Synteko Urban Legends...
If you would like any further questions answered about floor finish urban legends, please contact us.
Q: Is Synteko Classic a weak floor finish because it scratches?
A: It is a common mistake or belief to assume that floor finishes which scratch easily are soft or weak. On the contrary, the harder the surface finish is, the greater the probability, it will scratch or be damaged during the curing period. The damage to the hard, brittle surface is caused by the force of a grain of sand or grit being dragged across the surface, for example under a shoe or caught under a chair leg. The result of this action, on an uncured floor finish, will be the tearing of the hardened film of the floor coating. Synteko Classic, a hard brittle finish, when subjected to this force will tear or scratch, revealing an array of crystalline structures along the path of the scratch highlighted by a white line. Each of these crystals will reflect the light at various angles. This is known as "white light" and therefore by definition not a characteristic of a weak finish. In addition the presence of this white line is exaggerated, as the surface film on either side of it, is crystal clear. Conversely, softer finishes which are not crystal clear, do not highlight the scratches but do however wear through rapidly.
A shoe scuff on an uncured floor finish will leave a permanent black mark or “dull patch” on the floor finish. The scuff is a result of an instantaneous high heat build up, caused by the shoe movement. This burn mark on the surface is commonly known as a scuff mark.
To summarise Synteko Classic is a hard resilient finish. As it cures through, this Swedish finish will have sufficient strength to respond to the scratch or scuff by dissipating the force through the entire film. Therefore the incidence of damage will reduce as the surface finish cures.
Q: Is Synteko Classic, the Swedish Finish legal?
A: Yes, Swedish finishes are categorized as Conversion Varnishes and are compliant in every State, and satisfy the new U.S.A. VOC regulations.
Q: Do Swedish finishes cause cancer or other health ailments?
A: When handled with proper industry standard safety equipment, Swedish finishes do not cause health problems. As with any finish application, Synteko strongly recommends wearing goggles, gloves and an approved respirator with organic vapour or formaldehyde cartridges. In fact, wearing a respirator is a must when applying all professional wood floor finishes, such as polyurethanes, tung oil seals, etc.
Q: What is all this I hear about VOC limits?
A: Some States in the USA are choosing to enact their own regulations, setting their own VOC limits for architectural coatings. Most of the changes taking place do not affect the conversion varnishes commonly known as Swedish Finishes. So, for most contractors in the industry, any changes in the VOC limits will not affect business whatsoever.
Q: Classic has formaldehyde. Isn’t formaldehyde bad for you?
A: First of all, you may be surprised to know that many foods and everyday household items contain formaldehyde: lipstick, toothpaste, soft drinks, apples, smoked foods, shampoo, kitchen cabinets, pressed board, laminates, carpeting, wine, beer, cigarette smoke, paper towels, draperies, permanent press clothes, and fingernail polish. The largest producer of formaldehyde, more than any man-made device, is Mother Nature! Formaldehyde is a natural by-product of incomplete combustion (smoke), fermentation (alcohol), and other naturally occurring chemical reactions (metabolic processes). That said, yes – formaldehyde is bad for you if inhaled in significant quantities. However, as with these other examples, the trace amounts of formaldehyde present in Classic finish after the finish has completely hardened are so minute that no physical side-effect takes place. When the finish is fully cured, no amounts of formaldehyde have been detected.
