Surface finishing of wood and ecological problems

This paper points at the necessity of wood items surface finishing in order to protect and get an aesthetic improvement of the surfaces. Ecological problems are caused by application of liquid materials (paints and lacquers) which evaporative components pollute the working and living environment. Legal provision on reduction of emissions (TA - Luft) are not able to salve completely the ecological problems, and solutions are expected in application of lacquers with reduced emission (water and high solid lacquers and hardening by radiation). Some examples of furniture lacquered with reduced emission lacquers have been demonstrated in comparison with usable values of different lacquering systems (examples A - E). A choice of lacquering systems has also a significant effect on ecological problems.