There is formaldehyde free plywood, you could contact cabinet manufactures in your area to see if they offer it.
If you want to go greener, you could also look into bamboo cabinets.
Take a look at spider insulation. it's formaldehyde free.

As far as I know, european cabinetry is formaldehyde free, maybe you can import your cabinets. I know Allison, a forum member, did that.

formaldehyde is linked to cancer for those who do not know.

home4sale,

Good for you to ivestigate these things!! I will be perfectly honest; "off gassing" did not even enter my mind at the time of our build!!!! There are SO MANY things to think about and I am embarrassed to say that wasn't one of them!!! The only thing I remember about our builder and some others I have talked to is, you can actually build "too tight" of a house; making the air quality inside poor. Our builder had a ventilation system installed along with our HVAC but I think that is pretty standard these days. My DH thinks they don't use alot of formaldehyde like they used too but good for you for asking; hope DH and I are not going to asphixiate soon :(

Columbia Forest Products Purebond plywood is formaldehyde free. Here are the web addresses:

http://www.columbiaforestproducts.com/PureBond.aspx
http://www.columbiaforestproducts.com/PFN.aspx

Low formaldehyde emissions exterior plywood is available for sheathing. This product uses a phenolic formaldehyde resin instead of a urea formaldehyde resin. The Canadian Plywood Association, through its producing members, advertises such products that meet stringent standards like the Japanese emission level for formaldehyde. Here is the web address:

http://www.canply.org/english/literature_media/tech_glue.htm

Alkaline Copper Quartenary used in exterior treated lumber is generally safe. Copper is the chemical used to repel bugs and fungi. It replaced the CCA treated lumber that contained arsenic. You can also get SYP (southern yellow pine) treated with glass that is very safe and also bug/rot proof and fire resistant (great for California decks). Here is the web address:

http://www.timbersilwood.com/

Formaldehyde free insulation products are readily available.

Since you're too late for the framing/flooring, consider the best method to reduce the offgassing effects: keep your windows open as much as possible during the first year after possession.

To add to what Worthy wrote....DH moved into our house in December, I moved in March (I worked in another city). I woke up with a sore throat, headache and stuffy head everyday...the issue was totally gone at about 6 months. We have no carpet, and I can't believe there is enough cabinetry to cause the issue. I figure it was the finish on the wood floors. Either way, it did dissipate with time. DH wasn't affected, just me (I have allergies and asthma, and have issues with some chemicals but I woulnd't say I am "chemical sensitive").

If I were to do it over I would probably try to find a formaldehyde-free floor finish. I believe that was the likely issue, or at least most of it (4000 sf house, mostly wood, that is a lot of floor finish). But I wouldn't bother seeking out cabinets or plywood that was formaldehyde free unless someone that is chemical sensitive was going to live in the house. I guess what I am saying is worry about the big items, wood floors are carpets.

I called Advantech and inquired about their OSB that we have for our subfloor upstairs. They were very helpful. Their website had a lot of information, and that product is CARB complaint. I felt assured about that product at least. It overwhelms me to think of every product in the house. It's just not pratical, unless we had a GC that was adept in helping us manage that.

I've already stirred up everyone a bit by asking about the MDF for cabinets. They admit that there will be lots of MDF in mouldings and other shelving in the house. I fear that this will be a reason to dramatically raise the price. I'm just not sure which battles are worth fighting/researching anymore. I quit my job to oversee this project, and I'm finding that I could occupy myself all day everyday with research and still be confused.

I like worthy's idea about ventilating with the windows for the first year or so.

Unless someone in your home is chemical sensitive (and that is a whole different ballgame, you needs experts in that case), worry about the big things. Flooring. Some might say paint, but paint has never bothered me.

I had some shelves made in a closet with MDF and the smell bothered me for maybe a week. I let it air out and it was fine. I know I've said this before (and I'm saying it again), I think wood and carpeted floors are the biggest culprit. Lots of new furniture, drapery and wood blinds also.

Unless you have a reason to worry about every small sources I would worry about the big ones.

You might want to consider having an Energy Recovery Vent (or Heat Recovery Vent - depends on your local climate)installed with your HVAC system. I just installed one this past fall but wish I had done it before we moved in.

The window open approach works great if you you move in during a mild season. We moved into the house in Jan 2008 duing a cold winter so no windows could be left open. The smell from the outgassing was tough to take.

The ERV will replenish the air in your home using a fresh air intake while at the same time removing stale air through an exhaust. The ERV is designed to exhange heat (or cold) from the stale air that is exhausted to keep your energy bills down. My ERV is spec'd to be 85% efficient.

I had to install mine after the house was completed and it required me to cut a 6 inch hole in a basement wall to the outside for the vent - going through the stone veneer exterior facing. Some ERV's require 2 six inch holes. It would have been a lot easier had I put the vent in during construction. But all that pain was worth it becuase the air quality in the house is significantly better.

It is a good idea to plan out your ventilation system now.

What is the evidence that formaldehyde in building products causes illness? I'd like to review it.

Medical school cadavers were preserved in formaldehyde 25 years ago (and still are, according to Wikipedia). I know of one anatomy professor who dismissed concerns about any hazard and remarked that anatomy professors are particularly long-lived.

Perhaps new evidence of hazard has emerged, but it must be fairly weak. It would be impossible to run a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study. Does anyone have scientific references?

You want evidence? Perhaps you have mistaken this thread for the WikiAnswers site.

OK, I Binged the topic just in case anyone else is slightly curious. The EPA summarizes some of the available evidence in the attached link. It consists of animal studies and epidemiological studies. These are useful, but less-than-optimal methodologies. A definitive test wouldn't be feasible. Not uncommonly, epidemiologic evidence suggests that a substance will be beneficial, but subsequent randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind studies (a more powerful methodology) fail to show a benefit, or may even suggest a harmful effect.

I would expect government officials to err on the side of caution when advising the public, and I think that is a good thing. Holding all else equal, it's probably a good idea to use formaldehyde-free products. I hope my loved ones have formaldehyde-free houses, and I don't want to suggest that it can't hurt you. The evidence certainly suggests that you should not drink formaldehyde if you are a Wistar rat.

On the other hand, your daily commute is probably more dangerous. Relative to healthier lifestyles, the typical U.S. diet and exercise regimen is almost surely more dangerous.

Here is a link that might be useful: EPA Summary of Evidence Regarding Formaldehyde Effects

Did you just discover the health risks of this material? You were apparently not around when urea-formaldehyde foam insulation ruined a lot of houses in the 70's.

If anyone in your family has a serious asthma condition you should already be aware of what this stuff could do to them.

The OP is interested in avoiding the complications the effects of exposure to urea-formaldehyde so debating the evidence of the risk is a subject for another thread.

Macv, are your manners this awful in all conversations, or just those conducted through the internet?

You may disagree with my opinions, but they aren't off-topic; i.e., "... a subject for another thread." In the first post, home4sale asks, "How do you prioritize these concerns? I'm trying to balance these concerns with cost as well. In what order do you place certain air-quality or environmental aspects of your home building?" In a subsequent post, home4sale writes, "It overwhelms me to think of every product in the house. It's just not practical, unless we had a GC that was adept in helping us manage that." Later in that post, home4sale adds, "I'm just not sure which battles are worth fighting/researching anymore. I quit my job to oversee this project, and I'm finding that I could occupy myself all day everyday with research and still be confused."

I have the same concerns. Time and money are limited, so an owner-builder has to establish priorities. To rank the formaldehyde concern, one might assess the likelihood of danger (from 0% to 100%), the severity of danger (from none to fatal cancer), the cost (incremental dollars for substitute products), and the time/hassle (easy to all-consuming), among other factors. Then one has to compare the significance of the formaldehyde concern to all the other issues competing for time and money. Based on what I know now, I won't go out of my way to identify formaldehyde-containing products and find substitutes on my build. My reasons are above, and home4sale can decide whether they are convincing or specious.

I'd like to know more about the 1970s problem and the asthma, if you're inclined to elaborate.

If a product was well-known to ruin houses, no one would sell it, correct? Formaldehyde in cabinets doesn't ruin houses. As you note, formaldehyde is ubiquitous.

Regarding asthma, many people are allergic to cats, but we don't exterminate all cats. Some people have exercise-induced asthma, but exercise is good for most people. If you have formaldehyde-induced asthma, then this subject is obviously a high priority. Otherwise, it's less important than a multitude of more common asthma triggers.

It is impolite for anyone to sidetrack a thread by raising specious issues that pertain only to themselves. Requesting evidence that formaldehyde causes illness, evaluating testing procedures, and comparing formaldehyde exposure to commuting is of no help to the OP or anyone else. They are not starting with as little knowledge as you are and know the issue cannot be dismissed so easily.

The effects of formaldehyde on humans was well established in the 70's and made famous when homeowners were forced to abandon their homes due to a modern new foam insulation made with urea-formaldehyde which is now banned. Unfortunately, this stuff is still found in glues used in more and more composite construction materials in tighter and tighter houses in spite of efforts to get rid of it.

The only issue that is open to conjecture is what level of formaldehyde gas is acceptable in a home. Unfortunately, people have different tolerances for it and children as well as the elderly are especially vulnerable.

If any members of your family are sensitive to this gas or you think they might become sensitive to it, you can either buy solid wood materials, composite/laminated wood materials with low formaldehyde content, finish the materials well in order to seal them, or design your HVAC system to provide fresh air ventilation with an energy recovery hear exchanger if needed. Some would try all of the above if it was important to them. Eventually the formaldehyde will outgas; they claim the 70's foam is now tolerable.

You don't seem to be aware that you hijack threads so I'll just bow out when you butt in.

Interesting that this thread has sparked some debate. At least it proves that the topic is somewhat difficult. Some of the opinions expressed are the same I have confronted when I inquire locally about formaldehyde. People ask me, "do I wear a mask when driving down the road to protect myself from road pollution?", or "what about the chemicals you are eating?" or "we are all going to die of something" or "everything causes cancer."

In my mind, just because a product is sold, doesn't mean that there are no hazards associated with it (minimal or yet-to-publicized major). Lead paint and asbestos were widely used at some point, and those are only two I know of that no one would want in their new homes built today.

If I accept the fact that formaldehyde is a carcinogen, I'm trying to evaluate what is practical in today's environment and knowledge to take steps to minimize hazardous affects.

I understand that there's many hazards in our daily life, from diet, to air pollution outdoors, second-home smoke, the list goes on. But in this manner, I feel that I live a balanced healthy lifestyle. For example, I don't drink "fake" sugars (aspartame, sucralose, etc) for a concern over future health concerns. I am not overweight. I exercise regularly. I don't smoke, or drink excessively. I try to use organic products in our garden and yard. And try not to over-chemical our house with pesticides or cleaning supplies. I know it's a matter of opinion, but in my mind -- I'm not completely radical, but just cognizant of the potential known or unknown dangers of chemcials. I know there are people that are much more dedicated to vastly eliminating these risks -- the "slow-food" movement.

But back to the home building topic -- It's just about minimizing some of the risks, when feasible. Thus, the need to prioritize. Thanks to everyone who helped me think this through. It really does help to explore it.

What most amateurs and seemingly all sales people fail to recognize is that in the built environment there is a dangerous accelerating convergence of decreased ventilation due to the rising cost of energy, increased use of composite materials due to the rising cost of natural materials (and their maintenance), and a staggering increase in DIY homeowners due to the ease of access to information over the internet and the traditional I-can-do-it attitude of Americans.

The resulting profit opportunities for manufacturers is incredible. It is possible to find seemingly credible evidence to support any opinion you might wish to propose and there is always someone ready and willing to sell any material to you with the click of a link even if it's sale and use is restricted by law in your state.

50 years ago it was possible to ask the clerk at the local lumberyard for advice and build a house yourself without agonizing about the materials. Just as Thalidomide forever changed how we think about drugs, formaldehyde changed how we think about building materials although no one seems to be old enough to remember either of them anymore so we may be forced to learn the lesson all over again.

The health risk of formaldehyde should not be dismissed with specious philosophical arguments. The environmental danger to your health that you face outside your home does not justify increasing the risk in your home where exposure is considerably longer and more intimate. And it is ridiculous to suggest the risks are similar. The concentration of formaldehyde in a typical home is about 5 times that of the outdoor air and in a home with elevated levels of formaldehyde it can be 20 to 60 times greater.

My advice is if you have no long term and/or direct experience with these environmental health issues and/or feel confused by internet and retail sales hype, you should add a heat recovery ventilation system to your house for the protection of your current and future children as well as your grandchildren. I put one of them in every house I design and so far no one has deleted it.

If you wish to play the priority game you should first not allow cigarette smoking in you home. Then avoid any baby crib that contains composite materials and check the formaldehyde content of any carpet in the nursery as well as toys, especially the stuffed ones. Cost should not be an issue for children. Next consider where older children sleep, and where they are subjected to poor ventilation especially near unvented gas appliances. Then apply this test to where adults sleep, then where they watch television or work at home. I wouldn't worry about plywood in kitchen cabinets but I would avoid too much particle board. However, it is considerably easier to ventilate a kitchen than a bedroom and it is unlikely to be occupied as much as a bedroom. Of course, lifestyles have also changed and kitchens are sometimes part of other living spaces so use your own judgment about time of exposure.

Be especially careful about materials used in basement recreational areas because there is rarely enough ventilation in these spaces and the materials used to finish them are often the cheaper composite ones.

Be careful about laminate and engineered flooring and avoid acid-catalyzed urea-formaldehyde factory coatings. Look for the higher European standard E0 stamp or the even higher E1 stamp.

Buy particleboard or hardwood plywood stamped with the Composite Panel Association (CPA) or Hardwood Plywood and Veneer Association (HPVA) stamp. Look for PF and MDI resins instead of UF resins. The CPA standards are not as strict as the California standards which are not as strict as the Japanese and European standards which should be no surprise to anyone.

Avoid the use of particle board as a flooring underlayment or subfloor.

These issues are automatically dealt with in professionally designed homes through standardized written specifications. If you are selecting materials "by the seat of your pants" you're going to have to research each material, ask a lot of questions, and be prepared for evasive misleading answers.

Good luck.