Coatings World: February, 2005 "Excerpt"

New VOC Restrictions
Sikkens has developed a number of new wood coatings that incorporate hybrid alkyd/acrylic formulation designed to give the advantages of both a solvent-and water-based coating. "The decorative coatings market in North America adopted similar VOC legislation as the state of California," said Tim Stephens, marketing communications manager, Sikkens. "The trend is toward tighter regulations. These new products meet the performance requirements as well as environmental regulations. They have been used and tested in Europe, where the regulations are more stringent."

Waterborne Gaining More Ground
In response to these environmental regulations, wood coating manufacturers have developed a wide variety of water-based and VOC-compliant products.

"Waterborne has been gaining in demand," said Stephens of Sikkens. "There still will always be oil-based coatings, mainly used by professionals and for higher-end applications. The newest generation of products contain emulsions that mix the best of both worlds, combining the properties of oil-based and water-based together. The alkyd/acrylic emulsions launched by Sikkens have been used in Europe and have been brought over and adapted to the North American market. These represent the newest technology in the North American market for decorative coatings."

Designed for exterior wood surfaces, Rubbol siding finish utilizes Sikkens' hybrid alkyd/acrylic formulation specifically engineered to give the advantages of both an oil- and water-based coating.

This new hybrid formula combines the quality of an oil-based coating with the ease-of-use in a water-based solution, according to the company.

Rubbol siding finish is recommended for exterior surfaces such as siding, shakes, shingles, fences, log siding, cedar, pine, spruce, fir or exterior plywood (T 1-11 board). It has the ability to overcome most recoating challenges, excels in covering weathered surfaces, and is available in 53 colors, according to Sikkens.