I just finished a small drywall job in my home. I lowered a ceiling with new drywall, and covered the old paint and texture with new mud to create a smooth level surface. This hallway leads to my kids upstairs bedrooms.
Is used a 90 minute Sheetrock brand setting mud for most of the early steps like setting tape and topping, and for the first few layers covering the old texture. I used the latex admix to help it adhear to the painted texture. For further smoothing, I used the green bucket all purpose joint compound.
The work area has a whole house attic fan that was running, especially when any sanding was going on. I did not clean up every little bit of dust every day (project took about a week and a half), and some dust did settle in the kids rooms. Not a ton, but you could tell there was dust there.
Everything was fine until I decided that using a newer Dust Control joint compound would be a good idea to lessen the airborn dust I was creating. This was in the final topping stages, where I was actually sanding instead of just knocking off the ridges with my knife. I started using the Sheetrock Lightweight All Purpose Joint Compound Plus 3, and used it mixed with 1St Step drywall primer in a D-Mix.
Sanding after using the newer compound created noticably less airborn dust. However, we noticed our daughter broke out in a skin rash. She was not present while sanding, and the dust was swept up before they used the hallway to their rooms. There was still dust and debries present ans the walked through the hallway. She does not have any allergies that we know of (at least not yet), and she never had a rash like this during any other work, including drywall and painting. My son was not affected. It took a couple of days for me to realize her rash started the day after I started using the new dust control compound. Once I realized that, we did a thourough cleaning of her room. Her rash did not go away until I applied paint over the joint compound. It’s been three days now and no more rash.
I’m posting this to share my experience with this new product – has anyone else seen anything similar? The MSDS is here. Looking through it, it doesn’t seem much different from latex paint. Anyone have an idea of what the specific compound might be that caused the reaction? The information there talked about skin irritation resulting from direct contact – basicly your skin getting dry and irritated from getting a glop on you. She got the rash all over her body, and she only walked on and breathed small amounts of the dust.
Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!
Replies
I got a bad (and REALLY itchy) rash using, I think, Titebond II glue. The rash was bad where my sweaty clothes held the vapors against my body for several hours, close as I can tell. Note that there was no dust to speak of in this situation -- just working in a relatively confined area (closed garage) with large quantities of the glue. And I didn't get that much on my skin directly, nor did I get the rash where drops of the glue might have gotten on my skin (exposed arms and legs).
I suspect that the Dust Control mud you used could contain a chemical similar to the Titebond II, and its vapors may be irritating to susceptible people. But as you've seen with your son it doesn't seem to bother other people.
I'm wondering if I should contact USG and see what they have to say? Seems like an extreme reaction to something you have a reasonable expectation of getting all over the place with normal useage.Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!
I am sorry to hear about your daughters rash. Having been exposed to many hours of OSHA safety training to comply with working around hazardous materials on large public jobs I have developed a good case of paranoia. I don't think you can expect any truthfull answers about the negative health impacts from the people that make the stuff, and are financially responsible if things go bad. Two words, Tobacco Industry.
I am also convinced that different people have different tolerances to different chemicals, I have a family friend that is so sensitive to chemicals she was unable to go inside the buildings for public education, and could not even enter a freshly painted interior room for more than a few minutes without a visible rash developing.
I can't identify the specific compound from the MSDS, but I think you can eliminate the diatomaceous earth (limestone, dolomite, gypsum) and water. The perlite and silica would also be low on my suspicion list, not good to breath the dust but you may be breathing a very similar dust in nature just by going to the beach.
I would suspect the chemicals that are blends of acetate's, and compare MSDS's from offending compound to the ones you used previously that didn't seem to cause the rash.
Either way the dusts and chemicals we are exposed to when building are just not good for us, but the effects are multiplied on children. I believe this is also true of any carcinogen, and speaking in generalities, anything that is bad for an adult will be worse for a kid.
The solution is to minimize exposure. In the future you should incorporate time for damp mopping and airing out into the work schedule, if you don't have time, don't do it. Isn't there some way to set up temporary quarters, and make sleeping in the camper in the yard a fun thing?
I agree with the previous post that it is unlikely to be the minerals, rather probably one of the organic compounds. People can have individual sensitivity to substances that most other people don't. For example, peanuts. Millions of people eat peanuts, but a very few can have a serious reaction. Or latex, most of us encounter it often, but a few people develop a reaction to it.
Thorough cleanup is what you need to do. Hopefully the paint you use on the walls will not contain the same offending compound.
A dermatologist or allergist would have more in depth knowledge than a general practitioner would.
Rash on arms and legs after being exposed to construction dust
Please help with similar rash problems:
While working in a Federal facility with renovation being done from October 2005 to March 2010 I was exposed to various types of construction dust (toxic black mold, fine cement dust, fumes from Neugenic 4175). Although I have allergies (dust mites, hay-fever), during the renovation period my allergies got worse than usual (sneezing 20+ times non-stop, runny nose, itchy eyes). I also had numerous eye/mouth infections, sore throat, respiratory problems, and sleep problems. In addition I slowly developed small red spots which progressed to bigger red scaly rashes on my arms, elbows, knees, legs, and face. I had taken numerous types of medication and saw many doctors for my health problems and the medications did not help much until construction ended in March 2009. Also, a handful of co-workers had symptoms of headaches, itchy eyes, coughing, and rashes.
About May 2009 my health problems got better (skin clearing up and nasal congestion improving) but November 2009 a smaller construction project started up again near my work area and a few days later I started getting nasal congestion, runny nose and skin problems again. After construction ended in December 2009 my health problems started to improve from January 2010 through March 2010.
Again in April 8, 2010, I started getting bad nasal congestion and skin problems(several days later), the following week I learned that they were working on replacing a leaking air handler (3-4 week project).
I strongly believe my numerous illnesses was caused by the 4 year construction renovation project, when construction ended I noticed a significant improvement with my skin problems and allergy problems. I have 4 years worth of health records and medical bills from various doctors who could not figure out what was wrong with me. I know a handful of people that experienced health problems too.
After seeing more doctors: Occupational Specialist, Dermatologist, and allergist, I sent their medical reports and a claim for compensation the U.S. Department of Labor on 6/25/2010 but they denied my claim on 4/15/2011. Most of the doctors I have seen don't want to get involved because they prefer their daily routine of collecting from patients insurances and lawyers don't want to get involved because it's not a easy slam dunk case such as broken leg incidents at work.
I want to make a request to appeal their decision because the Claims Examiner had carefully chosen specific facts to discredit my claim and they discarded many relevant facts about the construction dust that caused my chronic illnesses, I am now learning more about volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and IAQ:Indoor Air Quality from the internet.
My illness may have started earlier but 5/18/2006 is a date I found I my medical records that shows me getting prescription for an unknown rash on my arms and legs.
Please point me in the right direction to someone honest and willing to help me appeal my case to the Department of Labor and my work place.
Thank You,
Robin
[email protected]
Unfortunately, if you don't have samples of the dust/air taken at the time of the construction, it's going to be hard to prove anything. One thing you could do, though, is demand to see the reports on the tests that should have been taken during construction. Usually they only look for asbestos, but they could have tested for VOCs, etc. And if they don't have any test data to show you that would be a good basis for claiming that they can't, in turn, legitimately discount any of your evidence.
I used USG compound and broke out almost immediately, ended up ruining a vacation, I'm still considering going to the hospital. I was fixing a very bad patch and had to mathe the texture. spent all day trying to match the knock down. my face and chest are a mess right now. had to get a hotel room. I hope this isn't going to be long term
Hi!
The same thing is happening to me. And interesting that painting over it helped. I have painted the patched walls, but was considering going over that with zinsser just to really seal it. I’ve now had the same reaction to sanded grout, concrete patch and wood filler. My doctor thinks it’s a reaction to silica considering the only common ingredient in the products I’ve used was crystalline silica. The other interesting thing that happens with me (ongoing) is if my dogs or cat go into my yard near where some work was staged when I renovated my house 4 years ago and then again 2 years ago. It’s getting to the point now where it’s creating autoimmune type symptoms. What has been anyone’s solution for ongoing issues with this? It’s definitely making working in or around construction very very difficult.
Alex
Anyone with any info please let me know. Life has become a living hell since this started. My doctors are frustrated with me - I’m frustrated with me - and have 4 years worth of medical research and records with 7 different doctors. The exposure (from where and what I’m not sure) now causes tinnitus, headaches, stiff neck, numbness and tingling and burning in my hands and feet, and mental agitation. Again - I’m suspecting a different form of silicosis??? I don’t have lung involvement, but I have all the other symptoms as those above.
Contact me! [email protected].