Water-based or solvent-based floor finish: read the range before choosing
The SIMA range is read along two lines: water-based or solvent-based on one side, traffic class on the other. Once these two questions are answered, only the sheen is left to choose.
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Two families, two ways of drying
A water-based floor finish is described on every sheet in the catalogue with the same statement: odourless. This is the deciding criterion in an occupied home, in an office that reopens the next day, or in a poorly ventilated room.
A solvent-based floor finish, called P.U for polyurethane in the catalogue, is presented on its sheets as extremely adhesive and flexible. PARKET P.U is described as “very low odour”, and PARKET P.U and P.U PLUS are described as “non-slip”.
The traffic class, written into the product name
This is what sets this range apart: the intended level of traffic is part of the name.
| Product | Family | Stated class | Components |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUROPLAST passage domestique | water-based | domestic | ready to use |
| DUROPLAST passage intense | water-based | intensive | single-component |
| AQUA + grand passage | water-based | heavy traffic | two-component |
| EXTREME passage extreme | water-based | extreme | two-component |
| PARKET P.U passage domestique | solvent-based | domestic | no mixing, hardener built in |
| P.U PLUS passage domestique | solvent-based | domestic | two-component, 4 to 1 mix |
| ESCALIER séchage rapide | solvent-based | stairs | two-component |
What the sheets add, in their own words:
- EUROPLAST: ready to use, “gives a hard-wearing finish in 3 coats”.
- DUROPLAST: contains silica nanoparticles for resistance to abrasion and foot traffic. Its sheet states that 10 % of EXTREME hardener can be added to the last coat to go further.
- AQUA +: two-component, fast curing, high covering power, suitable for private homes and multi-occupancy housing alike.
- EXTREME: two-component, alumina nanoparticles, claimed resistance to heel marks and office chair castors.
- ESCALIER: fast-drying two-component, two coats. Its sheet gives two figures, the only drying times the catalogue gives for a floor finish: light traffic 2 to 4 hours, medium traffic 4 to 6 hours. These values come from the sheet text carried over from the old site and need confirmation.
Sealers, the step people wrongly skip
A sealer is a pore filler. It is applied before the floor finish. The catalogue offers two.
- Fond dur EURO 300, water-based, ready to use, odourless. Its sheet states that it keeps the original colour of the wood. Supplied in 5 L (ref. 524650) and 10 L (ref. 524600).
- FOND DUR seal parquet, solvent-based. Its sheet states that it is applied before all P.U floor finishes, before water-based floor finishes and before waxing, with a stated drying time of about 30 minutes. Supplied in 1 L, 2.5 L, 5 L and 10 L (ref. 510001, 510025, 510005, 510010).
The solvent-based sealer is therefore stated to be compatible with both families of floor finish, which is worth knowing before buying two products.
Sheens and pack sizes available
| Product | Sheens in the catalogue | Pack sizes |
|---|---|---|
| EUROPLAST | single version | 1 L, 2.5 L, 5 L, 10 L |
| DUROPLAST | satin, matt | 1 L, 5 L, 10 L |
| AQUA + | gloss, satin, matt, golden oak | 5 L + 0.5 L, 10 L + 1 L |
| EXTREME | satin, ultra-matt | 1 L + 0.1 L, 5 L + 0.5 L, 10 L + 1 L |
| PARKET P.U | gloss, satin, waxed look, golden oak | 1 L, 2.5 L, 5 L |
| P.U PLUS | satin | 10 L + 2.5 L |
| ESCALIER | satin | 2.5 L + 2.5 L, 5 L + 5 L |
Pack sizes given as two figures correspond to the two-component products: the base and the hardener.
The “waxed look” sheen of PARKET P.U deserves a separate mention: it is the only one in the catalogue that imitates a waxed wood floor while remaining a floor finish.
Staining
Two colourants in the catalogue, one per family, and they are not interchangeable.
- AQUA + colourant (ref. 512125), to be mixed into water-based floor finishes. Colours available: light oak, medium oak, white, black. Its sheet states that it is used as a supplementary tint, added at the time of use, to warm up wood that is too pale or to match two wood floors of different species where they meet.
- KARDIX colourant, for the solvent-based family, in 0.5 L (ref. 515005) and 1 L (ref. 515010). Twenty colours in the catalogue, from light oak to rosewood by way of walnut, mahogany, cherry, teak and six bright shades.
To stain the wood itself rather than the varnish, Teinte hydro (ref. 511000 in 1 L, 511005 in 5 L, 511010 in 10 L) is a water-based stain made for wood floors, with excellent lightfastness. Its sheet gives a precise application instruction: even it out straight away with the floor polisher fitted with a white pad, so that overlaps do not show.
Thinning, retarding
- Drying retarder (ref. 600001), an additive based on demineralised water for water-based floor finishes. Stated dilution 5 %. Its sheet states that it is not compatible with solvent-based products.
- P.U thinner (1 L ref. 515601, 5 L ref. 515650), for thinning polyurethane floor finishes and cleaning tools.
- KARDIX thinner (ref. 515110).
Applying
The catalogue carries a complete range for this step: pro finish roller (ref. 550525) and its frame (ref. 603625), wide pro roller (ref. 550545) and wide double frame (ref. 603645), cotton roller, mohair roller, synthetic bristle brush described as not shedding its bristles, fixed applicator (ref. 290401) and swivel applicator for a handle (ref. 290402), extendable aluminium handle (ref. 620024), roller container (ref. 172700).
For the corners and edges that a single disc machine cannot reach, the sheet for Brimar (ref. 614101), a high-gloss varnish in 1 L, states precisely this use.
What to measure before opening a tin
Only one indication appears explicitly in the catalogue, and it leaves no room for doubt. The sheet for the COMPACT F2 hygrometer (ref. 309800) carries the statement “essential before any floor finishing”. The device displays air humidity from 0 to 100 % to one decimal place, and room temperature from -20 to +80 degrees to the nearest degree. Application conditions are checked, not guessed.
Protection
The varnishing mask (ref. 070405) is given for dust, polyurethane varnishes and paints and acid vapours, with a flexible natural rubber body, two side valves, an AB cartridge composition, and use in a ventilated environment with 17 % oxygen. The quick-fit replacement cartridges have the reference 070415.