Lacquers you are sure to succeed with

I like antiqued finishes, with all sorts of interesting skates, colours and effects, which I recognised whenever I had the chance. When I see a piece of furniture with such a finish, sometimes even a photo, I immediately start thinking about how it was made and how I would make it, what materials I would use. I've had this passion for a long time and at the beginning, one of the most difficult problems was what to protect that finish with, what material to use on top of it so that it doesn't change colour or effect and the protection is as good as possible. That was until I discovered solvent acrylic varnishes.

These are products that I have often recommended in production, but also to those who are in the habit of doing a little home crafts or painting on wood. They have many qualities and can be used in situations where it's hard to find another product to "save" you. Let me tell you more about them.

First of all, they are (indoor) products that change colour very little over time, they do not yellow under the action of light. In general, varnishes "age" over time, their colour turning yellow. This becomes disturbing if the yellowing occurs differently (the part near the window of the furniture yellows more, a more hidden, protected part changes colour less) or if the furniture is white. Protected with a coat of acrylic varnish, the furniture is much more resistant to yellowing and will not turn yellow as easily.

These products are always recommended when wood is chemically bleached. Other materials, especially polyurethane, change colour a lot in contact with the chemicals used for bleaching.

It is the system used for finishing light-coloured wood (ash, for example) or when we want to keep the natural colour of the wood unchanged.

Acrylic varnishes can be used, as I said, to protect antiqued finishes or special effects. Although they are hardening varnishes, they can also be applied over finishes made with nitrocellulose varnishes. The lower percentage of catalysis (10-20%) makes them less rigid than polyurethane varnishes. However, as hardening varnishes, they are more resistant than nitrocellulose varnishes and can be used, for example, to finish tables without the risk of the film turning white when wet or hot.

It can also be used successfully over water soluble products and is even a way to switch from a solvent system to a combined system. Using waterborne primers and acrylic varnishes is a way to reduce the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and the amount of solvent-based materials used, without affecting the final appearance of the film.

It is the best system to obtain wood with natural look, yet with superficial resistance and pleasant cough. The oak table tops finished in this way, which are very fashionable these days, simply look like 'slices' of wood that have just been cut from the log.

Clear gloss acrylic lacquer can be used successfully over coloured finishes. It can be polished, giving the finish a high gloss and durability. Protection with a clear coat is good because if the furniture is scratched, the colour does not rub off and the scratch is less visible. Plus, by polishing, the scratch can be repaired and the furniture regains its original appearance.

All these qualities make acrylic varnishes top products that can be chosen for a wide variety of finishes. They're beautiful, quality varnishes that not only solve problems where other varnishes don't, but also produce quality products that customers will love.