Mighton Products partner Anker Stuy Verven (ASV) has been selected as supplier of the colour stains and lacquers for the new seating as part of a prestigious yearlong renovation of Westminster Abbey that was finally completed in June of this year.
As part of the interior maintenance works that took place at the iconic London landmark 2200 wooden chairs, with the Westminster Abbey Arms embossed in to each of the backrests, were commissioned and have now become the new primary form of seating distributed throughout the building.
The finish for these chairs carries a series of heavy demands and therefore required an exemplary quality lacquer capable of providing long lasting protection against candle wax, as well as tough resistance against scratches and abrasions.
The two-component ASV lacquer that was eventually specified complies with the EN 71-3 standard, certifying it free from heavy metals and even suitable for use on children’s toys, as well as complying with both DIN 4102 B1 and DIN 68861 B1 standards, which demonstrates its chemical resistance.
However, it was not just the technical performance of this finish that was under high scrutiny but also its aesthetic appeal. Finding the right colour stain that could give the lacquer its desired hue proved to be a challenging process with eight individual shades of brown being developed from ASV’s HD LM Color stain before a selection was finally made.
Emile Stuy, export manager at ASV, said: “The finished Abbey Chair has an aesthetically beautiful appearance through the blunt-molded finish, making it perfect for the architecture and ambience of the Abbey. Being part of the process that made these chairs a reality, alongside Leon Volk, owner of our Netherlands based dealer Oxid Coatings, gave us the rare opportunity to work on such a prestigious and challenging project.”
Mighton has been distributing Anker Stuy products to its specialist joinery customers throughout the UK since 2016 with next day delivery and a simple pricing structure which has seen a decidedly positive response.
Since the completion of the Westminster Abbey project Mighton has also added the full range of specialist timber treatments, including interior finishes, to its established range of paints and coatings that are finding increasing favour with joinery manufacturers. Mighton plans to also include the addition of paints and coatings for other, non-timber, applications in the near future.
