Abstract: A water-based coating composition comprising as the first component, a mixture of a polyaldehyde chosen from the group consisting of glyoxal, glutaraldehyde and derivatives of glyoxal and glutaraldehyde, and a water dispersible component chosen from the group consisting of epoxy resin emulsions which can be emulsified in water, synthetic latexes stable at about pH 7 or less, low molecular weight resin emulsions, epoxy ester emulsions, water emulsified alkyds, and cationic, anionic and non-ionic asphalt emulsions and, as the second component, the non-gel reaction product of (I) urea-formaldehyde ether monomer, urea-formaldehyde phenol monomer, urea-nonylphenol formaldehyde monomer, thiourea-formaldehyde ether monomer, melamine formaldehyde ether monomer hexamethoxymethyl melamine, with (II) a polyamine chosen from a group consisting of primary and secondary amines and/or a monoamine, combined with (III) a hydroxide or oxide of calcium, strontium or barium.