves).

Obviously, this is concerning. But she also has to be mobile. Now that she is walking there is less on her hands, but more on her feet – and when she first started walking, I realized it can fall off her feet into her clean diaper while she’s being changed (so now always preventing that). Of course, we are constantly wiping/washing her hands and feet and frequently doing the floors.

I have always kept the furniture felted, nearly everything and especially anything that gets moved at all, and we don’t wear our shoes around the house. Is there something else we can do?

How concerned should we be about the fact that it is IMPOSSIBLE to keep the baby from ingesting at least a little bit of the flakes while we live here (and it would be quite challenging for us to move at present)?? I mean we are doing everything we can but if a stuffed animal falls on the floor and she picks it up and chews on it, it may have some flakes on it. She is walking all over the place now and when she’s in “safe areas” I might blink my eyes or even fold some laundry, which requires glancing away. She puts her hands on the floor a lot… and if not prevented in time, she’ll often put them in her mouth.

I’m hoping to hear that once dry, this stuff is inert and passes like roughage without adverse effects. But my husband and I are growing increasingly anxious as we realize total prevention is just not possible.

If it is harmful, we want to get out of here ASAP!!!!

If you can help at all, please reply. Thank you so much in advance!!!