Hardwood Floors June/July 2024

AT THE SITE Selling Durability: Single- or Two-Component Finishes? (Continued)

INNOVATIONS IN THE WATERBORNE FINISHING MARKET The year 1996 brought more

innovation to the U.S. waterborne finish market in the form of the first viable single-component waterborne finish. This product was oxygen crosslinked, meaning that a second component was no longer necessary to obtain a viable topcoat. Game, set, and match, right? No need to look any further than a single component waterborne that can dry in two hours and be double coated the same day? Wood floor refinishers across the globe were now dancing in the streets, and they all lived happily ever after, until… isocyanates entered the chat. THE TWO-COMPONENT ERA Not long after the introduction of the oxygen-crosslinked miracle of 1996, the industry saw the beginning of a new two-component era. These products offered increased durability, more resistance to both chemicals and scuffs, and cured a bit quicker as well. They were clear, they dried in two hours, and some didn’t even need a sealer. Modern technology has saved us again, everything is wonderful, and the hardwood floor trade has arrived at Nirvana! Well, not exactly. Were they the easiest finish to apply? Not always. They could dry a bit too quickly and leave you with applicator marks if you applied them too thin. Another issue was the pot life. What’s pot life? We learned that the product was rendered useless after two hours; then it was off to the landfill. Do you know what else went to the landfill? Your money.

Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker