What types of furniture varnishes are there? How to choose furniture varnish: tips and reviews about manufacturers

When you come to the store to buy furniture varnish, it is difficult to make a choice, since there are so many types of this product on sale now. Should I take the expensive one or the cheaper one? Light or dark? Domestic or imported? There are always a lot of questions, and you want answers to everything. Our article tells you what the best varnish for furniture is.

Types of varnishes on sale

Experts identify several popular options:

• Nitrocellulose. It is used for application to furniture and is considered to be of high quality. It is based on resin, colloxylin, and various organic components. The product is used to treat furniture that can be used in any room, including a residential building or apartment. Its decorative qualities, long shelf life and smoothness during application are noted. It doesn't take long to dry. The composition is completely safe for humans.
• Water based varnish. Most craftsmen use it when processing furniture. The main advantage is that it is environmentally friendly, since its composition is completely water-based. Its fire resistance and lack of strong odor are also noted. Reviews say that this varnish dries quickly at a temperature of +20 degrees, is durable and elastic. The presence of advantages does not exclude the disadvantages. Thus, the composition should not be used in places with high humidity. Experts also say that two-component varnishes have a strong base and are more often used than one-component ones.

Subcategories

Water-based varnish is divided into two categories. This:

• Acrylic varnish for furniture. Considered high quality and reliable. Its great advantage is that wooden furniture coated with this product retains its natural shade. Over time, yellowness does not appear on it. Since the base is aqueous, this product should not be used in rooms with high humidity.
• for furniture. The composition contains diisocyanate and polyesters. In order for the application to be high-quality and accurate, its components are connected before finishing work begins. The level of strength is high, which allows it to be used in various rooms. After a long period of time, such a coating does not form cracks and does not wear off.

Having data on the characteristics of each varnish, it is easy for a beginner to choose a suitable coating for repair. The stores have a varied selection. When choosing, you will have to take other criteria into account.

Colorless or colored

Most often, the choice is made towards colorless. After all, it does not change the natural shades. Furniture made from rich wood species should retain its original appearance. Varnishes with color schemes are used no less often, because there is enough furniture made of wood that does not have interesting color schemes. The main goals for this material are:

• Protective. It is important to prevent exposure to UV rays and mechanical damage.
• Creating the desired color scheme. You can change the color of the furniture, creating an imitation of expensive wood.

Colored varnishes surprise with their variety of shades used. But when applying, you need to know that they all have the ability to be absorbed and change shine. Because of this, the coating becomes less bright or saturated. When wood is dark in color, it is difficult to lighten it with varnish. We must not forget that over time natural shades will begin to appear.

Modern designers say that people began to choose materials that are closer in appearance to natural ones. Therefore, furniture manufacturers now give preference to white or colorless varnishes. When applied to a parquet board, the product can make the room look voluminous and add sophistication to the interior. If it's a classic, black will do. It gives an original look to the entire design.

Matte

Furniture varnish can be matte or glossy. To preserve the natural shades of the furniture, the manufacturer chooses the first option. Wood must undergo thorough preparation before processing.

After this application, the furniture becomes unpretentious, since streaks are not visible and maintenance is simplified.

Gloss

It has its own gloss and features. If the room is small, then glossy furniture options are relevant. If there is damage to the wood, it will have to be carefully masked. Glossy varnish is also suitable for this purpose, while matte varnish will only highlight defects. Glossy and matte varnishes are the same in strength and will protect furniture for a long time. According to the craftsmen, it is worth paying attention to the condition of the furniture.

Are there any fragrance-free formulations?

What varnish should I use to coat furniture to avoid smell? If, when choosing, attention is focused on the composition, it should contain a minimum amount of dyes and other chemical additives. In the presence of solvent, the varnish acquires a sharp, unpleasant odor.

Nitrocellulose varnish is in demand among craftsmen. The product is durable and stays on for a long time upon initial application. It dries quickly at a temperature of at least +20 degrees. But this product is dangerous for the human body. The solvent is to blame. However, such varnishes are often used. When choosing such a product, you should think about additional protection measures.

It turns out that all of the listed varnishes will have an unpleasant odor due to one component. Are there odorless furniture varnishes on the market? The base must be water. Acrylic is considered the best. It is used for any finishing repairs and is completely safe for humans. High strength and ease of application allow craftsmen to expand the range of its use. The composition does not change the natural colors of the surface being coated. Smell (or rather, its absence) is a very important indicator that indicates quality.

Application method

The question often arises about how to varnish furniture. There are many methods. One of them is to apply the product to furniture from an aerosol can. You can save money by buying an aerosol, since no additional tools are required (roller, brush, cleaning agent).

The consumption of the traditional method of application is greater than that of spraying. The entire surface is painted evenly, and it takes less time. Another advantage of the aerosol is that you can varnish furniture even in places that are most difficult to reach with a classic brush. Finding such a product is not difficult. Every hardware store has it in its assortment. Furniture varnish in the form of an aerosol is most often used for restoration work. For initial coating, it is better to choose a regular composition.

Lacquered furniture has never gone out of style. Like any piece of home furnishings, it requires an appropriate interior and design of the surrounding space, but it is always, if not at the peak, then in the first positions of popularity. Furniture varnish for wood belongs to a special type of varnish, which is characterized by a high level of environmental friendliness and the ability to emphasize the texture of wood and preserve its natural color as much as possible.

Buy furniture varnish The KRASKI.RU store offers products from the best manufacturers at low prices. Wide range of varnish compositions allows you to choose the optimal composition for coating any wooden surface in the interior. Furniture varnishes, are mainly intended for indoor use with a normal microclimate and in the absence of excessive mechanical loads on the varnished surface.

It is best to use for furniture in bathrooms or kitchens; they can also be used to varnish garden furniture and the outer surfaces of window frames or doors. Can also be used furniture polyurethane varnish- it forms a strong elastic film that does not interact with water and most chemical solvents.

Types of furniture varnish

In the catalog of the online store KRASKI.RU you can choose furniture varnishes of any composition. They are produced at:
alkyd;
oil;
acrylic;
epoxy;
polyurethane;
nitrocellulose

Basics. Each variety is intended for its own area of ​​application, but, most often, buy furniture varnish possible for universal use. All its varieties are suitable for any wooden surfaces, except for floors, parquet, walls and ceilings in baths and saunas. Created for these purposes special varnishes with increased wear resistance and water resistance.

Furniture varnish It is not particularly durable, but it is completely transparent and penetrates deeply into the pores of the wood, strengthening the surface and fully revealing the texture features. Gloss varnish Very durable, it gives furniture a long-lasting shine, which improves with periodic polishing.

In addition to solid wood, varnish is used for other materials from which various furniture is made:
plywood;
chipboard;
Fiberboard;
tinted paper.

For laminate, MDF furniture varnish not used, as well as for mineral surfaces. It is characterized by deep penetration into the pores and on drywall or brick it will simply disappear inside the material, forming an almost invisible film.

Water-based varnishes

The most environmentally friendly and convenient to use - water-based furniture varnish. Unlike compositions based on organic solvents or nitrocellulose, it does not emit any pungent odors either during operation or during subsequent use. The acrylates and polymers included in its composition are suspended in water in the form of a dispersion or emulsion.

After application, the particles of the acrylic or polyurethane base merge into one whole and, upon completion of the evaporation of water, form a durable, chemically inert, water-insoluble film. Furniture water-based varnish It is produced in the form of a colorless base and can be used unchanged to coat wood products that have their own original pattern and color. For less valuable wood varieties clear varnish tinted in a wide range of colors according to manufacturers' catalogs. You can order coloring in the KRASKI.RU store when making a purchase.

Water-based furniture matte varnish is tinted, as well as glossy and semi-gloss. But when choosing a color, it is important not to overdo it - dried varnish looks slightly different than a fresh coat. The type of wood can also change the color of the finishing layer. Before starting work, it is necessary to perform a test varnishing on a small fragment. Lighten tinted varnish You can add a basic colorless composition to it in a certain proportion.

The KRASKI.RU store catalog includes all types of furniture varnishes that can be purchased wholesale and retail with delivery in Moscow on the day of order. You can pick up your purchase yourself - the store network includes 60 pick-up points, which are located in different parts of the city (map on the website).

Payment for the purchase can be made in any convenient way - cash, card, bank transfer. The store's catalog includes all leading brands of paints, varnishes and finishing materials.

Lacquered furniture is unlikely to ever go out of fashion. Despite the fact that many different materials for making furniture have now appeared on the market, a lacquered living room or bedroom will always be very popular. Furniture varnish, which covers not only various pieces of furniture, but also other wood products, allows you to protect the surface of the wood from various damages; in addition, many types of varnish can protect wood from exposure to water.

What types of varnishes are there?

Experts identify several groups of varnishes that can be used to treat various surfaces.

The first group includes varnishes that are used to treat floors. The second group includes the so-called ship varnishes, this type of varnish can be used to coat wooden products that are located in, the third, most popular type of varnish includes furniture varnishes and varnishes that are used for finishing wooden surfaces, which are located both indoors and outdoors.

Before, how to choose furniture varnish , you need to pay attention to many parameters.

First of all, furniture varnishes are divided into single-component and multi-component; many of us used two-component varnishes when sanding parquet. When choosing a varnish for furniture, you should also pay attention to the varnish-forming base; currently there is an abundance of varnishes on the market that are made on the basis of polyacrylic, polyurethane, epoxy and other bases.

An important criterion that must be taken into account when choosing a varnish is its environmental friendliness. Most water-based varnishes are practically odorless and can be applied to the surface of furniture without using various respiratory protection devices. Most varnishes that use organic solvents have a sharp, unpleasant odor. In addition, furniture varnishes that do not contain organic solvents are...

Currently, you can find both domestic and foreign paint and varnish materials on the market. For domestic paints and varnishes there is a certain marking, which consists of four groups of characters.

The first group of numbers indicates the type of paint and varnish material, it can be varnish or enamel, in some cases the pigment that is included in the varnish is indicated.

The second group of symbols describes the type of film-forming substance that is used in the manufacture of varnish; safe varnishes include varnishes that are made on the basis of natural resins, for example, oil, rosin or water-dispersion.

The third group of symbols describes the purpose of the varnish, for example, weather-resistant, limited weather-resistant, water-repellent, heat-resistant or special.

The fourth group of symbols encodes the drying oil on the basis of which the paint is made or the plant where the paint and varnish material was made.Also, for most varnishes, the marking indicates their type - glossy, semi-gloss, matte or semi-matte.

The process of varnishing furniture has a rather complex technology; if you want to restore it, it is best to contact companies that have extensive experience in this field; as a rule, this work is carried out in specialized workshops.

Before you start varnishing furniture, you must clearly describe the parts that you plan to restore. Next, the parts must be removed from the furniture; if disassembling the furniture is impossible, you must carefully pack those furniture parts that cannot be varnished.

Before you start varnishing furniture with the chosen furniture varnish, you need to clean off the old layer of varnish and paint, why carefully sand the piece of furniture and smooth out all the chips and cracks that have formed on the wood during use. Before starting paint and varnish work, it is necessary to remove all dust that may remain after sanding wooden materials from the surface of the furniture.

Next, you need to cover the furniture with stain or paint, which can be selected according to RAL, after painting the furniture parts, you need to cover the furniture with two layers of varnish, as a rule, the varnish is applied to the surface of the furniture by roller or spraying, after applying the varnish, the furniture is dried in a special chamber, which allows create the perfect coverage. As a rule, the drying time for furniture varnish is 24 hours.

Reminds you that even after varnishing furniture, you should remember that polished furniture should be cared for using special products that do not leave streaks or scratches on the surface of the varnish, and also add shine to the furniture.

Wooden furniture has a fairly high cost, since the material is natural and environmentally friendly. However, having a lot of advantages, wood, under the influence of external factors, undergoes deformation, cracks, changes color and dries out. Therefore, you need to find out in time how to varnish furniture to prevent these processes.

Main types of materials

Unlike paint, transparent varnish does not hide the natural grain of the wood, while protecting it from moisture, UV rays, mechanical stress and the formation of roughness. But not all materials have the same properties and are suitable for use at home. Therefore, you need to clearly navigate their varieties in order to get the expected result.

Furniture varnishes, depending on their purpose, are divided into:

• water-repellent;
• weatherproof;
• heat resistant;
• heat resistant;
• shock-resistant.

By type, these materials are divided into:

• semi-gloss;
• glossy;
• semi-matte;
• matte;
• colored.

Depending on the composition there are:

• acrylic;
• oil;
• alkyd;
• polyurethane;
• epoxy;
• craquelure;
• nitro varnishes.

Varnishes are produced in the form of solutions and sprays, which are easy to treat hard-to-reach places.

Main characteristics of materials

Depending on the basis of the material, the features of working with it also differ.

Water based

For indoor spaces, it is best to choose matte or glossy water-based acrylic varnishes that do not contain organic solvents. They:

• have no odor;
• do not support combustion;
• do not cause allergies and are absolutely harmless to human health;
• do not change the natural shade of wood;
• have high strength indicators;
• dry quite quickly.

The only drawback of this coating is sensitivity to moisture. Therefore, it is advisable to use it in rooms such as bedrooms, living rooms, offices and children's rooms. A special roller is used to apply acrylic varnishes. This material is also available in spray cans.

Polyurethane

But water-based polyurethane varnishes combine the listed properties of acrylic analogues with moisture resistance, which greatly facilitates the care of lacquered furniture. This makes them the most popular protective materials and makes it possible to cover wooden products both indoors and outdoors. Polyurethane materials are ideal for a children's room, as kids can wet the furniture or paint it with paints.

Oily

To give furniture different shades, it is better to choose matte oil varnishes. In their production, vegetable oils and resins, as well as organic solvents, are used. After drying, these materials form a dense transparent film on the surface of the wood, which has a wide range of colors.

Alkyd

Alkyd varnish is considered a durable, moisture-resistant, colorless material. The coating is based on alkyd resins mixed with organic solvents. The disadvantages include the drying time, which is 72 hours. However, manufacturers managed to improve the formula and added special hardeners to the varnish, which reduced this indicator to 24 hours. The coating can be applied with a roller or sprayer, which turns it into a spray, which also promotes rapid drying.

Antique finish

Antique furniture covered with modern materials does not look very natural. Therefore, it is better to choose a matte craquelure varnish for it, which can create an imitation of an aged surface. This effect is achieved due to its ability to dehydrate the paint applied on top. The dyeing technology includes two stages. First, craquelure varnish is applied, and after it dries only slightly, it is coated with paint.

When drying, small cracks form between them, giving the objects an antique appearance.

Nitro-based

Nitrovarnishes could be called an ideal material for protecting furniture, with excellent adhesive qualities, a high strength coefficient, moisture resistance and elasticity, if not for the presence of toxic solvents in their composition. And although these substances evaporate during drying and do not have a harmful effect on the human body, you should not use them to decorate furniture in a children's room. It is advisable to work with nitro varnishes outdoors or in a well-ventilated area, using reliable personal protective equipment for the respiratory tract and eyes.

To treat furniture in a children's room, you should purchase varnishes that have been certified to be resistant to saliva, since babies often chew on the wooden parts of cribs and playpens.

For children's public institutions, experts recommend choosing a universal varnish that does not contain dyes and consists of natural materials such as ricin oil, rosin and various types of microwaxes.

Operating rules

If you decide to restore furniture yourself by coating its surface with varnish, you should adhere to certain rules:

1. Work should only be carried out in rooms with good ventilation.
2. Open flame sources must not be allowed.
3. The treatment must be carried out wearing gloves, a respirator and goggles (water-based varnishes may be an exception).
4. Read the instructions carefully and follow all of its points.
5. If there is an old coating, it must be carefully removed, without leaving even small “islands”.
6. If, after cleaning, cracks, bulges or depressions form on the furniture, they must be puttied and then sanded very well.
7. Before applying varnish, it is worth covering the surface with one or two layers of primer.
8. The varnish should be applied in thin layers, giving each layer sufficient time to dry.

Aerosol varnishes

You can apply varnish in the form of a spray to the prepared wooden surface. This will speed up the processing process, but you will need to have certain skills. Therefore, you should first practice on a sheet of plywood or a wooden board, especially if we are talking about craquelure varnish.

The rules for applying the spray include the following points:

1. Shake the can well.
2. Holding it at a distance of 25-30 cm from the surface to be treated, begin to apply it with wide movements in a horizontal direction.
3. The presence of drips indicates that the can is located too close.
4. After applying the spray, allow the coating to dry for 48 hours (other times may be indicated on the packaging).
5. Sand the first layer with fine sandpaper and remove dust with a napkin.
6. Apply a second coat of varnish and also let it dry completely.
7. If necessary, the process can be repeated a third time.

You should not be careless in choosing varnishes for covering furniture, as this can not only lead to a reduction in its service life, but also make it completely unusable due to deterioration in appearance.

Particular attention should be paid to the selection of material for children's furniture, since it is subject to higher hygienic requirements.

Used to impart aesthetic and protective properties to surfaces. They are solutions of synthetic or natural resins in special solvents, which can be ethanol, acetone, drying oil, water, etc. In this article we will look at how to choose varnish for floors, furniture, facades and other surfaces.

Which varnish is best to use for wood?

Before choosing a varnish for a wooden floor or other surfaces, it is worth studying the advantages and disadvantages of different types of varnish.

1. Water-based varnishes are absolutely safe for human health, do not cause respiratory diseases, are odorless, dry quickly, but are easily susceptible to destructive external influences.
2. Alkyd varnishes are produced on the basis of glyphthalic and pentaphthalic resins. Resistant to pollution, aggressive chemical environments, as well as abrasion and deformation. After application they dry quickly and have a smell.
3. Bituminous varnishes help protect wooden products from rotting processes and the formation of microorganisms; they are also used for hydro- and electrical insulation of metals. Dries quickly and has a smell. Disadvantages include low resistance to temperature changes and UV radiation.
4. Polyurethane-based varnishes can be used on various surfaces. They are environmentally friendly, odorless, and dry quickly.
5. The basis for oil varnishes is natural oil or drying oil. Advantages: environmentally friendly, odorless, moisture resistant. Disadvantages: takes a long time to dry, darkens some time after application.

How to choose wood varnish for interior work

Varnishes for indoor use are distinguished by their hardness and durability of the coating, which protects against possible mechanical damage. They are absolutely safe for human health, odorless, and clearly reveal the texture of the wood.

Such varnishes are used to cover furniture, wooden or parquet floors, and interior details. For interior work, varnishes based on acrylic, alkyd, oil, alkyd-urea, nitrocellulose, and polyurethane bases are suitable.

How to choose wood varnish for outdoor use

Varnishes for external work form an elastic film that can withstand adverse atmospheric phenomena: temperature changes, UV radiation, aggressive acids and alkalis. Varnish is used to cover wooden benches, terrace boards, house facades, garden furniture, etc. Alkyd-urethane, alkyd, and polyurethane varnishes are suitable for this.

Which varnish is best for the floor

• One-component varnish is preferable for floor coverings with low or medium surface load. Its advantages include ease of use and more affordable cost.
• Two-component varnish is more resistant to mechanical and physical-chemical influences, and therefore can be used for floors with high traffic.

How to choose varnish for parquet

Floor coverings require varnishes with increased resistance to deformation. Before purchasing, you should take into account the expected load on the room, for example, wear-resistant polyurethane products would be ideal for the kitchen or hallway, and alkyd or water-based varnishes can be used in the bedroom or living room.

Which varnish is better for parquet: alkyd or water-based

Alkyd varnish is more wear-resistant, but when dry it releases substances that are harmful to health. In children's rooms or bedrooms, it is recommended to use environmentally friendly and hypoallergenic water-based varnishes.

Before choosing a varnish for a floor made of pine, oak or other wood, it is important to pay attention to the level of gloss of the paint and varnish. Depending on the brightness of the light reflected from the surface, the following types are distinguished:

• high gloss;
• glossy;
• semi-gloss;
• semi-matte;
• matte.

Which varnish to choose for furniture

Furniture varnishes should not only give an aesthetic shine to the product, but also protect it from external influences. It is important that they are fireproof, resistant to moisture, abrasion, and scratches. For painting furniture, the most popular varnishes are polyurethane and acrylic based. They are easy to apply and completely environmentally friendly. To give an aging effect, bitumen varnishes are used.

Varnish for stone and concrete

Varnish for stone and concrete provides reliable protection of building structures from weathering, pollution and destruction. For these purposes, polyurethane, bitumen and alkyd varnishes are most preferred. To emphasize the decorative properties of the stone, acrylic varnish is used.

Deck varnish

The so-called deck or yacht varnish is made on a polyurethane-alkyd base. It is especially resistant to the destructive influence of salt and fresh water, wind, ultraviolet rays, therefore it is used for painting river and sea vessels, as well as window frames, facades, and doors.