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Aug 29, 2005 1:13 pm US/Mountain
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Poison Center Gets Nearly 60 Calls From Tile Seal
DENVER (CBS4) ―
The Rocky Mountain Poison Center said it has received reports of nearly 60 cases of people having health problems after using a spray-on tile sealant purchased at Home Depot.
The product, "Tile Perfect, Stand 'N Seal," is made by Roanoke Companies and sold exclusively by the Atlanta-based retailer.
Sixteen batches of the product were recalled on Friday after a CBS4 investigation.
The recall didn't happen soon enough for one man from Colorado Springs. Shortly after sealing the tile in his bathroom, Robert Balaty began having problems.
"[I] couldn't take a deep breath," he said. "It was just impossible, it would trigger another coughing spell. So, I sat down for a little bit longer. Then, I thought, 'I better get to work.' So I went to work and just didn't have any get-up-and-go."
Balaty was diagnosed with "chemical pneumonia." He is far from alone. Brian Himmelman, of Evergreen, bought the product on August 1 and used it the same day in his bathroom.
"I wasn't too concerned about the safety here," he said. "We had the window open, the door open."
Himmelman's 12-year-old son Tyler came in for a few minutes.
"I was breathing quick," Tyler said. "I was just breathing in quick and out quick."
The boy spent five days in the hospital, including intensive care.
By email, we've been hearing from others round the country. A man in northern Florida said his wife got to the point of almost delirium after using the product. In Utah, a man said had he known the effect he would have used a mask. A woman in Florida couldn't breathe in after using "Stand 'n Seal," and a couple in Colorado Springs said they paid
$3,800 in medical bills because they didn't have insurance.
The Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center said it has received 59 cases, 23 from Colorado regarding "Stand 'n Seal."
Roanoke, the manufacturer of the product, was notified. Company officials said the bad product has been removed from shelves beginning August 6.
"It was just bizarre because there was no dangerous smell to it," Balaty said.
Roanoke officials contend a contractor failed to put an odor into certain batches.
Dr. David Gilmore, a toxicologist who works with the poison center, said: "some products are manufactured with disagreeable odors so that when the concentration becomes too high, the disagreeable odor makes you stop using it."
Gilmore also said the warnings on the can were not specific enough.
"The label which has been applied to the top of this can which says, "use only with adequate ventilation. " And it says, "avoid breathing vapors."
According to Gilmore, "if you're in a small confined space such as a bathroom or closet or a small bedroom, there's probably no way you're going to avoid breathing the vapors."
Gilmore said the average person would have little idea how much is too much.
In the case of Tyler Himmelman, his oxygen level must be monitored closely and full recovery is not certain. He remains at home recovering.
"I'm upset because I was looking forward to seeing all my friends at school and I can't do that now because I have to skip two weeks," he said.
"We thought we were in adequate ventilation," Brian Himmelman said. "Avoid breathing vapors? You see a lot of products that say, "avoid breathing vapors" that don't cause this much damage."
Brian Himmelman offers this advice to anyone using the product: "ventilate, ventilate, ventilate. I'd be real leery of any products in the future."
Roanoke officials said the company has safely marketed more than 1 million cans of the product. If you purchased any cans involved in the recall, you can go to Home Depot stores for a refund.
(Copyright © MMV CBS Television Stations, Inc.)