In most trades and
crafts there is a multitude of ways to accomplish a finished product. Skill
techniques can vary as can the choice of materials used. Multiple combinations
of both skill techniques and quality of material means the consumer can receive
dozens of different standards of finished product.
Each business will over
time develop systems, skills and materials that best suit their desired
customer base and their individual business needs.
Polishing and painting
are no different. Differing skill techniques and differing materials used will
produce marked differences in the finished product from the prospective of both
look and serviceability.
This month we want to
look at the use of differing B solutions on the longevity of finished Polish
and Paint.
The majority of
finishes used in the commercial joinery field these days is two pack lacquer.
Available in both clear and pigmented lacquers, two pack generally gives the
hardest wearing finishes and also the highest gloss level. But did you know
that there are many different B solutions available that when added to the
two-pack lacquer can vary the suitability of the finish to meet the individual
needs of each project.
Different B solutions
can make the final surface coating, harder, more brittle, more flexible, more
UV resistant, more glossy, or more higher build. Each B solution has different
properties and often a decision is made on the additional benefits achieved by
using a particular B solution being offset against the lessoning of other
aspects of suitability.
Around five years ago
we were asked to coat a significant amount of timber handrail for a major
shopping centre refurbishment. Our observations over many years was that these
handrails received significant wear and significant damage. We decided to use a
flexible B solution in the clear lacquer that would help the lacquer absorb
minor damage without delaminating away from the timber and would also allow the
lacquer to stretch more readily when the timber moved or was dented
I recently had the
opportunity to revisit that shopping centre and am pleased to report that the
lacquer still looks as good today as when first applied five years ago. Sure
there has been some vandalism that has resulted in gouging of the timber, some
areas have been graffitied as well. But overall the clear lacquer was in just
as good a condition as five years prior. What was especially pleasing to see
was where the timber handrail had been dented the two pack clear lacquer with
flexible B solution had not delaminated but had moved with the timber.
As a result of
carefully selecting a lacquer system that suited the needs of the specific
environment the client has the best possible polish system to give them years
of trouble free use.
