There is a wide range of woods when it comes to their uniqueness, serving various purposes. Depending on their texture and quality, the cost varies. In addition to this, there is also another factor that matters, which is – the way the Finishing is done. It is important to find out what kind of wood furniture finishing was done in order to ensure the finest quality. Depending on the types of woods, the finishing is based accordingly. Below are the types of finishing techniques done on the wood in order to prevent them from getting rotten, water damage, or from insects like termites, and extend their durability:

1. Varnish: This type of finishing makes woods resist solvents, chemicals, heat, and water. The wood then gets a glossy, dark, and warm appearance. It is usually not the best choice in case of light-colored furniture. This is the best choice in case of lab design furniture. This is because, in chemistry or biology laboratories, the spilling of chemicals or any other liquid is very common. This is why the workstation, lab benches, cupboards, chemical storage, etc. could easily sustain for long if finished with varnishing.

The cans of varnish contain labels that usually list resins, such as phenolic, urethane, and alkyd, and oils like linseed and tung. It may also contain semi-drying oils like safflower and soybean. Resins extend the durability. The oil-based varnish is the most durable one and can be applied by an average woodworker.

2. Water-based finishing: These are good options for light-colored woods. These do not protect the woods as much as their oil-based counterparts. These are not flammable if compared with the oil-based finishes.

Water-based finishes have ingredients like urethane, alkyd, and acrylic, but since quite recently, these also contain polluting substances instead of water that are also flammable. The resins need to be chemically modified in order to get combined with water. The resultant product is tough and scratch-resistant.

3. Lacquer: The most common type of lacquer is that of nitrocellulose. It is made from nitrocellulose and alkyd, that are combined together and with those solvents that tend to evaporate faster. This is the reason why it is known for getting dried really quickly. It is moderately water resistant, but has quite low tolerance towards heat and some solvents. Its biggest disadvantage is – it becomes yellow with time and age. This option is therefore not suitable for those kinds of woods that are light-colored.

To combat the above drawback, there is also another kind of lacquer which is acrylic modified one. It is a combination of acrylic, and non-yellowing cellulose resin, also known as CAB or cellulose acetate butyrate. It gives better looks on an overall basis.

4. Shellacs: The resin of shellacs is naturally secreted in the form of cocoons from bugs which intend to feed on trees, in Asian countries like India and Thailand. This is then refined into dry (orange) flakes and dissolved in ethyl alcohol to form a solution, which is found in the cans in the market. This type of finish, despite giving a warm tone, does fairly little to enable the furniture to resist against heat and water. The water, in fact, may cause white spots on the surface of the furniture. Clearly, not a good option for those types of furniture that need to be kept outside.

5. Oil: The oil-based finishing requires more maintenance and somewhat prevention against hot substances or any other form of heat. It gives a more natural finish to the wood and is usually preferred on hardwoods. The oil is capable to penetrate inside the wood.

6. Wax: It facilitates transparent covering over the wood. It is just for show purposes, and therefore, does not prevent the surface from scratches or heat (since it has the tendency to melt at very low temperature), but can protect against the liquid spills. The wax does not penetrate inside the wood. It prevents the wood from oxidation or getting gray. This is absolutely not a good option for lab furniture. For instance, lab benches, workstation, lab chair, lab stool, and anything that has to do with the laboratories.

7. Sanding: It is preferred at the very beginning. Sanding is rubbing the furniture by using a sandpaper, so as to smoothen it. The next step, as described above, is to put oil/ varnish/ lacquer/ shellac/ wax over the surface in order to make it lasting.

Lacquers and varnishes are interchangeably used most of the time, depending on where you use these kinds of finishing. If we talk about hardwood wood flooring then the term lacquer is more frequently used.

It is important for a person to know few basic things before getting started. So, ask yourself the following:

When it comes to oiling or varnishing, extra care needs to be taken. This is because hardwoods are really difficult to absorb oils, but still are great if kept outside as a means to decorate your home; yet again, costly! Woods like pine and oak are much easier to paint and could survive under external environment if the finishing is done right. As mentioned previously, these are affordable to purchase. Not all oils are great UV filters, and so, hardwoods are most likely losing their color after a certain amount of time. This is due to the reason that these don't absorb the oil properly. Only timely maintenance protects the wood.