Paints designed for application to wood trim (wood used to cover transitions between surfaces or for decoration) represent a significant share of the market for wood coatings. Over the past decade, because of environmental and other legislation, there has been a general shift from solventborne to waterborne in most architectural and decorative coatings applications. The very feature that makes water-based coatings attractive from an environmental, toxicological and health point of view, i.e. that they contain water, is also the main reason for many of the problems that exist with waterborne technology, which has retarded the replacement of traditional solventborne paints. The latter continue to exist, and their use is still permitted despite VOC regulations and environmental labels, because it is widely recognized that no acceptable alternative exists at present. This is certainly the case of wood trim paints, especially those for exterior use.