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I may use cement to fill some deep holes. I read that it cures in 30 days and will gas off for 30 days. This may however mean after a few hours it will mostly be cured and then it will gas off an unnoticeable amount but Im not sure.

I need to pick an appropriate product as I am sensitive to smells and vocs.

Regardless of whether it takes 30 days to fully dry/gas off, how long would you say before the smell from cement becomes unnoticeable?

Thanks.

James Wilson
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  • Don’t use cement, just make appropriate covers. Aluminium works well and is accepted by some fire depts in some locations. No drying time either... just skill with a saw. – Solar Mike Jun 21 '20 at 18:19
  • @SolarMike you mean just cover the area with aluminium sheet and tape it down? Thats a good idea certainly resolves the voc issues however it is not aesthetically pleasing and would not be as sturdy if it were taped down. – James Wilson Jun 21 '20 at 18:31
  • So what is the difference between “tape” and “tape”? – Solar Mike Jun 21 '20 at 18:41
  • @SolarMike - I think James means "If it is taped down, it would not be as sturdy". – IronEagle Jun 21 '20 at 18:49
  • @JamesWilson - Concrete doesn't really "dry", so you could tape down some plastic over the concrete after it has set up, that could take care of any odors. – IronEagle Jun 21 '20 at 18:51
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    What kind of "deep holes" are you trying to fill? Where are they located? What are they holes in? How deep? If you provide that kind of info, you may get a variety of solutions that you hadn't thought of that may come without odor and be aesthetically pleasing and meet code (if you indicate where in the world you are), all at once. – FreeMan Jun 21 '20 at 19:12
  • @IronEagle thats a good idea, I suppose I could use aluminium foil aswell. However wouldn't it the concrete require air or time to cure before you cover it? This would defeat the purpose since I only need the cover so I dont have to wait for it to cure. – James Wilson Jun 21 '20 at 20:06
  • @SolarMike What do you mean by the difference between tape and tape? Like IronEagle has mentioned yes I mean it will not be sturdy - tape can peel, come off with movement near it, a kid could just pull it off etc – James Wilson Jun 21 '20 at 20:08
  • @JamesWilson you said “tape it down” then said it would not be as sturdy if it were taped down... However, the plates my son made out of aluminium fitted with a 1mm gap around the pipe and the plate was at a 30 degree angle and fixed in place by screws. – Solar Mike Jun 21 '20 at 20:14
  • @SolarMike Oh sorry I got it now. Yeah I meant tape isnt as sturdy as filler. Thanks. – James Wilson Jun 21 '20 at 20:29
  • @JamesWilson - Concrete can actually cure underwater, my main reason for waiting a bit is to just make sure the plastic won't mess too much with the surface finish. – IronEagle Jun 21 '20 at 20:56

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I have never heard of concrete "off gassing". It takes 28 days to reach is major compressive strength and to loose most of its moisture when curing properly, but the only thing I have ever know concrete to give of is moisture, lots of it, since water is one of the main components.

I have never noticed concrete/cement to have an odor that was a VOC concern. The materials that make up concrete are lime based or naturally occurring products. It has been around for centuries. I think the Roman Empire used concrete in some of their work. Seriously, I just found this out just a few years ago myself.

Jack
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