by Case goods manufacturer said new finish has more clarity, is more durable and also is formaldehyde free compared to previous catalyzed lacquer
BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. — Wood furniture manufacturer Gat Creek has converted its finish line from a catalyzed lacquer finish to an advanced 2K urethane topcoat.
For customers of the wood bedroom, dining and occasional furniture line, the company said this new performance finish is formaldehyde free and is clearer and more durable than its previous finish applications.
Company CEO Gat Caperton said that the shift to the new finish has taken place over the past six months, although the full transition including getting educated about the new finish has taken the better part of a year.
“All of this was such a learning process,” Caperton told Home News Now of the new finish, provided by a company called FinishWorks of Hudson, North Carolina.
“We have always used lacquer, and lacquer has always been the clearest option we do,” he added. “It was dramatically clearer than (conversion) varnish was, and we always thought that it was the standard of clarity. And then we started testing the urethane and we were like ‘Oh my goodness, the urethane is more clear than the lacquer.’ We didn’t know we were getting into that when we started the process.”
Applied using the latest spray technology, the urethane finish is now available on 100% of the Gat Creek line. The name 2K incorporates the German word komponente and also the mixing of two components at the point of application, which is different than what is said to be the more typical mixing of finish components offsite.
Another key component that Caperton said is key to retailers and consumers alike is that it is also formaldehyde free, meaning that there is no off-gassing when it gets moved into the consumers’ home.
“The urethane finish is truly formaldehyde free, and that is what people notice the most and that is what has the most impact on people,” he said. “So it is nice to move it from a tiny amount to zero. It is going to further reduce off-gassing and that makes it a safer product.”
He also noted that this is a highly durable commercial-grade finish that is more clear in its overall appearance, unlike other finishes that can develop an amber tone over time.
“Amber tends to be an enhancement when you are working with antique, waxy types of finishes, but if you are looking for something that is clear and bright and modern, it works against you,” he said.
And the best part for customers? The company said that while the material is substantially more expensive than what it has been using, there will not be a price increase associated with the new finish.
“The opportunity is for us to us to earn more customers, so this is a sales expense,” said David Petersen, vice president of marketing and sales. “We are really looking at this to provide a better product and have people make a choice based on that. We are going to be the one in the marketplace with a commercial-grade finish on everything, every day and everywhere.”
