FAQ

What is the difference between your blue and green label products?

Our blue label (30 ml, 10 games) does one thing really well: it protects your favorite board games from damage caused by accidental spills. It works best on the core cardboard components of your games (the parts that are hardest to replace) like boards, boxes, and player mats. This product will give you peace of mind knowing your games are fully protected with an invisible armor that food and spills cannot penetrate.

Our green label (4 oz., 20 games) is the best way to keep your games clean, protected, and ready for play. It creates invisible stain protection on cardboard surfaces but does not waterproof them. This product provides several other unique benefits:

  • Carefully cleans and sanitizes any game component from germs and viruses
  • Creates lifetime UV protection that prevents artwork from fading
  • Seals and protects painted miniatures with an invisible, ultra-hard nano shell

Will BGSHIELD (blue) completely waterproof my games?

No, but it will “party proof” them, significantly reducing damage from many types of accidents: water, coffee, tea, wine, beer, juice, soda, food, and fingerprints.

You should never expose your games to prolonged periods of moisture. BGSHIELD is carefully designed to prevent disaster from accidents, not experiments (we've done the experiments so you don't have to).

Are hobby board games already protected from water?

Many modern board games are manufactured with a thin UV coating or lamination wrap that protects the chipboard inside from moisture.  These original layers are not adequate to protect against spilled drinks or food, which are common on game tables. Even if cleaned immediately, a single spilled glass of water, wine, or coffee may stain, "bubble", or permanently warp an expensive board game. BGSHIELD adds an essential extra layer of accident protection (even on the open, exposed edges) that helps you enjoy a worry free game night.

What types of spills are protected by BGSHIELD (blue)?

We have prevented damage to cardboard games from water, coffee, tea, wine, beer, juice, soda, food, and fingerprints. See our YouTube and Instagram channels for many of these examples. 

What makes BGSHIELD better than other repellent coatings?

Cardboard is notoriously absorbent and easily damaged by liquids, so most repellent coatings will not work (especially those that contain wax). BGSHIELD is carefully designed to protect cardboard components in a way that leaves no residue, texture, or color on your game. In addition, BGSHIELD doesn’t just repel water: it protects against many types of food and drink that are present during game nights. BGSHIELD is easy to apply, dries quickly, and lasts longer than alternatives. You can think of BGSHIELD as an invisible layer of board game insurance that protects your games from accidents for about $1 per year, per game.

Will BGSHIELD discolor my game?

No. BGSHIELD is not a wax, polyurethane, or oil-based coating. There are no elements of BGSHIELD that will cause discoloration to your game, short or long term. BGSHIELD does not "yellow" your game. BGSHIELD dries to a slight haze, but when buffed it creates a smooth, invisible glass-like barrier on the game surface that protects it from moisture. There is no residue that you can see or feel.

How often should I apply BGSHIELD?

BGSHIELD is a permanent upgrade. For heavily used games, apply BGSHIELD every three years to maximize spill protection.

Which games should I protect with BGSHIELD?

Start with your favorite board games, those that hit your game night table most often. You may also want to protect hobby games that are hard to replace, which could include deluxe, expensive, crowdfunded games, or out of print classics.

How many games can I protect with one bottle?

You can fully coat one side of an average size board game (Ex: Horrified is 20” x 20”) with just 3.0 milliliters of our blue label coating. A single 30 ml bottle should protect about 10 average size game boards or boxes. The number of games per bottle will vary based on your games, components, and application process.

Tip: If you are protecting multiple games at once, you can use a hair dryer to speed up the drying process (hold it 36" away from the board).

Our green label coating comes in a 4 oz. spray bottle that will protect at least 20 game boards or many more components (dice, resources, coins, figures).

How long does a bottle last?

Blue: unopened, this product has shelf life of one year from the manufacturing date. Once opened, use the full contents of your bottle within two weeks for maximum protection.

Green: this product has shelf life of three years from the manufacturing date.

What game components can I protect?

BGSHIELD (blue) works especially well on game boards and game boxes. For smaller cardboard components, the best time to apply BGSHIELD is when your game is new and unpunched. See our application matrix for more information.

BGSHIELD (green) is used to clean, protect, and sanitize just about any game component (including painted miniatures), and can even be used safely on phones, glasses, tablets, remotes, and other household items.

BGSHIELD is not recommended for very thin components like playing cards or paper coins that are more easily protected with sleeves and metal replacements.

What about cardboard seams and edges?

BGSHIELD (blue) protects exposed cardboard edges by helping to prevent spills from reaching the chipboard and causing warp damage or bubbling.

When applying to the open edges of some games or components the edges may appear slightly wet. This wetness will dry and will disappear soon after buffing is complete. Some recessed or dual-layered game boards may need to dry overnight and need multiple coats (Great Western Trail is a good example).

Should I wear gloves?

Gloves should be worn when using BGSHIELD (blue) and are included in our application kit. Apply BGSHIELD in a well ventilated area, and follow the application and safety instructions listed on our label.

Gloves are not required when using our green label coating, which is colorless, odorless, water-based, non-toxic, non-flammable, and hypoallergenic, with zero VOC's.

Is BGSHIELD safe?

Yes. Our blue coating is primarily composed of odorless mineral spirits, which is a general purpose solvent commonly used to thin oil paints and clean art brushes (sometimes referred to as "paint thinner"). In liquid form, this product is flammable so you should avoid smoking while using this product. Our product works by creating an invisible barrier of spill protection on your game surface when it reacts with the moisture in the air. When “cured” (dried), our product is completely safe to touch and your game is safe to play. Use BGSHIELD safely and effectively by following the instructions found on our label. Our product does not contain PFAS or PFC.

Keeping customers (and games) safe aligns with our mission of encouraging people to play games together worry free.

Is BGSHIELD a type of glue or wax?

No. BGSHIELD contains no adhesive or "sticky" properties. It will dry completely smooth and invisible once buffed. It contains no wax and will never yellow, peel, chip, or crack.

How does BGSHIELD (green) protect painted miniatures and models?

BGSHIELD (green) is a professional grade ceramic coating that is significantly  harder than traditional hobby sealants or varnishes. It is easier to apply and will also sanitize your miniatures and protect them permanently from UV damage and fading. This is the perfect solution for gamers if you enjoy both painting and playing with your game figures. More info on our green product here.

Can I use BGSHIELD on puzzle pieces?

Yes!

Who is using BGSHIELD?

We continue to receive great reviews in the board game community:

Dice Tower: 12 Games of Christmas for the Gamer with Everything

@board.game.dad

@tabletopmom

@coffeeandcooperation

@theboardgamelibrarian

@hobby_night

@richplays_boardgames

What are your top 10 board games?

  1. Brass: Birmingham
  2. Babylonia
  3. Hansa Teutonica
  4. Blood Rage
  5. Scythe
  6. Dune Imperium
  7. Vindication
  8. Castles of Burgundy
  9. Inis
  10. Dwellings of Eldervale