Are Creosote Fumes Harmful to Humans?

The odor of creosote-treated wood can be pungent enough to drive people away, but are creosote fumes truly harmful to humans? Experts say they are. Breathing the creosote fumes given off by creosote-treated wood can cause asthma and other respiratory ailments, as well as stomach pain and a burning sensation in the mouth and throat, according to researchers from the UCLA Labor Occupational Safety & Health Program. In addition, the International Agency for Research on Cancer and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency list creosote as a probable human carcinogen.

Creosote, which smells much like mothballs, is a chemical concoction that has been widely used as a preservative to treat pier pilings, railroad ties, utility poles, and other wood that sometimes winds up in the construction of a home or office building. Until recently, the only way to address the obnoxious smell and the harmful creosote emissions was to painstakingly scrape away the creosote, sand the wood, and paint over it. Even then, any timbers that were previously soaked in creosote might continue to give off noxious vapors.

Fortunately, there’s a more effective and longer-lasting solution to the problem of creosote emissions: CreoShield™. This unique coating available exclusively from EnviroShield works to encapsulate the creosote, thus eliminating the offensive odor and dramatically reducing the creosote emissions to safe levels for human health. It’s also the best solution because it’s:

• Easy to apply – A property owner or one of our Approved Applicators need only pressure-wash the problem area and then spray or paint on CreoShield™ to achieve long-lasting encapsulation of creosote vapors.

• Aesthetically appealing – CreoShield™ is available as a clear coating or in just about any color you can name, so it’s easily blended with the existing color scheme of your home or business.

• An economical choice – Applying our proprietary coating to creosote-laden wood is much less costly than tearing out much of your home or office and rebuilding it to get rid of creosote.

To learn more about how CreoShield™ encapsulates and reduces the creosote fumes that can be harmful to humans, contact EnviroShield today. We also welcome inquiries from contractors who are interested in becoming Approved Applicators of EnviroShield coatings.

Testimonials

The day after you came to our house and applied the first coat, my wife and I noticed the smell to be gone. We had a company give us a price on fiberglass panels costing $45,000.00 and they would not guarantee against mold or odor. My family and I can now go into the basement without becoming ill and have…

Gregory P. Centeio II

Well, after several hours the water was pumped out. The water had sat on my EnviroShield coated basement floor for several hours; I thought for sure your coating would simply be a mess. To my surprise, my floor was perfect – like the day you applied the EnviroShield!!!!!!!!! No bubbling! No flaking! No discoloration! No odor! No mold! I know…

Sandy Lowry

The rains came and went. The mold never re-surfaced. I felt confident enough to rebuild my basement for the third time. Now more than a year has passed, a wet year, one of the wettest recorded in local history and the walls are dry and there is absolutely no mold or odor and the dehumidifier that used to run relentlessly,…

Dom Cucinotta

I had the basement treated with EnviroShield and overnight, it eliminated the dampness and the smell of mold.

Ann Montgomery

I am asthmatic and extremely allergic to mold! Recently, I had to vacate my previous office space because of a severe mold infestation … Enviro-MT got rid of the mold and odor. But the best part was EnviroShield stopped any moisture from seeping through the foundation. I am now adding a workshop, bathroom and family room to previously wasted space.

Paul Jodice

After you applied the EnviroShield coating the mold and odor instantly disappeared. I emphasize instantly!!!

Ed DeChellis