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Technical advances, government mandates and green building guidelines have been driving the increased use of waterborne finishes.
Estimates are that only about 10 percent or so of wood sector companies currently use water-based finishes. But that number will go up as materials continue to improve and manufacturers respond to legal and market pressures for greater environmental friendliness.
That 10 percent includes custom and high-production plants of all sizes in all sectors. They made the change for reasons ranging from permitting issues and green requests from customers to their own corporate cultures — with all three often kicking in. Geographically, companies adopting waterborne are all over the country.
Making the switch
There is a reluctance to make the switch. Bad memories of early experiences with waterborne are behind much of the hesitation, along with the comfort level of staying with what you know.
"People using our facility are hesitant about water-based," says Phil Stevenson, president of the American Wood Finishing Institute.
Even finishing suppliers specializing in waterborne acknowledge that psychological hurdles remain.
"There is a stigma attached to waterborne," says Adam Fuhr, technical manager for water-based coatings specialist Fuhr International. "We have to overcome that stigma."
Fuhr's stains, glazes, sealers, paints and topcoats for interior and exterior use include products like its 155 ZVOC Universal Stain and 375 self-cross-linking acrylic precat lacquer, both part of extensive product series. Manufacturers are moving to waterborne, Fuhr says, as they test and implement the water-based materials in their shops.
"People were burned once and they walked away. They have a perpetual mind-set that it won't work," says Jeff Weiss, president of waterborne coatings manufacturer Target Coatings, whose products include the Oxford and EmTech Series of stains, coatings and sealers. "New facilities are a driving force for us. They're looking to the future with an awareness of the insurance costs and the regs."
"There are two main drivers for making companies look at waterborne — environmental regulations and insurance," says Rich Clark, lab manager for M.L. Campbell. "The interest is starting to pick up." The company has been steadily adding waterborne to its solvent finishing lines. Current water-based lines include PolyStar and UltraStar. It is now rolling out Agualente, a new line of precatalyzed and post-catalyzed topcoats aimed at custom shops.
Shops will be getting over their hesitation. "As more is done with it, waterborne will get better," Clark says. "The technology is coming together."
Industry forums on water-based materials reflect growing woodworker awareness of the health issues and the regulatory picture, as well as the changes in waterborne over the years.
Improvements are clear
Today's water-based formulations are not the ones you may have encountered 20 or 30 years ago.
Resins, additives and other raw materials are better, and there are more available. Finishing suppliers have invested significant resources in R&D over the past decade, and they've gained important experience and knowledge in working with the chemistry. Grain-raising, cloudy finishes and other problems are being overcome as formulations improve and wood products makers conquer the learning curve.
Wood products manufacturers making the change say they're getting results as good or, in some cases and applications, even better than they had with solvents.
Over the next decade, there's a good chance water-based materials will come to dominate the finishing line as manufacturers respond to the improved materials and to environmental pressures from the government and in the marketplace.
AWFI's Stevenson is among the industry professionals suggesting water-based is where the industry is headed. AWFI runs training classes and consults with manufacturers on finishing processes and methods.
"In all fairness to the water-based manufacturers, we need to be very open and receptive to the advances made in the technology," Stevenson says. "It's worlds away from where it was 15 years ago."
Redefining a technology
"If you get a properly coated waterborne product, durability is not going to be a problem," says Charles Carpenter, owner of Precision Hardboard Components in Texas. "The substrate material could degenerate before the coating." Precision Hardboard makes cabinet backs, drawer bottoms and base backs, as well as wood components for store fixtures.
"Durability is as good as with any material we've ever used," says Steve Gephart, shop superintendent at Pennsylvania-based Construction Specialties, Inc. The architectural millwork company is 95 percent waterborne two years after making the switch. "We've had zero instances in two years of callbacks to say there's a finish failure. This has performed as well or better than solvent. It's a lot easier to use than I thought it would be," he says.
Construction Specialties makes handrail systems and wall panels for commercial and institutional clients. It does custom work and uses a spray finish system.
Depending on their needs and permitting situations, some companies use hybrid approaches, retaining solvents for some finishing steps while moving to water-based for others. They might continue using solvent-based stains, say, with waterborne topcoats, or move to all waterborne as they work through initial problems and gain experience with the new materials.
The learning curve at Construction Specialties involved solving the infamous grain-raising problem as the shop moved to water-based stains, which added labor costs, Gephart says. He continues, saying, "You could use solvent under waterborne until you get used to it." The company has gotten costs back down closer to where they were as it has become more comfortable using water-based finishing.
Water-based materials generally cost more, and making the change involves its own costs. But indirect costs, including reduced insurance premiums, easier cleanup and lower waste disposal costs, help balance the direct costs. Water-based runoff goes into the sanitary sewer, and spray-booth filters can go in the Dumpster.
Meeting specific needs
Inflammability is an important safety benefit, and a major reason for the lower insurance costs. But it's important to follow the same basic health and protection precautions used for solvent-based formulas.
"Look at it, but look at it responsibly. You need expertise. You need help. You need a fair evaluation of your processes, the aesthetic goals you're trying to achieve, and an evaluation to see if your other goals are being met, including costs," Stevenson says. "If it works, it can be a huge benefit."
Companies should choose waterborne formulations based on their own specific needs. The solvents you're used to, the products you make and their quality level, your shop conditions and equipment, and the complexity of your finishing processes are just some of the factors to consider.
"Not all water-based products are the same. Products have to be named. You have to know what solvent-based products to compare the water-based products to. Specific names need to be applied to specific parameters for marketing purposes so customers understand what they're buying," Weiss says.
"Waterborne is different, and you have to understand the differences," Stevenson says. Preparation is different, sanding techniques are different, and humidity is likely to be more of a factor, along with temperature."
Water-based overall is less forgiving and can be more demanding, especially as shops start the changeover. Color-matching stains, dyes and tints has been one of the major challenges, especially for kitchen cabinetmakers and other sectors in which finish choices are a major part of marketing appeal. But coatings makers have been tackling this, and it has become less of a problem, along with other problems like grain-raising.
Shops' expectations also factor in. With their higher solids content, for example, water-based materials might take longer to fully cure and provide the look you've seen with solvents. That impatience could lead to over-application and a milky or cloudy result.
At this point, coatings makers often must come into the plant and formulate coatings to meet a potential customer's specific needs. That's already changing as the finishings suppliers and their wood products customers gain experience.
Fuhr International couldn't supply Texas-based Precision Hardboard's roll-coating operation off the shelf when Carpenter found the company on the Internet. "They came down here and developed a water-based line with low VOCs and HAPs to service my industry," Carpenter says. There was some hesitation on the part of some of his customers when he made the switch, but they were won over when they carried out their own testing.
Construction Specialties went through a similar process with Target. "I scheduled the first Target spray demo on an extremely humid day. If it was going to pass, that would be a real test. It passed," Gephart says.
"We're doing a lot with individual customers to make products that fit their process needs," M.L. Campbell's Clark says. "The more we work with these individuals, the more products we'll have for others to try. There will be a larger formula base that will eventually work off the shelf for larger segments of the market."
author: By Lisa Harbatkin