Today, varnished furniture items are back in fashion and are found in almost every home. Wood is a natural and environmentally friendly material. However, the environment affects it – wood can become deformed, crack, change color. To avoid this, it is necessary to treat it with special means. Among them is furniture varnish. Furniture covered with it looks beautiful, it also protects against various damages and has moisture-resistant properties.
Furniture varnish is a substance with a film-forming property for application to wooden surfaces. Its main purpose is to protect the surface with a film that it forms from the effects of various external factors. Its most important role is to protect and highlight the structure of the wood. Applying varnish is the final stage in surface treatment. The choice of varnish, its composition and what kind of work it will be needed for are of great importance.
Types of varnish and comparison
Transparent or colored?
| The most common in use are transparent varnishes, they cover surfaces made of valuable types of wood - they protect its structure. Colored varnish is used for simpler wood - it protects from external influences, the color becomes more contrasting, the furniture is updated. In stores you can see a variety of colors of varnish, which color of varnish you choose depends on the overall interior of the room and, of course, on your preferences.
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Matte or glossy?
| To make the wooden furniture structure look natural, it is better to use matte varnish for the coating. In this case, it is important not to forget that after processing the surface with this product, it is necessarily sanded. Its main advantage is that it perfectly hides defects, such furniture is easy to care for.
If the windows of an apartment or house do not face the sunny side and the room is rather gloomy, it is better to use glossy varnish - it will give the furniture a shine and highlight the structure of the wood. Its small disadvantage is that it does not mask damage as well as matte.
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Content
- Which varnish has no smell?
- Is aerosol varnish more convenient than the traditional option?
- How to choose varnish
- What varnish is best to use for wood
- What is the best varnish for the floor?
- What varnish to choose for furniture
- Varnish for stone and concrete
- VIDEO: The application of varnish on the furniture front
Which varnish has no smell?
As a rule, wood surface coatings have a smell that is difficult to get rid of. Not everyone can stand it, which affects health - headaches and suffocation appear. But technology does not stand still, and odorless furniture varnishes have long been on sale. Now working with them has become absolutely harmless - modern varnishes are water-based, have no color and chemical solvents. They are environmentally friendly and durable, furniture covered with them does not require frequent renewal. It dries instantly, and the color does not change. Their main advantage is that they hide various defects well.
Is aerosol varnish more convenient than the traditional option?
To some extent, yes. This type of varnish has advantages:
- it can be used immediately, no need to dilute;
- saves money on purchasing the necessary painting tools;
- economical consumption;
- lies flat on the surface;
- dries quickly, without streaks;
- accessible to difficult places;
- Available for sale in any specialized store.
Aerosol varnishes are most often used to restore old furniture. For major work, it is better to choose varnish in cans.
How to choose varnish
When choosing a varnish, you need to consider some factors. First, you need to pay attention to what base it is made on, whether it is environmentally friendly, whether it contains organic solvents. The stores sell products of our and foreign manufacture. Russian goods are characterized by specific marking. It is divided into several groups:
Type of furniture varnish (pigment may be specified).
The type of substance that forms the film. Harmless varnishes include those based on resins (rosin, oil).
Its function (weather-resistant, moisture-resistant, heat-resistant or special purpose).
In the last group, the drying oil is coded or the company that manufactured the varnish is indicated. The type is also indicated (matte, glossy).
What varnish is best to use for wood
What is varnish used for? Its main purpose is to protect the material and increase its shelf life. Before choosing a varnish, you need to decide in what conditions the furniture treated with it will be located - with high humidity or will there be a lot of sun. Varnish can be different in price, you do not need to take the cheapest one, since the product for furniture is absolutely not suitable for outdoor work. Varnish intended for indoor work differs significantly from the outdoor version in structure, durability and longevity of the coating.
For buildings located outside, it is better to use a moisture-resistant varnish that can withstand mechanical loads and is resistant to ultraviolet radiation. It is better to buy a product with an antiseptic - it will prevent the appearance of rot, mold and bugs, as well as alkyd-urethane-based varnishes - they are very durable. Alkyd-based products are more often used in rooms where repeated cleaning is carried out. They slow down the appearance of cracks, aging of wood, perfectly withstand the influence of the environment, and are wear-resistant.
For indoor work, oil-based varnishes or drying oils are used. They can add yellowness, but are quite affordable. They dry for a long time, forming a film that is resistant to moisture.
Water-based varnishes have proven themselves to be excellent. They are environmentally friendly, wear-resistant, odorless, dry quickly, and are used for indoor work.
What is the best varnish for the floor?
Most often, when building a house or renovating a room, the floor is covered with a wooden covering, which creates a feeling of comfort. It is important that such a floor is in good condition for as long as possible. Therefore, it must be carefully processed. Varnish is best suited for this purpose. The first product that comes across will not work here, when choosing a varnish, it is necessary to take into account some nuances: the nature of the wood, what function the room will perform, what is the load, the body's reaction to the component of the varnish.
For ordinary rooms, a product that can withstand minimal loads is suitable; for covering the flooring in the kitchen and hallway, a varnish that can withstand various loads and dirt is needed.
What varnish to choose for furniture
Varnish intended for covering furniture is used for various wood products. It protects against various external defects, moisture, increases the service life of furniture items. When choosing furniture varnish, you should pay attention to the presence of odor, fire resistance, and whether the product is environmentally friendly.
It is important to remember that in a child's room it is necessary to use only water-based varnish. Oil varnish will help to give an exemplary look to a piece of furniture. If you want to give the furniture an aged look, use craquelure varnish. Nitrocellulose varnish contains such components as organic mixtures, resin and collodion. The surface of the product covered with this varnish becomes smooth, durable and beautifully decorated, the product dries quickly enough.
Colored, transparent, glossy or matte varnishes are also used.
Varnish for stone and concrete
Today, these materials are widely used in construction. In order for a building to be solid, it needs protection from various external factors. For these purposes, varnish for concrete and stone is used. A structure covered with this product will be quite durable, its service life, wear resistance, cold resistance will increase, and it will look exquisite.
The choice of varnishes is large. They can be grouped by many indicators. By covering the surface with varnish, you will reliably protect it.