Special Invisible lacquers: who has them?

THE INFLUENCE OF MATTING AGENTS

WHEN TO CHOOSE BETWEEN INVISIBLE VARNISH AND MATT OIL

Photo – Tover Invisible lacquers are making great strides on various fronts. For instance, not only have more and more producers emerged, but also they have continued with research into increasingly better use capacity. They have various points for attention, including the extension of the lifespan.

An interesting question to ask is how the lifespan compares to that of more glossy varnishes. To get an answer to this question and many others, we called on a specialist from the Blanchon Group.

Lifespan

The first thing which we learnt was that there’s no doubt that the ratio, quality, and nature of the matting agents used to obtain an invisible exterior are vitally important. You have to consider the intensity of the matting, ease of application, beauty of the film, resistance to traffic, low maintenance, and a whole series of other things.

If you use a so called ‘matting agent’ which tends to pile up on the surface of the film, an infinite number of small cracks can arise to diffuse the light and give a matt or even an ultra matt effect. However, there is a risk of this effect fading over time under the influence of intensive traffic or friction. The matting agents start to scour and ensure that the surface becomes satiny and in some cases even glossy (in the latter case it is sometimes claimed that the lacquer ‘whitens’).

A permanent solution is to use matting agents spread over the entire thickness of the film to ensure a permanent matt effect. These matting agents are certainly more expensive than the substances which we first presented and it is even more complicated to achieve an ultra-matt effect. With the latter you have to consider that an excess percentage of matting agent has an adverse effect on the clarity of the coat of varnish and can cause unwanted effects. The look sometimes becomes ‘whitish’, something which doesn’t look good, particularly on dark wood sorts.

If the varnish contains surface matting agents, they will in most cases be less durable than the

satin counterpart. If you use thicker matting agents, the traffic resistance becomes fairly even.

Invisible varnish or matt oil?

Another logical question is when to choose an invisible varnish over a matt oil. Our spokesperson from Blanchon starts by telling us that the behaviour of both products is not the same in terms of wear, use, and chemical abrasion.

The answer is that a varnish which is well formulated and made with quality substances will require less maintenance than an oil, even if oil floors are now much simpler to maintain. Moreover, lots of oils on the market do give a matt finish, but that is far from necessarily being ultra-matt or ‘invisible’.

From an aesthetic point of view, the ‘decorative’ limit between the two major families of parquet finishes has faded considerably. When it comes to a colourless finish, the choice is now determined by the limits of the parquet and the maintenance which it can be given. Obviously, the financial aspect also plays a part when it comes to public areas.

Special precautionary measures

Finally, we want to know whether using these varnishes makes it necessary to take special precautionary measures. In this instance, our spokesperson refers first of all to the quality of the components. According to our spokesperson, the quality of the components considerably affects the ‘usage comfort’. In the case of ‘thick matting agents’ excess thickness will not be noticeable during the application. However, the person immediately adds that this doesn’t mean that an ‘invisible’ varnish can be applied without the care of a demanding professional!

Some specialists

Bona

Bona has recently extended its assortment of Traffic HD lacquers to include Bona Traffic HD Raw. The dual-component formula is designed for extremely high traffic in places such as airports or museums and shopping centres. Bona Traffic HD Raw has a gloss of 4%, the lowest in the range. It has the advantage that the gloss degree is the same over the entire surface. The lacquer has a rough wood effect and has won the Excell certificate, which guarantees indoor air quality in places with food and drink, including wine cellars. The fumes do not affect the maturation of the wine in the cellars.

Ciranova

Ciranova leads innovation in both on-site and pre-finished floors in natural and almost invisible appearances. For Ciranova such a finish isn’t proven unless it enhances the natural character of the wood in pale, coloured and distressed finishes. With the new PLUS range, Ciranova has the number one reference for invisible finishes for wood. This new range which has been developed amongst other things with an innovative self-matting and bio-based raw material has three different versions, depending on the client’s wishes. Woodlook PLUS gives a light bleaching finish, Ecofix PLUS provides a natural finish and Oculto PLUS yields a slightly intense finish. The PLUS range provides a high scratch resistance and the chemical resistance can be increased by adding a Hardener PLUS (10%). For industrial parquet manufacturers Ciranova has developed a system to achieve the same result finished with an extra matt UV-oil. For more information and to receive samples you can contact Ciranova info@ciranova.be or by phone +32 50 30 11 40.

Devo®

You don't really see "invisible"!

But what if the real invisible were also durable, biological, wearresistant, and, if possible, easy to use and maintain? You don't think that would be possible? Anyone who has invested in sustainable organic paints to date has always had to compromise on the performance of the product. What

was organic or environmentally friendly was usually not wear-resistant or user-friendly...and vice versa. Devo's lab technicians quietly worked on an innovative product formula with a new type of vegetable binder. The corona pandemic unfortunately caused some delay in the development of the product, but we are now ready with a product that will astonish you: Devo® Lignum Pura! Devo® Lignum Pura consists largely of vegetable bio-polyurethane, which drastically reduces the proportion of fossil raw materials. In addition, 100% recycled HDPE from a Belgian manufacturer was chosen for the packaging. Devo® Lignum Pura takes the lead in a new generation of organic lacquers, and this unique composition also gives the product unprecedented new advantages! - After drying, Devo® Lignum Pura does not discolour the wood and the product is so matt that the end result is truly invisible. A board treated with Devo® Lignum Pura is indistinguishable from a board without a protective layer! - Due to the extreme dullness of the binder, no matting agent is added, which means an enormous reduction in the susceptibility to attack. In addition, the finished floor is very wear-resistant and not sensitive to gloss marks! - With an ultra-fast drying time of barely 2 hours per layer, a craftsman can finish the floor with 3 layers - without starting - in one day! - Devo® Lignum Pura is a 1-component varnish, so: no unusable product surpluses, no hassle mixing A and B components and easy to apply. - Devo® Lignum Pura meets the customer's requirements in every respect for a modern and environmentally conscious floor finish.

With this innovative product, the craftsman has all the assets to deliver a beautiful natural and well-protected floor quickly and effortlessly. Contact us and get to know Devo® Lignum Pura. You will surely be as enthusiastic as we are.

Chimiver

ECOWOOD 2K

Two-component water-based polyurethane lacquer with natural anti-reflection effect finish for wooden floors ECOWOOD 2K is a two-component water-based polyurethane lacquer with natural wood look effect. The use of special resins gives to the flooring an extremely matt, natural and anti-reflection effect. Thanks to its special formulation ECOWOOD 2K is also suitable for coating light and dark wood species. ECOWOOD 2K has also excellent chemical and physical characteristics and is suitable for heavy traffic floors. RIGO Verffabriek

SKYLT ORIGINAL

The master lacquer makers of RIGO Verffabriek had been looking for a way to preserve the untreated appearance of wooden surfaces, when they developed SKYLT ORIGINAL. The invisible lacquer for pure wood enthusiasts. SKYLT ORIGINAL provides invisible protection to matt and freshly sanded wood. Whatever the light and from whatever angle you may look, you will not see any layers or lacquer. The untreated look is currently very popular and is making its way into more and more homes. SKYLT is a water-based lacquer that is easy and quick to work with. SKYLT is non-marking can also be applied to surfaces smoked oak flooring and patterned wood floors, and can be coated after a mere 3 to 4 hours. SKYLT need only be buffed before the final layer. SKYLT ORIGINAL was developed especially for light surfaces, while SKYLT TITANIUM is particularly suitable for dark surfaces. SKYLT can be combined with SKYLT Coatable 2K Colour Oil, allowing users to mimic the appearance of an oiled floor whilst retaining the strength and ease of maintenance of a lacquer.

Tover

Once again Tover has pioneered innovative lacquers to get the most natural look to new raw wood or during refurbishments. The twocomponent Essenza lacquer is totally invisible on light woods such as oak, but the surface, which seems untreated, is highly protected. Bella represents a real revolution since this two-component lacquer is isocyanate free, guaranteeing maximum safety to the user. Both are perfectly suited to heavy traffic areas; two coats are enough without the prior use of a primer and the extra matt finish is imperceptible. Look no further!