Coatings World - February 2014

Wood Coatings

design engineering and logistics solutions. This is a win-win solution, and we’re proud of our track record in becoming valued partners to our customers.

“Customers continue to ask about green finishing practices,”
added Fiorillo. “The concept of green continues to evolve. Industry
associations have established defined green programs and state-
ments, while specification programs reinforce certain standards
for green. Considerations include things like indoor air quality,
sustainability, material composition and process efficiency.”
For the professional, a quicker dry time provides their clients
with a faster return to service. “Products must be compliant with
increasing regulations while delivering enhanced performance,”
said Wilgen. “To align with these expectations, Rust-Oleum is
focused on the development of new innovative technologies to
improve the user experience.”
In terms of color trends, Wilgen said that homeowners are
gravitating toward colors that are unique and match the current
trends in furniture, cars and fashion.

According to Fiorillo, color trends in wood coatings for both residential and contract furniture are shifting to lighter, cleaner looks. “White painted cabinets and glazed finishes are trending in kitchen cabinets,” he explained.

New Products

Sherwin-Williams introduced four formaldehyde-free products in 2013, adding to its existing offering and providing wood finishers with a family of formaldehyde-free finishes to choose from, including lacquers, varnishes and surfacers, primers and sealers.

Filling out its line of high performance, formaldehyde-free finishes, Sherwin-Williams has launched these four additional products in its F3 line-up. Sher-Wood F3 Hi-Bild PreCat White Lacquer, Sher-Wood F3 Kemvar Plus Conversion Varnish, Sher-Wood F3 Kemvar Plus Surfacer, and Sher-Wood F3 PreCat Primer/Surfacer.

With the addition of these coatings to its existing line of F3 products for formaldehyde free finishing, Sherwin-Williams expands the number of coating options available to help wood finishers eliminate formaldehyde from their finishing process, according to the company.

F3 products are traditional, catalyzed products with none of the formaldehyde typically emitted during application and curing, and offer the same performance and aesthetics without concern of formaldehyde, according to the company. Finishers benefit by eliminating both the strong odor of formaldehyde from their finishing process, as well as the residual formaldehyde odor that often causes complaints during installation and unpacking of wood products, according to the company.

The existing F3 line-up includes Sher-Wood F3 Hi-Bild PreCat Lacquer, Sher-Wood F3 Kemvar Varnish, and Sher-Wood F3 Kemvar Sealer. All F3 finishes are available for use as drop-in coatings on existing finishing lines, saving end-users the expense and time of purchasing and installing new finishing equipment. Sher-Wood F3 Kemvar Varnish has achieved Greenguard Certification, certified to Greenguard standards for low chemical emissions into indoor air during product usage.

This year, Thompson’s Water Seal brand is launching the first-ever aerosol wood protector – Thompson’S WaterSeal Waterproofer Plus Clear Wood Protector. “The Thompson’s WaterSeal brand was the first to launch a waterproofer specifically for wood, and that formula has been a best-seller for more than 30 years,” said Kozlowski. “Now, we’ve put the three-way protection into a 12-ounce aerosol formula that is ideal for small projects. The homeowner gets superior waterproofing protection along with a coating that resists mildew and UV damage – all without having to break out tools or clean-up. Just push a button. The Thompson’s WaterSeal brand had debuted several aerosol waterproofers in the past few years, including our Thompson’s WaterSeal Fabric Seal and Thompson’s WaterSeal Wood Stain. Consumers love the convenience for small projects, and they’re very profitable for retailers.

For homeowners whose decks are not as severely damaged and who do not want to stain and protect every year, Rust-Oleum released Rust-Oleum Restore 4x Deck Cover. It’s an easy-to-ap-ply, water-based coating that revives the surface while offering long lasting protection to protect the deck for years to come.

WOOD LOOK Offers ICA-designed Technology for the Virtual Treatment of Wood

It is now possible to choose the color of wooden furniture using innovative Wood Look technology. This is the latest technology from the laboratories of ICA, an industrial group based in Italy that ranks as one of the leading companies in Europe in the manufacture and marketing of special coatings for wood. The group has now developed a software program for the virtual treatment of wood with high-definition ICA colors and effects.

Wood Look is a real-time configurator that has been designed by ICA to project its olors and effects directly onto the 3D image created and used by furniture producers. The client can view and select the color of its own products in a highly realistic way, more instantaneously than ever before.

The Wood Look system also allows for the virtual application of the brand-new NATURAL MATTER range, composed of all-new stains designed to bring out the naturalness of the wood grain.

The range encompasses 15 new shades that fit in perfectly with the current trends in the finishing of modern furniture, which are increasingly geared towards highlighting the natural beauty of the wooden surface.