new products have shaken up the wood
flooring industry the way waterborne coatings
have. Some tradesmen resent the fact
that tougher air quality laws, not better performance,
are dictating the use of the new
coatings. Others can't imagine working with a
finish whose primary component is water —
woodworkers' enemy. And yet, to still others,
the product is the greatest thing to come to market
since the electric sander. But whether we
like them or not, waterborne coatings will
undoubtedly play a major role in the future of
the wood flooring industry.
Without question, the most widely used waterborne
floor finishes are the waterborne urethanes.
Though they've been used on residential floors in
the U.S. for