Not many companies can boast about having started at a time when the Model T was just becoming popular and are still in business today to e-mail and blog their customers with product tips that many even receive on their cell phones…Waterlox is one of those.
Founded in 1910 as The Empire Varnish Company by R.L. Hawkins, Sr., Waterlox has grown to become the nation’s leading provider of premium wood finish handmade from natural Tung oil. For four generations, the Hawkins family has worked to maintain the quality and tradition behind every Waterlox product.
It was in the 1930s with the introduction of Waterlox Transparent (known today as Waterlox Original Sealer/Finish), which led to the innovation of other Tung oil based products, when the Waterlox division at Empire Varnish was created. Some 30 years later the company officially became Waterlox Chemical and Coatings Corporation, shortened in the 1990s to Waterlox Coatings Corporation.
The Waterlox commitment to value, education and reliability never wavered over the years, in fact it was reaffirmed at every stage of the company’s growth, when tradition and quality reigned over every decision – as they still do today.
Since its inception, Waterlox has been using Tung oil as the base for its wood finishes for a variety of reasons. Tung oil is completely natural and renewable as it comes from the nut of the Tung tree and it is the best penetrating drying oil available. It has been used as a base for sealing and waterproofing Chinese ships as early as the 14th century and it remains elastic by moving with the wood during seasonal changes.
The Tung tree, indigenous to China and South America, is named for its heart-shaped leaves because “Tung” is Chinese for “heart.” When applied, rich Tung oil penetrates deep into the pores of the wood to provide a tough, highly water-resistant finish that never loses elasticity and does not darken with age.
Waterlox would like to thank all of our customers over the years for using our products and we will continue to uphold the tradition and quality of our products for years to come.
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