Lately, wood has seen an upsurge in popularity for new construction and home renovation. The natural appeal of this building material makes it an excellent choice not only for exterior applications such as window frames and cladding, but also for outdoor living spaces such as patios and decks.(1) However, as a composite of hygroscopic organic cellulosic elements, wood degrades under adverse weather conditions. To counteract this failing, researchers have sought, over recent decades, to develop synthetic coatings that can prolong the life of wood while preserving its natural beauty.
Despite exhaustive efforts, the development of effective wood coatings has remained a challenge. Besides imparting excellent weather resistance, such a coating must be flexible enough to follow the expansion and contraction of wood. At the same time the coating must be hard enough to prevent blocking issues. Other qualities, such as strong adhesion and easy application, round out the list of key requirements. This particular set of obligatory features makes crafting coatings for wood problematic.