Gloss of four common wood coatings measured before and after their exposure to high humidity

Resumo

Value addition through a shining appearance is often important for wood products which can be brought about by glossy surfaces provided by suitable coatings on them. The gloss and gloss retentions of four common wood coatings were investigated in this study on Melia composita wood substrate, before and after exposure to high humidity. Lacquer gave the highest and melamine the lowest gloss initially. On exposing the coated samples for 25 days to 90% relative humidity, melamine coated samples registered a loss of only 12%-16% of its initial gloss. Lacquer, nitrocellulose lacquer and polyurethane coated samples could retain only 60% of their initial gloss. The study illustrated the weather-resistant properties of melamine as a top coat as far as gloss is concerned.