I picked a $90 can of old-school lacquer over a modern water-based topcoat for a 1920s sideboard, and the client hated the smell for a week.

Has anyone else had a customer react that strongly to a solvent smell on a piece that clearly needed a period-correct finish?

2 comments

2 Comments

kelly.robin8d ago

Forget the smell, the finish is what matters.

andrew6938d ago

Seriously, @kelly.robin, you're right about the finish. But if the smell is that bad, you're gonna rush the job just to get out of there. A bad smell means something is off, maybe mold or old stains that weren't cleaned right. You can't get a good finish on a surface that isn't properly prepped. Fix the cause of the smell first, or your perfect finish won't last a year.