Use the flow additive when your finish looks rough or uneven. Use the fisheye eliminator when you see small round craters in the film. That is the short answer to the flow additive vs fisheye eliminator question. Envirolak ELADD 002 and ELADD 006 are both silicone, so it is easy to grab the wrong one. At The Color House we stock both, and the right pick starts with the defect in front of you.
What the Envirolak Flow Additive (ELADD 002) Does
The Envirolak WB Flow Additive Solution lowers the surface tension of your coating. In plain words, it helps the wet film relax and spread out flat. Envirolak’s data sheet says it improves substrate wetting and leveling. Think of it as a coating leveling additive for problems that show up across the whole panel.
Reach for this paint flow additive when your finish dries with orange peel, spray lines, or a rough feel. Envirolak lists a dose of 0.5% to 1.0% by weight. Start at the low end, then add more only if you need it.
Here is the honest part. Envirolak’s own data sheet says ELADD 002 can also help with fisheyes caused by contamination, so the two products do overlap. The difference is that flow and leveling are the main job for ELADD 002, and fisheyes are a side benefit.
What the Envirolak Fisheye Eliminator (ELADD 006) Does
The Envirolak Fisheye Eliminator is built for one job. It fights fisheyes and craters caused by contamination like silicone, wax, or oil. Those show up as small round holes where the coating pulls back from the wood. As a fisheye additive for paint and clear finishes, it helps the coating flow over the dirty spot.
Envirolak lists a dose of 0.1% to 2.0% by weight for this one. Start low and work up until the fisheyes go away. Envirolak warns not to overdose it, because it works best at low levels and can stabilize foam if you use too much. More is not better here.
One more honest note. This additive does not clean the wood. If oil or silicone is on the surface, the real fix is to clean it off before you spray. Use the Envirolak fisheye eliminator as a backup, never as a shortcut around prep.
Flow Additive vs Fisheye Eliminator: How to Pick
Look at the defect before you look at the shelf. Its shape and spread tell you which one you need. Here is the quick version of Envirolak ELADD 002 vs ELADD 006.
- Whole surface looks rough, wavy, or has orange peel: flow additive
- Small round craters or holes in spots: fisheye eliminator
- Coating beads up on a hard to wet surface: flow additive
- Defect follows a spot a hand, a rag, or shop air touched: fisheye eliminator
Both products are silicone, so they share the same caution. Envirolak warns that the next coat can have a crawling reaction, especially at higher doses. Spray a test panel before you commit to a full run. If it crawls, Envirolak says you may need to add the same additive to that coat too. Our team knows the Envirolak coating systems well and can walk you through it.
The Bottom Line
This is not a question of which additive is better. ELADD 002 fixes flow, wetting, and leveling. ELADD 006 fixes craters and fisheyes caused by contamination. Add either one sparingly, test your recoat, and clean the surface first.
We carry the full Envirolak additive lineup at The Color House. Tell our industrial and commercial team what defect you are seeing, and we will help you match the right additive to the job.