How to choose the finishing system for furniture.

The finishing process is quite difficult and complex job. Finishing work requires energy, time, and sometimes the special equipment and facilities that could be expensive. Therefore, when you do the finishing process, you always want the optimum results comparable to the effort that you spend. For that purpose, you should be able to choose the most appropriate finishing for the furniture products. You can do the finishing process ourselves, or you can bring the product to the finishing shop for the finishing process, but you have to choose the right finishing. 

Here are some considerations to choose the right finishing.

white paint for outdoor furniture

• The function of the product.

The finishing layer is the outermost layer that serves to provide protection to the product. Therefore, he must be strong enough to protect the underneath surface. The protection required by a furniture product may be different depending on the functions of the furniture products. The exterior furniture products require a finishing layer that is strong enough to protect them from the sunlight, rain, heat, and other outdoor weather. The outdoor furniture needs special finishing for outdoor (exterior finish). There are some types of finishing that are suitable for exterior uses; the most used are: PU exterior, spar varnish, and exterior water-based. These materials are designed for outdoor use. They are strong and durable to withstand the outdoor conditions. But usually the outdoor finishing materials are more difficult in the application and more expensive in price. Mostly they are having longer drying times, which makes the application take a long time. Overall, the exterior finish is usually more expensive in cost than the interior finish.
For indoor furniture, then you will have more choices. There are many finishing materials that can be used for indoor finishing with very good results. The NC (lacquer), precatalyzed, PU, ​​catalyzed lacquer, furniture varnish, floor varnish, shellac, wax, oil, etc. Almost all materials are wood finishing materials for indoor furniture finishes. In general, materials for indoor finishing are more flexible, dry faster, cheaper, and easier to be handled with more color choices and finishing effects than the finishing materials for outdoor finishing.
NC finish is the simple and easy finishing material in terms of handling and application. It can be used to make almost all special effects and colors. It is the material that was used to replace the shellac, varnish, oil finish, and other traditional finishing materials. The NC is also available in a paint or opaque color with many color choices, as well as a transparent wood color. The NC finish theoretically can make all finishing look and color that is made by the traditional finish material.

The NC finishing materials are sometimes used together with latex paint or PU or acid curing types to make a special finish. The NC finish is the best material to do the finish for the bedroom set, armoire, bookcase, handcraft, picture frame, sofa, chair, and other product when the maximum aesthetic value is needed. But the NC finish will not be able to produce a strong enough film finish layer as the PU or catalyzed lacquer. Therefore, the NC finish is not suitable to finish the products that will receive a lot of physical activity, such as; dining tables, furniture for hotels and restaurants, etc. NC coating is not resistant to scratches, heat, or exposure to solvents and chemicals.

The PU and acid curing are more suitable for the furniture that needs a stronger finish, such as the dining table, the kitchen cabinets, the bar furniture, and even the wood flooring. The hardest and strongest finishing material is the UV coating; it is the best material for the wood flooring.

Varnish, or shellac finish, is the simpler finish and can be applied with a cloth or brush so that it can be an attractive option when finishing facilities spray is not available, but it has limited choice in color and look. It has similar strength as NC; it is not resistant to heat, chemicals, or solvents. 

The wwater-basedcoating is almost like NC in ttermstofstrength and color. It hisbetter resistant to theatand physical aabusetthanthe NC, but it has low resistant to the solvent and chemical such as the NC finish. It ihasnow been developed to get more spectrum in the wood finishing. But now it is still rather difficult in application compared with NC finish. The water based coating are also can be used in combination with the NC finish to make some special finish effect. 

 PU for high gloss finish

• The finishing appearance and color.

The finishing process is always associated with the color and appearance. The purpose of the finishing process is to develop a special color and look. You need to understand the finishing material properties to be able to make the finishing look you want.

The NC is finishing materials that can provide a wide range of colors and finishing effects. The NC lacquer will also give you the best clarity and natural wood look. But the NC is not suitable to finish with a thick film layer.

The finish that requires thick film is better made with PU, acid-curing, or even water-based. The PU and acid curing are the best options to make the wood color finish with thick film. It can build the thick film finish with quite good clarity. The water-base clear coating tends to make a cloudy-looking finish if it is applied in a thick layer.

The water-based paint (latex paint) is still good choice to make the paint finish color. It can make the thick paint finish with thick film and is available in a wide range of colors. It can be used in combinations with the NC or PU finish to make the paint finish with some special effects.

• The furniture substrate.

Modern furniture can now be made from various materials. Wood is not the only substrate for making furniture. The synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, and vinyl, are also a lot used to make furniture in the modern industry. Metal, aluminum, and even composite materials are also introduced to make furniture. While the wood has many types, the other natural substrates may have some special characteristics that need special finishing material. A knowledge of the substrate's properties is needed to find the right finishing material according to the substrate. 

If you want to make some special color, then usually the NC finish can be used, but usually you need a special coating layer as the first layer to build the good adhesion of the finish layer.