If the finish feels cool to the touch, it's not ready. When you can sand it to a dry powder, it is ready for the next coat. Dry times will be longer if it is raining, cold, or humid. When in doubt, waiting longer is always better.
General Finishes offers a complete coatings system with a finish for every objective.
General Finishes Professional, Industrial, and OEM Water-Based Topcoats
Enduro Professional Tintable 2K Clear Poly
Enduro Professional Tintable 2K White Poly
Enduro Professional 2K Conversion Varnish
Enduro Professional 1K White Poly
Enduro Professional 1K Clear Poly
Enduro Professional Pre-Cat Lacquer
General Finishes Retail Water-Based Topcoats:
High Performance Topcoat
Flat Out Flat
Enduro-Var Topcoat
Exterior 450
General Finishes Exterior Water-Based Topcoats:
Enduro Professional Tintable 2K Clear Poly
Enduro Professional Tintable 2K White Poly
Enduro Professional 2K Conversion Varnish
Exterior 450
General Finishes Oil-Based Topcoats
Arm-R-Seal
Gel Satin Topcoat
Wood Bowl Finish
Butcher Block Oil
Outdoor Oil
GENERAL PRACTICE:
Oil-based topcoats and ENDURO-VAR will amber over time.
All other water-based and High Performance top coats dry clear.
Never use any water-based topcoat with long oils such as Danish, Tung or Linseed.
Water-based top coats clean up with soap and water. Oil-based topcoats require mineral spirits for cleanup.
If you use water-based topcoats over oil-based finishes, make sure that you wait 72 hours between the two products. It is essential to let the oil finish dry longer.
For more complex projects with many details and corners or large surface areas such as cabinets, we recommend either ARM-R-SEAL liquid oil-based topcoats or water-based topcoats. Large surfaces such as cabinets or tables and complex projects with lots of detail are easier to cover with a liquid topcoat rather than a GEL SATIN topcoat.
Enduro Professional Topcoats are thinner and intended to be sprayed
HIGH PERFORMANCE can be brushed or sprayed. It can be thinned by adding 5-10% distilled water if needed.
If you want to change the sheen, you can re-coat with a different sheen over top. The second layer of top coat will replace the appearance of the first.
Sand lightly with a used 220 sanding PAD to knock down the original finish before re-coating. It may take two or 3 coats to get complete coverage.
Toning is the process of adding colorant, either dye or pigmented stain into a top coat and then applying over an entire piece in order to subtly deepen the color. All of our stains can be used: Stock base colors of RTM, Water-Based Wood Stains or Dye stains. If you are new to toning, we recommend starting with Dyes stains, which can be easier to use as they only contain dyes and no pigments.
All of General Finishes water-based topcoats with the exception of Conversion Vanish can be tinted to create lightly colored finishes for toning. It is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO TEST to your satisfaction before application to your entire project.
There are limits anytime you add pigments or dyes to water-based topcoats. Toning should always be done in small increments to achieve the desired color. If you are starting with a light honey tone door and you want to create an Espresso color this will take multiple coats of color including base coat of stain followed by several toning coats. It is impossible to achieve a radical change in color in coat application.
A good rule to follow when toning is starting with a minimal amount of stain or dye, 5-10% by volume. Some colors work better than others. Normally 1-2 ounces or stain per quart of clear topcoat is sufficient to create a toner. Always test color first and strain material through a fine mesh filter to remove any undissolved particle of pigment. Once you have achieved the desired color tone apply a clear topcoat to lock in the color. Toner made with water based wood stain should be used at point of use only. Do not store for extended periods of time.
GF recommends using the least expensive product that will provide the needed performance characteristics. We offer a range of products designed for professional spray applications and brush-on finishes for consumer use.
Looking for hardness, clarity and fast stack time? Pre Cat Lacquer is the choice. Use in applications where there is little risk of chemical contamination issues from substances such as ketchup, soap, chemical cleaners, or ammonia. This is the perfect spray finish for interior doors, casing, moldings, door jambs and furniture that receives light use. When you think about it, interior doors don't take a lot of wear. You might wipe them down or dust them once in a while but that is about it. PreCat Lacquer is a hard finish that provides excellent build and superior clarity at a phenomenal price point. If you are not finishing a surface such as a tabletop where you anticipate chemical contamination during use, why pay for a more expensive finish?
Poly is the go-to cabinet finish. It has all the durability you need at a lower price point than Conversion Varnish. It is similar to High Performance in test measurements for chemical, water and wear resistance, but HP can be brushed and Clear Poly can't - it is already thinned for spraying. Clear Poly has a bit of an edge over High Performance in overall chemical resistance, a 98 rating vs 92.
This is our top of the line. Conversion Varnish is a post catalyzed high solids, two component urethane formulated for professionals who need the highest level of durability and chemical resistance. Varnish will cure the fastest. Requires NCO Catalyst. It is recommended for commercial applications or extremely high-wear surfaces such as countertops and bar tops
Flat Out Flat is formulated with a self cross-linking acrylic, and is designed to mimic the look and feel of a wax finish. Because of the increased matting agents used to create the "Flat look", this finish will have less clarity. Like wax, it dries softer to the touch than High Performance when completely cured, and will show more fingerprints. FOF finish will mark up more easily because of increased matting agents used to reduce the sheen, so it is not recommended for high-use tabletops.
Enduro-Var is an oil modified water-based alternative for customers that want the warm look of an oil finish in a water based coating. It looks more like an oil finish than a water coating, and can be sprayed or brushed. The original Enduro-Var adheres well ONLY over WATER STAINS, DYE STAINS, and RAW WOOD. Use over other finishes at your own risk. The new formula of Enduro-Var II is compatible with all GF products and dries to a lighter amber than the previous formula.
Exterior 450 provides a clear drying tough, protective finish that will withstand the rigors of the sun, rain, and wind. It is suitable for vertical surfaces such as fences, patio furniture, garage doors, entrance doors, outdoor kitchens and interior windows. It is not recommended as a deck finish. Fortified with UV absorbers to stabilize the finish, Exterior 450's built-in mildewcide retards mold and mildew growth.
The hardness properties of a wood finish are formulated around the objectives of use. A hard finish is desirable on projects that get heavy wear such as kitchen cabinets or table tops.
But in other situations, such as an outdoor topcoat, a desired property of the finish is elongation, which allows the topcoat to expand and contract through different extremes of temperature.
A flooring finish is another example where hardness is not the major objective of the formulation. Just like outdoor furniture, wood floors expand and contract through the seasons of the year, responding to heat, air conditioning and changes in humidity. The floor finish needs to elongate or flex as the wood moves.
This can be problematic for floors which are often subject to heavy use, including dogs nails. Pet nails will not scratch a good floor finish all the way through the wood, but the nails will indent or imprint the surface of the floor.
It is impossible to combine equal properties of flexibility and hardness in a floor finish, so you have to accept some limitations at the outset. You can improve the life of your wood floor finish by selecting a denser wood for your floors, hickory, maple or white oak instead of pine for instance.
Or just live with the indentations. This is another instance where dogs rule.
Heavy sunlight will also affect harder finishes applied in sun-saturated areas such as window sills, causing finishes to become brittle and crack.
You can keep costs down and have a better result if you match the properties of the finish to the needs of the project.
One of General Finishes hardest water based topcoats is General Finishes Enduro Conversion Varnish, which requires a catalyst and is recommend for use by professionals. It cures in half the time of most topcoats, allowing the finisher to pack and ship sooner, but the price point would make it overkill for other uses. Other factoids:
General Finishes Arm-R-Seal is GFs hardest oil finish, but it does not have elongation properties, so its great for tables but not as compatible for floors.
Although General Finishes Exterior 450 is formulated to be flexible and resist water, water-based High Performance or oil based Arm-R-Seal would work very nicely for a bathroom cabinet.
General Finishes Flat Out Flat is hard but the matting agents and additives that give FOF the look of wax impair chemical resistance
It is impossible to combine equal properties of flexibility, hardness and chemical resistance in a finish, so be sure to select the correct product for your finishing project.
The popular flat sheens are lovely but they have different attributes than glossy finishes. The flatting agents required to reduce sheen in flat or matte topcoats also slightly reduce clarity, water resistance, durability and resistance to chemicals such as ketchup, soap, chemical cleaners, or ammonia. This is not much of a concern in low use areas but is important for table tops or kitchen cabinets.
Here is a tip to improve the performance of your finish and still obtain a matte sheen: Use a semi-gloss sheen for the first two coats and a flat for the third for optimum performance.
General Finishes is constantly seeking new resins and additives to improve the performance of our finishes.
No, because the particles can become embedded and rust. Some alternatives are Klingspor Synthetic Wool and Meka Mirlon 1500 synthetic wool.
Steel wool is still an acceptable option for oil-based finishes. GF recommends using "oil-free" 0000 wool from Liberon because it doesn't shred as easy as hardware store brands.
SPRAY APPLICATION OF GENERAL FINISHES WATER-BASED FINISHES:
All General Finishes water-based topcoats and wood stains are ready to spray from the container without additives with the exception of Conversion Varnish. Always strain material through a medium to fine mesh filter before spraying. If necessary, in hot or dry climates, reduce 10 to 15% with General Finishes Extender to extend the open time.
PRE SEALING:
Softwoods such as Pine absorb stain at an uneven rate and may respond better to staining if the wood is pre-sealed. General Finishes Pre-Stain Conditioner Natural can be applied to raw wood to condition the surface for uniform penetration of the stain. Pre-sealing will cause the final stain to be lighter so you may need to use a darker color. Always test your color on a hidden part of the furniture. Allow the Pre-Stain Conditioner to dry 30 minutes before applying your final stain color.
If you are using a sprayer that has been used for oil-based or lacquers, clean the unit thoroughly with acetone followed with hot water to purge the fluid passage. Apply a thin coat first that will dry and harden faster. Sand this first coat down to a smooth base on which to build your finish coats with a 220-320 grade foam sanding pad or #400-grit sandpaper. It is better to spray 2 thin coats rather than 1 heavy coat.
Contact your supplier to verify proper tip sizes for your specific equipment. GF's general recommended fluid tips for Wood Stains and Top Coats are Compressed air - .040 and Airless - .009.
This PDF lists general guidelines for several different types of sprayers with specific General Finishes product recommendations for HVLP listed below.
RECOMMENDED TIPS FOR GENERAL FINISHES PRODUCTS USING HVLP:
Milk Paint: 1.8mm-2.0mm
Brushable White Enamel 1.8mm-2.0mm
Stain Blocker: 1.8mm-2.0mm
Pearl Effects: 1.8mm-2.0mm
Glaze Effects: 1.8mm-2.0mm
High-Performance Topcoat: 1.1mm-1.3mm
Flat Out Flat Top Coat: 1.1mm-1.3mm
Enduro-Var 1.1mm-1.3mm
Water-Based Wood Stain: 1.1mm-1.3mm
Water-Based Dye Stain: 1.1mm-1.3mm
Exterior 450 Topcoat:1.1mm-1.3mm
Exterior 450 Stain: 1.1mm-1.3mm
Enduro Sanding Sealer: 1.3-1.4mm
Enduro White Poly: 1.3mm-1.5mm
Enduro Black Poly: 1.3mm-1.5mm
Enduro White Under Coat 1.5mm-1.8mm
Enduro Clear Poly: 1.1mm-1.3mm
Enduro Pre Cat Lacquer: 1.1mm-1.3mm
Enduro Conversion Varnish: 1.1mm-1.3mm
Air caps should be medium size. Contact your supplier to verify proper tip sizes for your specific equipment.
Break your work into sections such as dresser top or drawer fronts. Spraying too large of an area can result in a textured grainy surface. A correctly sprayed finish should appear even and glossy. It is important to spray enough material to allow proper flow and leveling of the finish.
Spray medium wet films at 3-5 wet ml thickness. Practice makes perfect. If you have never sprayed finishes before, take a large piece of cardboard and practice your technique first. Spray water on the cardboard to learn how the gun works. Check your fluid settings and adjust the controls to get comfortable with the spray angles and to develop your technique.
SPRAYING TOPCOATS:
Keep your gun at a 90* angle, 6-8" from the surface. On large flat areas, use wet, even patterns 6 to 8 wide. For narrow surfaces, reduce the fan pattern to 2-3" to reduce overspray. For topcoats, overlap each pass 25% to conceal lines.
Keep your gun at a 90* angle, 6-8" from the surface. On large flat areas, use wet, even patterns 6 to 8 wide. For narrow surfaces, reduce the fan pattern to 2-3" to reduce overspray. Overlap each pass of stain 50% for even coverage and wipe back the excess with an absorbent cloth. For narrow surfaces, reduce the fan pattern to 2-3" to reduce overspray.
SPRAYING WATER BASED DYE STAINS:
Keep your gun at a 90* angle, 6-8" from the surface. On large flat areas, use wet, even patterns 6 to 8 wide. For narrow surfaces, reduce the fan pattern to 2-3" to reduce overspray. Overlap each pass of stain 50% for even coverage. If coverage is even, there is no need to wipe. If you have issues with uneven coverage, wipe back the excess with an absorbent cloth. For narrow surfaces, reduce the fan pattern to 2-3" to reduce overspray.
Yes - this is not a good place to take shortcuts.GF Gel Stain gets its deep rich hue from a large number of colorants. Seal the stain with a topcoat before applying glaze to prevent "color pull."
The glaze will also glide more easily over the surface after topcoat is applied, allowing you greater control of how much color you want to use. Be sure to wait 72 hours when applying water-based finishes over oil-based finishes.
Here is a sample finish schedule:
Prep sand and clean
Apply stain
Apply a layer of topcoat to prevent color bleed thru and make glazing easier
Apply Glaze Effects
Apply 2-3 coats of topcoat to protect the entire project
LIFE OF PRODUCT
Water-based products do not last forever, even when unopened. General Finishes products are best used within 1 year of the manufacture date listed on the bottom of the can. The life of the product may be extended to 2-3 years with proper care and storage.
SETTLING
Gravity can cause some solids to settle on the bottom of the can and slight separation on the top. This is normal. If working with older paint, use a paint mixing attachment on a drill. If the solids dissolve and clumps smooth out after mixing from the bottom, the product is in good condition for use.
STORAGE TIPS
See video tutorial: Tips on Storing Leftover Finishes
Water-based finishes crystalize and form a skin due to evaporation when the air-tight seal on a can is broken at first use. The following best practices will increase the life of your product:
Pry open sealed lid(s) with a paint can opener by hooking under the lid's rolled edge. The use of a screwdriver can disfigure the rim and lid, impairing a complete seal.
Keep lid(s) closed while working. Pour what you will use into a bowl, paper cup, or plate, and close can lid as you work.
CLEAN the chime of the can(s) thoroughly with a paper towel before closing to create a complete seal. Paint in the chime can be minimized by using a pouring lid, such as Fitsall. Avoid wiping used brushes on the lid.
Pound the lid(s) in place using a rubber mallet to avoid distorting the chime or lid. Dents in the lid from direct contact with a hammer can impair a complete seal. Alternatively, place a flat piece of wood over can lid and firmly pound shut.
Store in moderate temperatures. Avoid temperatures below 50*F/10*C or above 80*F/26*C. Frozen and heat-damaged product cannot be revitalized. Temperature-controlled spaces, such as a basement, are ideal for storage. Do not store product in an attic, garage, in direct sunlight, or next to something warm like a water heater or furnace.
Store the can(s) upside down to create a liquid seal, minimize evaporation and reduce the chance of crystallization. Decant remaining product from the can before stirring.
Decant leftovers to a smaller container when the finish is almost used up. Alternative storage containers for water-based products are plastic FIFO bottles or glass bottles. Do not fill metal-lidded containers completely to prevent them from rusting.
The following water-based product mixtures can be stored:
Until now, Matte sheens always came with a compromise in durability. Consumers have been asking for an ultra-flat topcoat that is as durable as our other sheens, and we are finally able to deliver!
Thanks to brand new patented polymer technology, we are now able to create a Matte sheen without waxes and matting agents that decrease durability.
Defining Durability
All of our testing shows High Performance Dead Flat is as durable as High Performance Satin, which is a drastic improvement over Flat Out Flat topcoat.
Flat: (degree sheen)
Flat Out Flat: <5
High Performance Dead Flat: <5
Water Resistance: (max 5)
Flat Out Flat: 2
High Performance, Dead Flat: 4
Chemical Resistance: (0-100)
Flat Out Flat: 82
High Performance, Dead Flat: 92
Scratch Resistance and Marring:
Scratch Resistance is strong with both products.
Marring is better than Flat Out Flat and comparable to the Satin and Flat.
High Performance vs. Clear Poly
The main differentiator between these products is that Clear Poly is a spray-only product and High Performance can be applied with a brush or sprayed. Clear Poly is popular among high production contractors but both products produce professional results.
Upgraded Features
Patented self-matting polyurethane
Uses renewable resources, with no Prop 65 chemicals
Meets KCMA standards
VOC compliant nationwide
Warning: Do Not Mix!
Topcoat with a Dead Flat sheen CAN NOT be mixed with another sheen because a completely different polymer is used and the combined formulas will not perform well as one.
Leaders in Water-Based Finishing Innovation
General Finishes actively works to improve our products on an ongoing basis. As new finishing technology is released, we test and experiment to stay on the leading edge. Our chemist travels around the world and is sent new ingredients when they are discovered on a regular basis. We are one of the rare companies capable of incorporating new innovations and ingredients into our products, no expense spared, because of our dedication to staying on the leading edge and providing the highest quality product on the market.
Ordering soon?
High Performance Dead Flat is available in pints, quarts and gallons. Clear Poly Dead Flat is available in gallons. 5-gallon pails may be delayed due to label production and Canadian labels are pending translations.
Yes! Enduro Clear Poly in Dead Flat can be tinted in the same way as other sheens. The color may be softer, but it can be done.
As always, we recommend that you test on a hidden area of your project or a test board to make sure you are happy with the result before starting your project.
Traditionally, flat topcoats were created by adding matting agents to gloss topcoat. These agents decreased the durability of the topcoat and produced a slight haze that reduced the vibrancy of an underlying stain or paint.
Using newly patented polymer resin technology, matting agents are no longer required. Our new Dead Flat topcoats produce a brilliant clear finish while providing significant improvements to chemical, water and mar resistance.
The new Dead Flat Matte sheen formula is available in the High Performance and Clear Poly lines. You can now achieve the look of our original Flat Out Flat while maintaining clarity and GF's high performance standards.
Enduro Water-Based 2K Conversion Varnish
Enduro Water-Based Tintable 2K White Poly
Enduro Water-Based Tintable 2K Clear Poly
Enduro Water-Based Pre-Cat Lacquer
Gel Stains
Water-Based Wood Stain
Pro Image Flooring Topcoat
Jen Poly Brushes
Stir Stix
Ultraflex Softback Sanding Sponge
