Tung oil is usually considered one of the least toxic floor finishes (100% tung oil is food safe); however, 100% tung oil has a *very* long drying period unless polymerized or mixed with other ingredients (which are often toxic). There are reports of the liquid 100% tung oil being a skin irritant; although I admit I can't really imagine anyone using it without proper gloves. There are also floor-finsh products containing linseed oil, caruba wax, etc., which are considered low- or non-toxic. link ~ I came across this site, which might provide some alternatives to the more-common finishes. Here is a link that might be useful: non-toxic floor finishes.

Le Tonkinoise might be of interest to you. It's an old recipe that doesn't have all the VOC additives that newer finishes do. Here's a link to the page describing it: http://www.tarsmell.com/primer.html One downside is that it's a softer finish that has some "grip" when you run your hands across it. That makes it good for floors since it's not as slippery as many varnishes but it won't give that glass-smooth table surface that many like. The product is high gloss but can be made duller with the addition of another product called Gelomat which is sold by the same company. Also, nothing says one has to apply 6 coats. You can start with one and keep adding more coats until the desired look is achieved. I've experimented with Le Tonkinois before and like many of its qualities but haven't used it much due to the long cure time. I usually can't spend 2-3 days finishing a piece of furniture.

Milgard sent this pic. It is hinged on the top, it goes on a push out window and you have to swing it in to get to the latch and push the window open. Some companies won't make roto operators in small sizes. If I use push outs, the screens will hit things like the mattress and the kitchen faucet. In a little sleeping loft like this you'd have to push the mattress over, lie on the floor, open the screen toward your face or over your head and stick your arm out the window to operate the window! I can't reach to do that above the kitchen sink unless I jump on the counter, which I can do but.... In a regular or large house there would be room but it wouldn't matter as all the windows could be larger anyway. I can't have sliders in the awning locations as there needs to be some awnings so they can be opened in rain and wind as the house has no eves as the width required for eves won't be allowed on the road. Tiny houses have much tighter parameters. This is basically a stick built recreational vehicle and it needs to conform to RV codes. My compromise to avoid vinyl and push outs/hinged screens, appears to be getting the clad wood as those appear to be the only ones that anyone will make in all the sizes and styles called for if I put a casement in the slider location. Sierra Pacific uses a less fuming water based wood treatment but they don't want to make the casement in the size I need because it is a few inches short of egress code, even though I can fit through it easily. Loewen and possibly Marvin will make them but their wood treatment is solvent based. I didn't design this house but it is well designed and the operating types and sizes are proper for each location. Being a tiny house and already framed there is really not much room to change anything even if I could reframe it. All I can do is put a casement in the slider location, awning won't work because it has to be egress upstairs. If I was starting over I would design according to the sizes/types available in the least toxic window. I was lucky enough to find this custom tiny house builder who agreed to sub non toxic insulation, cabinets, paint, flooring, MC instead of Romex, etc., others weren't willing to customize anything. If I hadn't been made environmentally ill and chemically sensitive from a house with toxic mold, I wouldn't have to be so careful as to toxic materials but I was and the only way to detox from this is to avoid exposure to more chemicals and toxin exposure so as to allow my detox system to catch up and clear out accumulated toxins and that won't happen if one is accumulating more as would happen if living in an off-gassing house with a toxic encephalopathy headache daily. I am by far not alone with this issue as it is becoming more common everyday as buildings become older and moldy and materials and products become more toxic. I know of many, thousands, who are now having to build non toxic.

millworkman, that is not helpful for us. We are not rich and will never afford the best windows. If Simonton is no good, then what can you recommend if we are on a tight budget? We don't want to spend more than $400 a window. I understand you get what you pay for, but also, if you don't pay for anything, you are still left with old poorly functioning crap anyways which is what we've got.