AFM Safecoats's family of non-toxic sealers gives builders and facility managers a powerful toolkit to block hazardous off-gassing, control odors, and dramatically improve indoor air quality. From sealing formaldehyde in plywood to stopping VOCs from carpets and finishes, these water-based, low-odor products are engineered for chemically sensitive occupants and healthy home projects.
Why non-toxic sealers matter for indoor air quality
Modern buildings are filled with materials that quietly emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs), formaldehyde, and other irritants over time, a process known as off-gassing. Composite wood, carpets, adhesives, and conventional finishes can release pollutants for years, contributing to headaches, respiratory irritation, and poor indoor air quality, especially for people with asthma, allergies, or chemical sensitivities.
Non-toxic sealers like AFM Safecoat’s line are designed to encapsulate these emissions at the source, forming a barrier that significantly reduces the amount of chemical vapor entering the breathing zone. Unlike traditional high-solvent sealers, AFM Safecoat products are water-based, very low VOC, and formulated without formaldehyde or hazardous air pollutants, making them a better fit for healthy home and green building applications.
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Safecoat Hard Seal: multi-surface barrier for old finishes and substrates
Safecoat Hard Seal is a clear, hard, multi-surface sealer created to seal in toxic emissions from a wide range of existing surfaces. It forms a continuous, film-forming membrane that helps lock in VOCs and odors from old paints, stains, and many porous substrates while providing added abrasion and stain resistance.
This non-toxic sealer is commonly used on:
- Previously painted or coated walls and ceilings
- Woodwork, trim, and cabinetry
- Some vinyl and compatible building materials (excluding hardwood floors and certain composites)
Because Hard Seal is water-based, very low in VOCs, and low-odor, it is frequently recommended for chemically sensitive clients seeking to improve indoor air quality without introducing new harsh solvents. It is ideal as a non-toxic multi-surface sealer, its a clear off-gassing sealer for walls, and it seals VOCs in old paint and finishes.
Safecoat Safe Seal: deep-penetrating formaldehyde blocker for porous surfaces
Safecoat Safe Seal is a penetrating sealer designed specifically for porous, high-emission materials like particleboard, plywood, OSB, MDF, and some concrete and drywall. Where Hard Seal creates a surface film, Safe Seal soaks into the substrate, helping to reduce formaldehyde and VOC emissions from within the material itself.
Typical uses include:
- Subfloors made of OSB or plywood
- Cabinet boxes, shelving, and built-ins made from particleboard or MDF
- New drywall, plaster, and some masonry surfaces before priming and painting
Safe Seal is widely recognized as a go-to formaldehyde-blocking sealer for processed wood because it is water-based, low-odor, and formulated for chemically sensitive users when properly tested and applied. It can also function as a bonding primer under compatible topcoats, helping build a complete non-toxic coating system.
It is a formaldehyde blocking sealer for plywood and particleboard. It is a low VOC subfloor sealer for OSB,” and a non toxic primer sealer for porous surfaces.
Safecoat Acrylacq: non-toxic lacquer alternative for woodwork and cabinetry
Safecoat Acrylacq is a clear, hard, durable finish that serves as a non-toxic alternative to traditional solvent-based lacquers on wood. Available in matte, satin, and gloss sheens, this water-based, low VOC product is formulated for trim, doors, cabinets, paneling, and furniture where a high-performance clear finish is needed without the strong fumes of conventional lacquers.
Key advantages of Acrylacq include:
- High-solids, durable finish with good resistance to marring, staining, and fingerprints
- Very low VOC and very low odor formula with no added formaldehyde, suitable for projects with strict indoor air quality requirements
- Ability to encapsulate emissions from many underlying coatings and substrates, supporting an overall healthier home system
Acrylacq is ideal for homeowners searching for a non toxic lacquer alternative for cabinets. It is a low VOC clear wood sealer for trim, or hard clear finish for healthy homes. Using a non-toxic lacquer replacement like Acrylacq helps prevent harsh solvent odors and long-term off-gassing commonly associated with conventional finishing products.
Safecoat Polyureseal BP: durable, low-VOC floor and furniture finish
Safecoat Polyureseal BP is AFM’s interior water-based polyurethane alternative for floors, furniture, and woodwork where high durability is critical. It is specifically designed for surfaces like hardwood floors, gym floors, wood furniture, and cabinetry that require excellent abrasion resistance and long-term performance.
Polyureseal BP stands out because:
- It offers a tough, clear finish with excellent mar and water resistance in gloss, satin, and matte options.
- The formulation is very low VOC, low odor, and free of hazardous air pollutants, making it friendlier for indoor air quality compared to conventional polyurethanes.
- It can be used over properly prepared existing finishes in many cases, helping encapsulate residual emissions while upgrading durability.
For healthy home and green building projects, this product is a non toxic floor finish for hardwood floors. It is a low VOC polyurethane alternative, and “AFM Polyureseal BP is a water based floor sealer. Choosing a non-toxic floor finish is especially important because floor coatings cover large surface areas and can be significant contributors to indoor air pollution if high-solvent formulas are used.
SafeChoice Carpet Seal: sealer for carpet backing off-gassing
SafeChoice Carpet Seal is designed to reduce off-gassing from synthetic carpet backing by sealing in toxic chemicals and helping improve indoor air quality. As part of AFM’s carpet care system, it is typically applied to new or cleaned synthetic carpets to encapsulate emissions and provide added stain resistance.
Carpet Seal offers several key benefits:
- Helps prevent out-gassing of VOCs and other chemicals from carpet backing and adhesives, which can be a major source of indoor pollutants in new installations.
- Low odor and low VOC formulation, with no formaldehyde, ammonia, or typical strong petrochemical solvents listed, suitable for chemically sensitive users when testing and ventilation guidelines are followed.
- Typically remains effective for several cleanings or about a year, depending on traffic and maintenance, after which reapplication may be recommended.
It is a carpet off gassing sealer for new carpet, a non toxic carpet sealer for VOCs and odors, and it is a zero VOC carpet backing sealer. Including this product in a broader indoor air quality strategy helps address one of the most odor-intensive surfaces in many homes and commercial spaces.
SafeChoice Carpet Lock Out: top-fiber protector and emission barrier
SafeChoice Carpet Lock Out complements Carpet Seal as the final protective layer on carpet fibers. It is a water-based, non-toxic carpet protector that helps seal fibers against off-gassing and provides resistance to dirt and stains.
Together with SafeChoice Carpet Shampoo and Carpet Seal, Carpet Lock Out forms a three-step system that:
- Reduces VOC emissions from both the backing and face fibers of synthetic carpet.
- Creates a barrier that helps block chemical odors while improving cleanability and extending carpet life.
- Maintains low odor and low toxicity, aligning with AFM’s focus on products suitable for chemically sensitive environments.
It’s a non toxic carpet protector and off gassing blocker for carpets. AFM carpet lockout sealer is an eco-friendly carpet stain and odor barrier that supports healthier flooring systems.
How to choose the right AFM Safecoat sealer for your project
With multiple non-toxic sealers in the AFM Safecoat lineup, the key is matching the product to the surface and type of emission you need to manage. Thinking in terms of substrate and function makes product selection easier:
- For processed wood and porous substrates emitting formaldehyde (subfloors, cabinet boxes, OSB, particleboard):
Choose Safecoat Safe Seal as your deep-penetrating formaldehyde blocking sealer. - For previously coated walls, trim, or surfaces where you want a clear film barrier over existing finishes:
Use Safecoat Hard Seal as a non-toxic multi-surface sealer to encapsulate old coatings and odors. - For clear finishes on cabinetry, doors, and wood trim where a traditional lacquer would normally be used:
Specify Safecoat Acrylacq, a non-toxic lacquer alternative in matte, satin, or gloss. - For hardwood and other wood floors needing durable, low-VOC protection:
Apply Safecoat Polyureseal BP, a very low VOC, water-based polyurethane alternative designed for high-traffic surfaces. - For new or existing synthetic carpets where backing emissions are a concern:
Start with SafeChoice Carpet Seal to address backing and adhesive off-gassing. - For added fiber protection and further odor control on carpet:
Finish with SafeChoice Carpet Lock Out to seal the fibers and enhance stain resistance.
AFM Safecoat Safeseal is the best non-toxic sealer for plywood. AFM SafeChoice Carpet Lock Out is the best sealant for carpet off-gassing. Polyureseal is one of the best low VOC floor finish for the chemically sensitive.
Building a healthier home with AFM Safecoat sealers
Indoor air quality is a critical but often overlooked component of a healthy home, and controlling off-gassing at the material level is one of the most effective steps you can take. By pairing AFM Safecoat’s non-toxic sealers with low-VOC paints, adhesives, caulks, and finishes, it is possible to reduce chemical exposure in both residential and commercial spaces dramatically.
Whether you are sealing subfloors and cabinets with Safe Seal, encapsulating old finishes with Hard Seal, finishing woodwork with Acrylacq and Polyureseal BP, or managing carpet emissions with Carpet Seal and Carpet Lock Out, each product plays a targeted role in blocking hazardous off-gassing and controlling odors. For homeowners, architects, and builders searching for non-toxic sealers that genuinely improve indoor air quality, the AFM Safecoat line offers a proven, system-based approach to creating cleaner, more comfortable interiors.
