Paradigm Shift: the Ripple Effects of Waterborne Finishes

Michael Purser 2022 Crop2 Headshot
The maroon pads that we take for granted today were a direct result of the advent of waterborne finishes. Not only are they good for intercoat abrasion, they are also great for cleaning a floor in preparation for recoating. In this photo you can see the amount of dirt and grime removed by the pad on the right before this historic floor was recoated.
The maroon pads that we take for granted today were a direct result of the advent of waterborne finishes. Not only are they good for intercoat abrasion, they are also great for cleaning a floor in preparation for recoating. In this photo you can see the amount of dirt and grime removed by the pad on the right before this historic floor was recoated.

The maroon pads that we take for granted today were a direct result of the advent of waterborne finishes. Not only are they good for intercoat abrasion, they are also great for cleaning a floor in preparation for recoating. In this photo you can see the amount of dirt and grime removed by the pad on the right before this historic floor was recoated.The maroon pads that we take for granted today were a direct result of the advent of waterborne finishes. Not only are they good for intercoat abrasion, they are also great for cleaning a floor in preparation for recoating. In this photo you can see the amount of dirt and grime removed by the pad on the right before this historic floor was recoated.

Few products have had as much impact on the wood flooring trade as waterborne finishes. It was just over 30 years ago that they were introduced to our industry, and while they have consistently increased their market share, they also forced us to reexamine how we did things. The introduction of these finishes created changes that have made our work easier, safer and more appealing. The changes came from forward-thinking manufacturers, or to address a need that previously may not have existed. Today the following are just a normal part of our wood flooring lives, but they are relatively recent changes brought about directly because of waterborne finishes.

One of the first areas of concern with waterborne finishes was surface prep between coats of sealers and topcoats. Waterborne finishes raised wood grain and did not play well with the most popular forms of surface prep used in the late '80s, screen-backed discs and steel wool pads. Screen-backs, even worn ones, were too aggressive. Steel wool shed, which was very problematic, since we all know how little pieces of it react with water on a floor. To address this, waterborne manufacturers introduced and helped promote synthetic maroon pads. The pads offered more cushion, and the synthetic fibers in the pad followed the contour of the surface. The addition of hook-and-loop fine sanding discs that attached to the maroon pads created even finer surface prep.

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