Chimiver Ecostar 2K Natural
The main question when a new customer is enquiring about a water based floor lacquer is “ Is this lacquer going to change my floor colour? “. If you are looking for a water based floor lacquer that does not change the colour of the wood and maintains the natural look of the wood, then the new Chimiver Ecostar 2K Natural is the right product for you. This outstanding quality two pack polyurethane water based floor lacquer is one of the most durable and most natural looking products on the market. Manufactured in Italy by Chimiver, the new Chimiver Ecostar 2K Natural has become a hit all over the world with those customers looking for a product that looks just like a floor oil but without the disadvantages of a floor oil.
Why Pick The New Chimiver Ecostar 2K Natural?
The time to decide what type of finish to get is now. But how would you do it? There are hundreds of types of water based floor lacquers, water based floor primers, single pack floor lacquers, two pack floor lacquers, solvent based finishes, tinted lacquers and tinted primers and so on. Each brand of wood care products claims to be better than the other one and each brand seems to be covering more than all other ones.
Well, let’s make it simple for you. The new Chimiver Ecostar 2K Natural will not glaze your floor, it will not create any sheen and it will not yellow. The new Chimiver Ecostar 2K Natural will maintain the natural look of the wood and it will provide years of protection hassle free. That is the guarantee provided by Chimiver.
The Evolution Of Natural Looking Lacquers
For years and years up to about 10 years ago, people were demanding glossy looking water based floor lacquers. The glossier, the better. But about 10 years ago, things changed for some reason and nowadays most new types of real wood floors are sold sealed with some of the most natural looking sealers. For this to happen, the water based technology had to improve and become as good or even better than the classic solvent based finishes.
The ultra matt or the natural looking floor lacquers will fully imitate the look of the natural oils but it comes with much better durability and way less maintenance. There are single pack and two pack water based floor lacquers that are 100% invisible but for high traffic areas we would highly recommend the two pack ones.
Natural Ventilation
The natural looking water based floor lacquers allow full ventilation and air movement. Unlike the old solvent floor lacquers that were creating a thick layer of sealer over the top of the floor, the new water based floor lacquers fully penetrate the wood and allow the natural ventilation of the air. This ventilation is great for drying out fast and for preventing rising water related issues. The new Chimiver Ecostar 2K Natural is one of the most natural water based floor lacquers for so many good reasons.
Two Pack Floor Lacquer
Most two pack floor lacquers slightly change colour when the hardener is added to the composition. But not the amazing Chimiver Ecostar 2K Natural. This product is designed for intense traffic surfaces and it can be used for sealing all types of unsealed hardwood floors, furniture, frames, toys, etc. The product is food safe and it can be used for sealing worktops and surfaces where food is being prepared. The hardener reacts with the lacquer itself and it hardens up to an incredible level. The new Chimiver Ecostar 2K Natural can be used directly on the wood or over a stained surface.
Coverage
The estimated coverage area for this product is 8 to 12 square meters per 1L. The actual coverage area can and will vary from surface to surface and usually it depends on the talent of the applicator and how well the surface is prepared. Unlike the classic water based floor lacquers that have some level of sheen, the new Chimiver Ecostar 2K Natural is invisible so there will be no room for error. A thick floor lacquer is likely to mask some imperfections and even if some areas are not sanded to perfection, after the first coat, most of the issue will be hidden under a thick coat of floor lacquer or floor primer. But because the new Chimiver Ecostar 2K Natural is a type of lacquer that fully penetrates into the wood, there is no masking and whatever imperfections are visible before lacquering, will be made way visible after lacquering.
8 sq meters to 12 sq meters per 1L is the estimated coverage area
Fumes
This product is as green as can be and there are no risks for the trade man or for the floor owner. Just like pretty much the entire Chimiver range, the new Chimiver Ecostar 2K Natural is a water based polyurethane based floor lacquer that has no odour and releases insignificant levels of fumes while wet. It can be used in places with poor or no ventilation, it is safe for asthmatics, children, pets and pregnant women. A risk free water based floor lacquer that can be used by highly skilled floor refinishing specialists and by DIY users as well.
Non Yellowing
Yellow hardwood floors are the floors no one wants. Most hardwood floors are not actually yellow at all but they become yellow over a short or long period of time. The deep yellow colour is usually caused by the solvent based floor sealer or floor primer in most cases. Some water based floor lacquers can add a hint of peachy finish to the wood or can react with the elements over a period of time to change the colour of the floor. That is not the case when using the new Chimiver Ecostar 2K Natural. This product has no solvent content and it cannot change colour. The only way the floor will discolour is if it is bleached, burned with acid or if rugs are put on the floor and the floor wears off unevenly.
Here Is How You Apply The New Chimiver Ecostar 2K Natural
It does not matter if you are a highly skilled floor sanding specialist or if you are just a residential user that is planning a small hardwood floor refinishing project. The lacquer does not know who applied it so the preparation has to be done correctly.
Surface Preparation
There are two types of floors that can be sealed with the new Chimiver Ecostar 2K Natural, old or new floors. The old floor is likely to have some kind of sealer on it even if it is not that visible any longer and the new floors are likely to have issues and dirt left from the initial installation. Many people are under the impression that a brand new floor will require no sanding at all. That is not the case in most cases because unsealed hardwood floors are going through a long process before they end up in your home. They need to be cut to size, packed, delivered, unloaded, installed, walked on it, etc. Every time when an operation happens, some light damage will be done to the wood and by the time it is installed in your home, it could have been out of the forest for 10 years. So, to have it perfectly smooth and ready for sealing, it will require some level of sanding based on the level of imperfections and surface damage.
Sanding The Floor
Depending on the condition of the floor, the grit of the sanding paper can vary dramatically. Most floor sanding and floor refinishing contractors start the original sanding process with 40 grit sandpaper. The 40 grit sandpaper is aggressive enough to remove most old sealers and wood imperfections without removing too much wood at once. In some cases where the wood is seriously uneven or sealed with incredibly hard solvent finishes, rougher sanding paper might be required. In other cases, where there is no sealant at all or the old sealer was a soft floor oil, the floor can be started with 60 grit sandpaper. Either way, the final sanding should be done with 100 grit sanding paper. Do not jump from 40 grit to 100 grit because all the scratches done by the 40 grit will be very visible and the 100 grit sanding paper can`t remove it in full.
40 grit sanding first | Then 60 grit sanding | Then 80 grit sanding | Then 100 grit sanding
***some highly skilled floor sanding contractors that are using top of the range floor sanders and sanding paper, might be able to skip one grit, but if you have not done it before, stick with all the grits***
Final Preparation
Now that the floor was sanded in full and the surface looks smooth and ready for lacquering, you need to prepare for the final check up. Vacuuming the floor thoroughly now will prevent so many issues later on. The fine wood dust generated by the sanding machine is everywhere. You might not see it because it is floating around in the air, but it is there. The minute the lacquer is on, it will start settling on it and creating a rough finish. To prevent that, please use a small vacuuming brush to vacuum all corners, all the furniture, skirting, doors, frames, gaps, tools, etc. Also, open all the windows to create a bit of draft and naturally allow some of the fine dust out the windows. Only after assessing the surface and being 100% sure that there is no more dust, proceed to sealing it.
Lacquering
You will need 1 bucket, 1 varnishing roller, one varnishing roller support, one handle and one varnishing brush. Add the lacquer to the bucket and mix up the hardener with it while stirring the composition. Remember, only mix up what you need to use within 2 hours. After the mixing is done, the lacquer will harden up regardless if you have used it or not. The mixing rate is 1 to 10. One part hardener and 10 parts lacquer. Allow the lacquer to rest for about 5 minutes after adding the hardener and then proceed with the application.
- Use a small but good quality varnishing brush to seal all the edges, corners and all the saddle boards. Use the varnishing brush for all areas where the varnishing roller cannot fit
- Use the varnishing roller to varnish the largest surfaces. It is essential to move along with the fiber of the wood and not against it. The secret is to apply a thin but even coat of floor lacquer all over the floor without missing any patches. While wet, the new Chimiver Ecostar 2K Natural might look like it has changed the colour of the floor but when it dries, it will look natural. No puddles and no soaking on the surface.
- The floor should fully dry within 2-3 hours, depending on a number of factors. Re-assess the condition of the surface and if you notice any rough patches or other imperfections, give it a light sanding with 180 grit to 320 grit sanding paper to flatten it up. Then vacuum it well and prepare for the final coat.
- The final coat should be done pretty much in the same way as the first coat. The only difference will be that the floor absorbs way less and the coverage is better. The surface should fully dry within a few hours and the process is now completed.
Maintenance
The finish will look incredible and you want it to stay that way. Most of the damage that is done on hardwood floors is usually done by the cleaning products or the overuse of water. Some people get carried away and instead of using proper quality hardwood floor cleaners to maintain their newly refinished floors, they start using steamers and highly aggressive floor cleaners. While a high PH or acidic floor cleaner might really remove the dirt, in many cases, it dulls up the finish or reduces the protection of the wood floor dramatically.
To avoid such issues, please clean your newly varnished floors with Chimiver Velurex Star. This product is 100% eco-friendly, safe and highly effective. It cleans quickly, it evaporates quickly and is pet safe. Use as little water as possible as well. Try to use a flat mopping system that reduces the water leaks and prevents oversoaking of the wood.