Coating is an important component for timber flooring. It protects the surface of timber flooring from wear, stains and enhance it appearance as well. There is a wide range of coating in the market and the technology behind this product is fast changing to cope with the ever increasing consumer demand.
UV Coating
UV Coating is type of chemical element (liquid) that requires ultraviolet radiation to become solid and form a protection layer for the surface of wood flooring. Without the UV light, UV coating will not solidify. Therefore, UV coating is only suitable to produce prefinished timber flooring because it needs a production line.
Compared to other types of coatings,the most significant feature of UV Coating is the fast curing speed. It can be cured between 0.05s – 0.1s under UV light radiation. Traditional coatings like solvent-based coating and water-based coating need several hours or days to fully cure.
Prefinished Wood flooring with UV Coating can be installed immediately on site; there is no sanding, no waiting for the finish to dry compared with traditional unfinished wood flooring. Therefore, we can save the site installation time.
There is no volatile solvent in the composition of UV Coating; this makes it environmental friendly. Solvent-based coating normally contain 30% – 70% of solvent, during their curing process almost all this solvent volatile into atmosphere, harming the environment. The UV Coating is different, UV Coating is 100% solid content, all the compositions cross-link during the UV curing process and there is no/low volatile organic compounds (VOC) that volatile into atmosphere, which in turn, considerably reduces air pollution.
Advantages of UV Prefinished Hardwood Flooring
- Durability: When the factory applies the finish treatment to the wood, they are able to use very powerful chemical sealers, which are applied by commercial processes that are not available to on-site installers
- Easy installation: It is much easier and quicker to install prefinished hardwood than to go through the process of sanding and staining the material on-site
- Ease of maintenance: Because the surface seal is stronger and more durable when it is applied at the factory, the maintenance of these floors is easier.
- Refinishing is possible: With prefinished flooring, you get all of the advantages of the factory-applied extra-durable surface seal, plus the look, beauty, and feel of natural hardwood