We often get asked, “What is the difference between your topcoats?” So here is a brief overview of each of them, so that you can make an educated decision on what you need.

We offer 4 different topcoats at the moment: Super Premium, Extreme Protection, CrabCoat Marine/exterior , and BriteTone
All of our topcoats are Non-toxic, Eco- friendly, and food-grade safe. They all offer UV protection, non-yellowing, and they self-level for easy application. They can be brushed on or sprayed straight from the container.

We are a specialty topcoat manufacturing company and have been making topcoats for over 50 years! So, no matter what topcoat you choose, you can feel confident knowing the quality is higher than items purchased at a box store. None of our products will give you water rings, and they can withstand heat up to about 350◦ once cured. We do not recommend contact with direct heat/flame, but they are durable enough for coasters, on ceramic mugs etc.

Super Premium(SP): Super premium is offered in Matte, Satin, Semi-Gloss and Gloss. It is often used for items such as cabinets, side tables, chairs etc due to it's durability. It does all the things described above and is a great general all-purpose topcoat that provides quality protection of your project.

Extreme Protection(EP): Extreme Protection is offered in Matte, Satin, Semi-Gloss and Gloss. It is often used for high traffic areas such as kitchen counters, bar tops, and floors. It has basic UV protection to prevent fading of your projects from the sun. This is especially important if painting items with red/purple pigmentation such as purple heart wood or a red stain. It also has a component in it that gives it a higher scuff and scratch resistance than the SP, though both are scratch resistant. It is a great all-purpose topcoat and a great go-to if you are unsure what you need.

BriteTone (BT): Britetone is offered in Matte, Satin, and Gloss. It is often used for instruments, tumblers, coasters, jewelry, and items where you are trying to achieve a “glass” like look similar to the look of epoxy. It has our highest quality resins and offers the highest solids content. This doesn’t mean that it is a thicker coating, as much as that it BUILDS faster with less coats. It is scratch resistant and durable enough for something like a bar top as well.

CrabCoat Marine/Exterior (CC): Crabcoat is offered in Satin and Gloss. It is designed for exterior projects such as signs, sailboats, and outdoor furniture such as a porch rocking chair. It can flex with the wood during temperature and humidity changes, which prevents cracking and gives it better exterior longevity. Of all our topcoats it has the highest UV protection and stabilizers, as well as mildew protection built in. It is the only topcoat we recommend for outdoor use. This does not make it better than our other topcoats. It is just designed perfectly different for exterior needs.
 
 

The past few years Gel-Stains have taken over the stain market, and it is no wonder why. The consistency helps to get even coverage more easily, as well as providing the ability to apply stains over veneer and existing finishes creating brand new possibilities!
Oil-based gel stains have been around for ages, but did you know that water-based gel stains are available? Not only is this convenient because it is compatible with other water-based products ,such as CrystaLac's non-yellowing water-based topcoats (which is near impossible with oil), but it also dries faster with no odor to boot!

It makes an easy fix to damaged surfaces, taking only minutes to apply with long lasting results.

Here is a great example of how easy a fix can be:

​

The CrystaLac Company makes the only water-based gel stains on the market. They can be applied as seen here over a multi-colored damaged surface, or directly on raw wood. CrystaLac gel stains are designed to give you even coverage no matter how it is applied (sprayed or brushed) and adhere to any surface.
Not only do they provide beautiful natural wood colors, but they offer bright fun options that still show off the wood grain. My personal favorite is the Sapphire Blue as seen below:

​These were built and finished by Matt Nunley at MC Farms. I love how he created a new look by mixing the natural wood color with something fun.  You can also layer the colors to get a multi-dimensional look

I created the next look using only two colors! Sapphire blue and pink. I put down the pink first with a foam brush, sanded it back with a block 220 sanding pad, and after it dried layered the Sapphire blue over it. The shiny sheen was the Super Premium gloss. 

. The photo below is veneer rough sanded to create patches, and then I added a layer of light green stain over it. Super easy and wonderfully unique!

You can also achieve these looks with natural wood colors, but I really wanted to show off the creative opportunities these gel stains of  Not only are there beautiful premade colors, but you can create your own using CrystaLac's pigment set and clear gel-stain base.  


The possibilities are endless with The CrytaLac Company