Wood Coatings
Wood furniture or flooring made of pine, oak, mahogany, cherry and other types of woods add rich colors and glossy surfaces to any home. Wood surfaces also usually need protection from light, water and potential damage from everyday use. That is where wood coatings come in use, they keep wood surfaces protected from light, water, mild natural disasters and potential damage from everyday use.
Wood coatings must satisfy the wishes of craftsmen, architects and furniture manufacturers. For interiors or exteriors, water based or solvent based, transparent or lacquered, matt or glossy. They must amplify the beauty of the essence and make it more durable than before. All this in an environmentally sustainable way.
Few common types of Wood coatings :
Varnish:
The most common forms of wood coatings are varnishes. They are transparent or can also be colored. Varnish is made up of oil, solvent, and resin. It is hard, durable and a protective coating. It can be used on both the interior and the exterior of the wooden object. It typically comes with a glossy finish, and can also be customized to produce satin and semi-gloss finish by adding flattening agents. Varnishes give very good UV protection, they dry slowly and their application over dyes gives them better protection.
Shellac:
Shellac is a natural wax discharged by a bug. A mixture of the collected wax with alcohol as a solvent is used on wood. Shellac is easy to apply and quick to dry. It is also available in a variety of colors. Shellac can efficiently cover damage on wooden surfaces. It leaves the wood with a glossy finish. Only downside of this coating is that it can be damaged by water.
Lacquer:
Lacquer is a fast drying, thin solvent-based coating when compared to other finishes. Lacquer can be applied on top of non-film forming stains to add protection and gloss to the woodwork. As we know it is fast drying, this causes many woodworkers to apply it with spray equipment rather than by hand. It cleans up with a volatile solvent called lacquer thinner, which has the same base ingredient as lacquer itself. Lacquer usually costs around $15 per quart.
Oil Coating:
Oil wood coating improves the looks of unfinished wood. The natural oils present in the wood dries out with time. Oil finishes replace the natural oil and enhance the natural grain. In oil coating, the oil seeps into the wood and doesn’t merely form a layer on top of it. This makes the wood look richer and semi-transparent.
Two types of oils can be used in the process;
Drying Oils:
Drying oils convert from liquid to solid when exposed to oxygen. The most commonly used drying oil is linseed oil.
Non-Drying Oils:
Non-drying oils include vegetable and mineral oils. These are mainly used for wood treatment and can be applied on the interior as well as exterior surfaces.
GreenLight Coatings® is dedicated to the development and manufacture of environmentally compliant coatings. With our experienced staff of chemists and technicians, we are well equipped to support product development and existing product improvement projects.
GreenLight Coatings® offers a comprehensive line of Wood Coatings that meet or exceed quality currently found when using conventional solvent finishes!
Comments are closed