/ Defenders

Tile sealant reportedly sickens customers

06:39 PM CDT on Friday, August 26, 2005

By Jason Whitely / 11 News By Jason Whitely / 11 News

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HOUSTON -- 11 News has uncovered a potentially dangerous problem with a popular new do-it-yourself product.

KHOU

Thomas Stevens says the sealant caused severe lung problems.

A sealant Home Depot sells for tile floors is making people sick when they spray it, even sending some to the hospital.

Surrounded by medication and the buzz of a breathing apparatus, David Koehler and Thomas Stevens recall how they accidentally discovered the danger.

"Every four to five hours I have to inhale this medication," the 38-year-old Koehler said holding a plastic pipe up to his mouth.

It's difficult to breathe and impossible to work, Koehler claims, after he and a fellow remodeler, Thomas Stevens, used a new aerosol sealant called "Stand `n Seal."

"[It] felt like somebody standing right on my chest," Stevens said.

"It was coming on pretty strong," Koehler remembered of the breathing problems. "It was very difficult to take a full breath."

Koehler and Stevens bought several bottles of the aerosol spray to complete a remodeling job in San Antonio. The two said they sprayed "Stand `n Seal" in three rooms, following the instructions on the can, and ventilating the area.

But within minutes, they said they were sick.

Koehler spent five days in the hospital complaining of trouble breathing.

"We are hearing from potential clients all over the nation," Houston attorney Scott Callahan said. "Even we are surprised by the amount of people being affected like this. Being hospitalized for this."

On Monday, Callahan filed a lawsuit on behalf of Kohler and Stevens. The suit reads in part that the two now have "severe lung problems" because the company didn't adequately "warn of the product's danger."

The company told 11 News it has not yet seen the suit and can not comment on it. But Tile Perfect, the aerosol's maker, claims it has sold more than a million cans with no problems.

The back of the each one has a disclaimer which reads "Avoid breathing vapors."

But Callahan says it wasn't until customers started complaining that the company stuck extra warning labels on the cap.

On its Web site Friday, Tile Perfect said it voluntarily recalled some cans from Home Depot stores, where it's sold exclusively, back on August 6.

But not until Friday, August 26, almost three weeks later, did the company warn customers of the potential problem regretfully saying its contract manufacturer changed raw materials in some batches without permission. All those batches, the company said, have been pulled off the shelves.

Too late for Koehler and Stevens.

Neither know how long breathing problems might last or when they'll be able to resume remodeling.