Organic finishing systems for playgrounds, garden furniture and other outdoor furniture with wood

Wood is preferred for outdoor landscaping, even though its outdoor strength is not comparable to metal, plastic or some composite materials. It gains a lot from its natural quality, unrivalled beauty not found in other materials and versatility. Wood is used to build fences, outdoor furniture, decking or pergolas, clad the front of houses, furnish garden playgrounds or make playhouses and tree houses. All these constructions and fittings are exposed to sun, wind and rain, and in order to withstand the weather and the aggressive rays of the sun, the wood from which they are made must be treated. And not anyway. Treatments for wood that children come into contact with must meet special quality requirements. But healthy products, with no impact on the environment and our health, are what we all want. Italian manufacturer ICA Groupwhose distributor in Romania is Lomilux, has developed the range of outdoor products Arborea Organic to protect people's health and our environment.

Colourful and cheerful finishing systems for wood that children come into contact with

A children's playground should be pleasant, cheerful, safe and without any risk to their health. Dull and sad colours are not suitable for such spaces, even if they protect the wood very well. Children need light, cheerfulness and colour. Yet we often find playgrounds with totally inappropriate colours, and sometimes we don't even suspect that wood has been used to decorate the place.

Within the Arborea BIO range, in addition to varnishes and primers with very good outdoor resistance (10 years), a series of colours have been developed that do not hide but, on the contrary, enhance the wood. The colours make the wood pastel or metallic, antique or futuristic looking, contributing to the design of the place. And all done with respect and care for health and the environment.

Arborea Pastel is a range of semi-transparent wood impregnators formulated for both exterior and interior use. The range has been designed to meet the demands of modern design, with the exterior wood elements being perfectly integrated into the overall appearance. The colours are pastel shades that highlight the wood grain. They are based on iron oxide which, in addition to the aesthetic aspect, protects the wood by filtering the sun's rays to stop UV radiation. They are easy to apply, penetrate well into the wood and colour evenly. After drying, the impregnating agent is covered with a final coat of clear varnish from the same organic range.

Arborea Metal, in addition to its very pleasant appearance, offers high protection to wood against UV radiation thanks to the metallic pigments in the composition. The range can be used to finish semi-transparent opaque wood. Used as impregnates, the stains give wood a rustic or modern look, depending on the colour used. As a metallic paint, they can bring a modern look to construction or interior design. They are used for exterior or interior finishes. The colouring is uniform for both impregnating and metallic paints. The end result is a natural and durable finish, with a rustic or modern look, depending on your wishes.

In addition to the two colour series, there are also Arborea Color Classic and Arborea Color Matter, ranges including classic wood colours (walnut, oak, chestnut, mahogany).

Arborea BIO is a win-win situation for everyone: furniture producers, furniture users and the environment

The products in the Arborea BIO range are designed to revolutionise the whole system, protecting both the end user and the environment, as well as the operators in the factories where they are applied. They are an aid to garden furniture manufacturers, window or other items used outdoors because it solves important production problems without compromising the quality and strength of the finished product. Emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) negligible and non-hazardous waste means that no special facilities are needed in the finishing area and environmental protection is no longer an issue.

Among the features of Arborea BIO range are:

• Very low volatile organic compound (VOC) content
• No unpleasant odours, guaranteeing a healthy and pleasant working environment
• Very good resistance to UV radiation and weathering
• Application and with industrial equipment
• Superior hardness compared to similar alkyd products
• Quick drying
• Resistance to yellowing
• Very significant reduction in carbon dioxide emissions
• Supporting the concept of a circular economy based on the re-use of waste

It is important to note that the Arborea BIO range of impregnating, priming and varnishing products can easily be used in factories, being formulated for application with specific technologies (flow-coating, industrial spraying robots). The technologies are those commonly used in factories, and the products can be industrially sanded and recoated. It's a range designed for another level, not just for simple brush application in a DIY project. It is a support for manufacturers in the face of increasing environmental and health protection requirements.

A question of responsibility

Protecting the environment, reducing the carbon footprint of products, emissions of volatile organic compounds and consumption of fossil fuels are important demands of our times. We should all think about what we can do to reduce our environmental impact. It is a matter of responsibility that more and more manufacturers should take up.

The ICA Group has set out and succeeded in creating wood protection products that are more sustainable than those made from oil processing. Organic range of which Arborea is part is formulated with resins obtained from biomass from renewable organic materials (Organic resins have comparable and even better characteristics than conventional petroleum-based resins, as certified by tests carried out in recognised international laboratories.

Replacing conventional resins with biomass resins leads to a considerable reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. Studies done have shown that for every 1000 kg of Aborea BIO products used to coat outdoor wood, the amount of carbon dioxide reduced is 550 kg. This is equivalent to the carbon dioxide emitted by a car running 4400 km.

Enhanced environmental protection capacity, together with 10 years outdoor resistanceThe ease of application and the rich range of colours make Arborea BIO one of the most popular ranges on the market.