© Copyright by Thomas Craven June 2009
This is the question, I and those in my profession, struggle with more and more every year.
Back Story: The Air Quality Management District, (www.aqmd.gov) is a California State agency empowered to reduce pollution in our state. As long as I have been practicing this trade of Wood Finishing I have dealt with new materials reformulated to comply with ever stricter regulations implemented by the AQMD to reduce volatile organic compounds, (v.o.cs.) in paint, clear coatings, the solvents used to reduce these materials and for clean up after use.
It is these v.o.cs. that allow solvent borne materials, (and to some extent water borne materials) to flow out onto the surface properly. In addition, they promote fast dry / cure times. They are also a prime contributor to pollution and in particular, ozone in the air we breathe. Hence the mandate to reduce v.o.cs. It should be understood that there are few usable zero v.o.c. paint and or clear coatings at this time. This includes water based paint and clear coatings as even they emit v.o.cs. as they dry.
History of Material Use: When I began practicing this craft of wood finishing thirty years ago, I never thought too much about the chemical makeup of the material. The goal was to produce a furniture grade finish that would hold up to average family use in kitchens, baths and furniture. We used nitrocellulose lacquers. They held up well, looked like furniture finish and were easy to use.
It was in the late eighties that the AQMD began to mandate reformulation of paints and clear coatings to reduce v.o.cs. It soon became clear that the reduction in v.o.cs. compromised the wear and tear / durability of these materials. In addition, this reduction greatly degraded the ease of application and use of these products. At that time, I began trials and experimentation with new and different clear and paint coatings that continues to this day.
The initial change in our production coatings use was to upgrade to acrylic lacquers with the use of vinyl sealers. Over the years, we have tried many different alternative finishes. These finishes include water based lacquers, water and solvent borne conversion varnishes, catalyzed polyurethanes etc. However, nothing has thus far duplicated the thin transparent, durable and easy to use lacquer that was in common use thirty and more years ago.
Impacts of Recent Reformulation: In the summer of 2006, the AQMD mandated the most drastic cut in v.o.cs. to date. Limits were set at less than half their previous level of 570 grams of v.o.c. per litter to 275. Many of the paint manufactures had not done enough research and reformulation to achieve satisfactory results at these levels. In some cases, the new materials were unusable and wear and tear / durability was drastically reduced yet further.
To the consternation of the homeowner / end user and applicators / wood finishers, painters etc. these finishes have required far more maintenance and touch up work than should be reasonably expected.
Reaction / Action: Due to these issues with the degradation of these materials, we at Thomas Craven Wood Finishers have greatly stepped up our research and trials of new materials. This effort has led us to the manufactures that are making the greatest commitment to the R & D that is leading the way to improved performance in not only the wear and tear but also the appearance of these materials.
It is this commitment to change and the hard work required that will result in I believe better materials in the long run with little or no pollution. While others in my industry resist the changes made, we embrace them. I have always staked my reputation on the quality of the finish we produce. Not only the appearance but also how well they hold up to the everyday wear and tear of family life.
Attitudes Toward Change: I have heard many viewpoints both positive and negative regarding these mandated materials changes and in fact, many of my peers / competitors have chosen to resist the changes. Some choose to import illegal materials from Mexico or from states that do not have regulations in place as the State of California does. Others have chosen to close up shop and exit the field altogether for other perceived easier careers / business.
My position with Thomas Craven Wood Finishers has always been to embrace these and all other changes and in fact be the forerunner of change. It is only through open-minded experimentation with changes in materials, working practices and attitudes that we achieve growth for ourselves, the community and world.
The inspiration for this attitude on my part comes from my memories of growing up in the heart of the San Fernando Valley in the ′60s. On bad smog days, we could not see the surrounding mountains that ring the valley. If you breathed deep and or exerted yourself greatly on those days, it would hurt your lungs.
Today it is rare that we are unable to see the surrounding mountains and I cannot remember having a difficult time breathing since those years of the ′60s.
Excerpted from the AQMD Website: Air quality in this area has continually improved despite an enormous increase in population and cars. For example, maximum levels of ozone, one of our worst smog problems, have been cut to less than one third of what they were in the 1950s, even though today we have nearly three times as many people and four times as many vehicles.
In the past decade, we have virtually eliminated Stage I smog alerts, the level at which schools are advised to keep children from playing outside. We have not reached Stage II levels, which used to occur 100-120 times a year, since the 1980s.
Relevant Analogy: When talking to people regarding the constant flux, confusion and frustration with wood finishing materials in use today, I use an analogy to put this point in time into perspective. That is, the federal government mandated catalytic converters for cars in the early ′70s. Everybody complained about the lack of performance of their cars and reduction in gas millage. Today after massive amounts of money spent on research and development by the auto industry to reduce emissions we have cars that far outperform the cars of the ′70s with greater horsepower, almost double the gas mileage and very near zero emissions. The only downside of this process has been that we all pay a lot more money for cars now !
The auto industry had much deeper pockets, (back then) to fund the R & D necessary to implement the mandated changes than the paint manufacturers of today do. However, we need to keep in mind that the changes mandated by the AQMD are for the state of California only. If we had federal regulations, matching the stringent requirements mandated by the state of California the paint industry would be spending much more money to implement these changes.
Conclusions: The important changes are coming. However, it will take time to perfect the materials to achieve satisfactory results. We have had success in the last twelve months implementing the use of new and stronger materials. Yes, they are more money. However, I think it is worth the money for a cleaner environment to breathe and live in.
I remember the 2008 Olympics in Beijing China and seeing the smog on the broadcasts that the Chinese government tried to hide and downplay. I am glad that we in this country and this state made the commitment many years ago not to live like that.
We at Thomas Craven Wood Finishers are dedicated to the task of determining which of these materials work the best and under what conditions. We will always be committed to spend the time, money and effort to achieve the furniture grade finishes, that hold up well as you have been accustomed to from Thomas Craven Wood Finishers.
© Copyright by Thomas Craven June 2009 ©
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Tags: Compromised Wood Finish Coatings, Wood Finish Coatings Durability, Wood Finish Wear and Tear
