If you’ve spent any time behind a spray gun, the old argument about water-based finishes is over: the chemistry caught up. What hasn’t caught up in a lot of shops is knowing which water-based system fits which job. A sealer dialed in for kitchen cabinets isn’t the right call for a live edge slab or […]

Water-based wood sealers outperform traditional oil/solvent-based sealers for most professional and prosumer interior finishing applications by delivering faster production cycles, superior color clarity, lower VOC emissions, and exceptional compatibility with today’s high-performance waterborne topcoats. Traditional oil-based sealers remain valuable when maximum penetration or a richer, warmer tone is required, but advances in waterborne chemistry have

Part 1: Why Finishing Open Grain Wood Demands More than a “More Coats” Strategy When finishing open grain wood, here’s a trap even experienced finishers can fall into: You’re working with a beautiful piece of figured walnut, open-grain mahogany, or a slab of quartersawn white oak. You know the piece needs to stand up to

Water-based polyurethane has become a popular choice for professional and serious DIY wood finishers, woodworkers and homeowners who want a durable finish with low odor and fast drying times. Modern water-based urethane coatings also offer excellent clarity, strong protection, and lower VOC levels compared to many traditional solvent-based finishes.  Even with those advantages, application mistakes

Wood finishers and wood coating makers often throw around the word “urethane” like it’s a single, uniform thing. It’s not. The word urethane is really just an umbrella term. What lives under that umbrella is the type of “poly” chain built into the chemistry and it determines how your finish will perform over time. There

As wood finishers, we sit at the intersection of craft, design, and material performance. So, as we start 2026, let’s look at some interior design and architectural trends that may likely influence choices in stains, clear coats, textures, and of course, color. For this outlook, we drew upon several sources, including color forecasts, interior design

Updated: December 2025 Each year as we transition from fall to winter we usually receive a fresh batch of calls and emails about concerns related to cold-weather applications. So, now is a great time to remind everyone that water-based coatings are typically more sensitive to cold weather than oil- or solvent-based coatings and extra attention

Updated December 2025 A Personal Note from Jeff Weiss Back in October 2024, you may have read about Target Coatings launching a new brand called EMCAT+®. At the time, maybe your reaction was, “Hey, this stuff sounds cool, but what the heck are they talking about?” Well, not wanting to be accused of overselling my

UPDATED: November 2025 You have probably noticed the trending popularity of the “natural wood look” or “raw wood finish,” where the final result is a beautiful piece of furniture that looks as if it is raw wood without a single coat of finish. The challenge is, even an ultra-clear coating or lacquer on light woods