Comparison Between Melamine Polish and PU Polish | Blog

Difference Between Melamine Polish and PU Polish

Any home is incomplete without good furniture. The design and finish of your wooden furniture is an essential part of home decor. The matte and gloss finish on your furniture is important to ensure a long life free from any problems. There are many types of paints, polish, and finishes for your wooden and other. You can choose anything from lacquer polish, melamine polish, PU polish, polyester polish, and more. These options have different specialties and advantages but we will talk about the melamine polish and PU polish finishes.

Both of these come in various finishing from gloss to matte finish.

What is Melamine Polish?

Melamine polish is a popular and budget-friendly polish for wood furniture in India.

Melamine is an organic compound that is toxic in nature. It is often combined with formaldehyde to produce melamine resin, which is safe and not toxic. Melamine polish consists of this resin, which spreads as a thin film over the furniture surface. The resin is a stable compound and is heat tolerant.

Difference Between Melamine Polish and PU Polish Melamine is a closed pore, that which closes the pores on the surface of the wood and makes it non-breathable. It protects the wood from hot and cold objects placed on it and also from minor damage.

What is PU Polish?

PU Polish or Polyurethane Polish is a polymer that used to apply a protective coating over wooden and other furniture. PU Polish protects the surface from corrosion, weathering, abrasion, and other processes that would degrade the furniture over time. The PU Polish prevents the furniture from moisture, scratches, dust, water, UV rays, weathering, and provides a beautiful look to the wooden furniture. PU Polish can be both water-based and solventbased. Both these types give you a wide range of finishes, from matte to satin to glossy.

Water-based PU paint is more suited to inside surfaces and the solvent-based is better for external surfaces.

Difference between Melamine Polish and PU Polish Durability: Both Melamine Polish and PU Polish offer matte and glossy finish. They are both synthetic polymers that form a transparent film over surfaces and laminating them. They function similarly and the differences are mainly in the duration and resistance of the coatings.

PU Polish consider polymer For Exterior Surface: Melamine polish has only limited resistance against water. The melamine polish deteriorates when exposed to sunlight, mostly turning yellow and loosening.

Over time, it may also chip off at the edges of the furniture. And on the other hand, PU Polish can be very hard and strong, providing exceptional wear resistance, and long-lasting protection to the surface.

PU Polish would be a better choice than Melamine Polish for the exterior.

Cost: Melamine Polish is a standard polish for wooden service and PU Polish is a premium range polish. Melamine is more suited to interior applications and that too is exclusive for wooden items. Professional painters apply it by spraying. Melamine has a moderate drying

Difference Between Melamine Polish and PU Polish time of 20-30 minutes that ensures no dust particles spoil your finishing. Material and service cost of Melamine Polish for gloss and matte finishes are less costly than PU Polish.

PU polish offers you the solution to the drawbacks of melamine. It is more water-resistant and scratch-resistant. It is also flexible and is not damaged by movement. The problem of yellowing with exposure to sunlight does not occur here. The water-based PU polish is quite similar to melamine polish in its performance, but the solvent-based one can be also used for metal, glass, marble, and all types of surfaces.

PU polish also has its disadvantages too. It is more costly than melamine finish and takes more time to dry. It needs dirt and dust-free environment to give you a perfect finish. PU gloss and matte have a shorter pot life, which means you have to use them within 4 hours of mixing with solvents. Polyurethane is designed to be durable and long-lasting, this creates a problem in its repair and removal. It is difficult to strip. Also, it contains chemicals that are harmful to the environment.

Difference between gloss and matte finish?

Gloss and matte are as different as two things can be. Matte is a finish that does not reflect light and matte is not shiny but rather a dark finish that appears deep and elegant. Matte finish is mostly used for giving a texture to the polish, both visual and real texture.

Gloss finish on the other hand is brightly shining. Gloss is referred to denote the amount of light reflected by a stain. It has many classes like flat, satin, semi-gloss, etc. The gloss gives an emphasis on the colors and patterns of the original surface.

Coating Process How to apply Melamine polish? 

Sanding is a must to smoothen the rough surfaces.



Apply one coat of sealer to increase the adhesion of melamine. It takes about 12 hours to dry.



Sanding with water paper is done to remove excess sealer and give a smooth base.



Spray the first coat of melamine after being mixed with solvent and hardener.

Difference Between Melamine Polish and PU Polish 

Resanding with smooth water paper after drying.



Spray the final coat of melamine.

How to apply pu polish? 

First, the surfaces are smoothened by sanding. We begin with coarser sandpapers like 150-180 grains and then move to smoother papers like 300- 400-grain sandpapers.



Wipe of the resulting dust with a clean cloth.



Apply a coat of clear sealer insulated that reduces the absorption of the PU gloss or matte by the furniture.



Apply filters and putty if the surfaces have dents.



Lastly, apply the PU clear coat by a uniform spray. Let it dry for 30-120 minutes.

In PU Gloss Polish, we can achieve the results by simply following these steps.

In PU gloss polish, after spraying the clear coat, we perform wet sanding with water paper or emery paper. We start with coarse papers of 600 grains roughness and then move to the finer roughness of 900 grains and above. After this, buffing is next. Buffing means finishing the PU Polish job with automotive paste wax and a cotton rag or polish pad.

Conclusion: It is essential that the spraying is done by skilled and experienced painters for the best results. All the above-mentioned steps must be followed for best results, though painters may have their own variations.

Wood polishing doesn’t only add charm and beauty to woods, it makes the wood strong. Not everyone intends to make wooden furniture beautiful. There is furniture that has many emotions attached to it. So we wish to make the furniture more durable. Contact us Today!. At Home Glazer, we assure our customers of the best of our wood polishing services.