Water based Polyurethane

WARNING: Shipping water based products during winter months is less than ideal. We do our best to keep product from freezing during transport. Liquids CANNOT be drop-shipped during winter/cold months. It is the client’s responsibility to bring all liquids in side at the time of delivery and inspect the liquids at time of delivery (open the carton to ensure the product is still in liquid form). Should product arrive “frozen” (in a solid state – not liquid) or damaged, CanCork Floor must be notified within 48 hours of delivery. Failure to inform CanCork Floor inside of 48 hours of damaged/frozen product negates the client’s ability to file a claim for replacement product with Cancork Floor or Forna.

Forna cork flooring are factory finished with German water based polyurethane. This polyurethane has just won an new European Award for "Very Low VOC Emissions". The polyurethane hasn't changed, the EU simply added a new category to an already low emission allowances. This factory finish means the individual boards or planks are water resistant but the seams where the boards meet are not.

Please be aware that floating flooring installed in kitchens or entranceways require 2 coats of water based polyurethane. In busy households with pets and children, we HIGHLY recommend adding two coats of water based polyurethane (we carry a polyurethane that has LOWER VOC emissions than our factory finish - more on that later). We ask people to do this to prevent water/spill/urine damage from occurring between the planks.

A glue down tiled floor always requires 2-3 coats of water based polyurethane directly after installation. A cork floor requires regular maintenance with water and a pH neutral floor cleaner specifically designed for hardwood floors/polyurethane finishes. A residential installation requires refreshing every 5-7 years (depending on wear patterns and traffic levels). Only Forna approved polyurethane can be applied. We’ve already had some clients (professional and private) ruin their cork floors by applying the wrong polyurethane...just a little bit of FYI. As the retailer you would be responsible for passing on this type of information.

We HIGHLY recommend LOBA 2K Supra AT water based polyurethane. It is fundamentally different from any other 2K finish on the market. It is also very different from regular Loba Supra.

LOBA 2K Supra AT is a different polymer type which was necessary to develop in order to embed the ceramic particles permanently and prevent them from settling to the bottom.

The polymer (the body) itself has exceptional durability, chemical resistance and slip resistance. The ceramic particles are covered with a special nano coating. This combination results in a finish which is not only very durable but also very elastic (for cork without breaking the film) and the ceramic technology adds the scratch resistance. It is the best finish you can get on the market today.

A very important aspect is also that it quick dry water based polyurethane. That means for example the finish is “cured” to a durability already after 24 hrs where other finishes are not after 5 days.