How can I restore this wooden worktop?
Discussion
I Need some advice on how to restore the wooden worktop shown in the pics so what better a way than to ask a load of petrol heads ?
My Missus got it from Howdens about 10 years ago (against my advice . . Wood in a kitchen around all the wet areas is never a good idea in my opinion but that is a matter of debate for me and my wife so enough of that …).
I think it is solid wood but maybe varnished and oiled on top.
So I don’t know if sanding will make much impact. I was thinking of using teak oil and wire wool.
Anyone else done similar?
The area in the photos is near the sink so has had a bit of a bashing as can be seen.
Thanks guys and girls.,
Dan![](https://thumbsnap.com/sc/z4xwoHa6.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="https://thumbsnap.com/aL8mF43B" Target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/aL8mF43B.jpg)
My Missus got it from Howdens about 10 years ago (against my advice . . Wood in a kitchen around all the wet areas is never a good idea in my opinion but that is a matter of debate for me and my wife so enough of that …).
I think it is solid wood but maybe varnished and oiled on top.
So I don’t know if sanding will make much impact. I was thinking of using teak oil and wire wool.
Anyone else done similar?
The area in the photos is near the sink so has had a bit of a bashing as can be seen.
Thanks guys and girls.,
Dan
You certainly could sand it down and retreat it from scratch. Whether there's anything less messy you could do depends on what it was originally treated with; probably best to ask Howdens that before you do anything. However I'd say there's a 90% chance you need to sand it down beyond the current finish and then retreat it.
Edited by kambites on Friday 4th November 11:20
Surely the correct course of action is to have her research the remedies then have her do all the sanding, considering she was the one who went against your advice.
Then you'll have to replace the whole kitchen after she sands and destroys the rest of it
........ Maybe just sand it yourself
Then you'll have to replace the whole kitchen after she sands and destroys the rest of it
........ Maybe just sand it yourself
We went through this process recently with natural wood worktops;
First - sugar soap and ALOT of elbow grease to take off the old coating.
Sand back with a fine sand paper; stripping off the old coating first will help prevent your sandpaper gumming up with the old varnish.
We used Colron's "Danish Oil" just applied using old rags on ours and they came up a treat - I think we previously used teak oil and it didn't work anywhere near as well.
Finally - never use anti-bacterial wipes on your natural wood worktops! we learn this the hard way as i believe we've had to go through the stripping/ oiling process three times total now! We've found the best stuff now is the "Method" branded surface cleaner and haven't had any problems with the coating going tacky as it previously has done.
Hope this helps, and good luck!
First - sugar soap and ALOT of elbow grease to take off the old coating.
Sand back with a fine sand paper; stripping off the old coating first will help prevent your sandpaper gumming up with the old varnish.
We used Colron's "Danish Oil" just applied using old rags on ours and they came up a treat - I think we previously used teak oil and it didn't work anywhere near as well.
Finally - never use anti-bacterial wipes on your natural wood worktops! we learn this the hard way as i believe we've had to go through the stripping/ oiling process three times total now! We've found the best stuff now is the "Method" branded surface cleaner and haven't had any problems with the coating going tacky as it previously has done.
Hope this helps, and good luck!
Unika worktop oil is also fantastic.
My recommendation would be - sugar soap etc to clean up the surface, really good sand with a 180 grit to smooth it out, another couple of passes with something like a 400 grit, then some de-nibbing pads and a few coats of oil (with another round of de-nibbing inbetween).
My recommendation would be - sugar soap etc to clean up the surface, really good sand with a 180 grit to smooth it out, another couple of passes with something like a 400 grit, then some de-nibbing pads and a few coats of oil (with another round of de-nibbing inbetween).
A decent cabinet/card scraper would probably be a better option than sandpaper alone.
Buy a good quality burnishing rod if you go this route.
It won’t clog up like sandpaper and leaves a nicer finish that requires less in the way of final prep.
Another option would be a good sharp plane set to take off a small amount of material. It’ll get you down through the finish and knackered wood far faster and with less mess than turning it all to dust via sandpaper.
Buy a good quality burnishing rod if you go this route.
It won’t clog up like sandpaper and leaves a nicer finish that requires less in the way of final prep.
Another option would be a good sharp plane set to take off a small amount of material. It’ll get you down through the finish and knackered wood far faster and with less mess than turning it all to dust via sandpaper.
One of these;
https://www.screwfix.com/p/erbauer-ero400-125mm-el...
Some 150 sandpaper to start with, then down to maybe a 300 or so.
Oil with Danish oil, applying several coats over a period of a couple of days.
Not hard, the sanding won't take long. No need to sugar soap it or anything else, you're removing all the wood from the top anyway so little point cleaning it.
Also tell the wife not to leave wet things on top of the wood, or make sure it is oiled regularly. About every 6-12 months it needs another thin coat of oil, especially in areas which are used heavily.
EDIT - if you have areas where the individual wood blocks have moved apart, you can fill the small gaps with wood glue before sanding to prevent any water seeping back in once you start using it again.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/erbauer-ero400-125mm-el...
Some 150 sandpaper to start with, then down to maybe a 300 or so.
Oil with Danish oil, applying several coats over a period of a couple of days.
Not hard, the sanding won't take long. No need to sugar soap it or anything else, you're removing all the wood from the top anyway so little point cleaning it.
Also tell the wife not to leave wet things on top of the wood, or make sure it is oiled regularly. About every 6-12 months it needs another thin coat of oil, especially in areas which are used heavily.
EDIT - if you have areas where the individual wood blocks have moved apart, you can fill the small gaps with wood glue before sanding to prevent any water seeping back in once you start using it again.
Edited by Condi on Friday 4th November 12:38
Demelitia said:
A decent cabinet/card scraper would probably be a better option than sandpaper alone.
Buy a good quality burnishing rod if you go this route.
It won’t clog up like sandpaper and leaves a nicer finish that requires less in the way of final prep.
This is excellent advice and is what I'd do for sure.Buy a good quality burnishing rod if you go this route.
It won’t clog up like sandpaper and leaves a nicer finish that requires less in the way of final prep.
I've used various oils on previous worktops but they've not been particularly hard wearing and need frequent attention.
Use this...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Osmo-Polyx-Oil-750ml-Matt...
Very hard wearing and easy to retreat after a few years. Still good, even around the sink.
Use this...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Osmo-Polyx-Oil-750ml-Matt...
Very hard wearing and easy to retreat after a few years. Still good, even around the sink.
Demelitia said:
A decent cabinet/card scraper would probably be a better option than sandpaper alone.
Buy a good quality burnishing rod if you go this route.
It won’t clog up like sandpaper and leaves a nicer finish that requires less in the way of final prep.
Another option would be a good sharp plane set to take off a small amount of material. It’ll get you down through the finish and knackered wood far faster and with less mess than turning it all to dust via sandpaper.
A good suggestion, another method if you don’t fancy learning to sharpen a card scraper is a Bacho scraper, though make sure the missus does half the work.Buy a good quality burnishing rod if you go this route.
It won’t clog up like sandpaper and leaves a nicer finish that requires less in the way of final prep.
Another option would be a good sharp plane set to take off a small amount of material. It’ll get you down through the finish and knackered wood far faster and with less mess than turning it all to dust via sandpaper.
-Ad- said:
Been thinking a little more and there's one solution eliminate the maintenance neeeds for the forseeable future.
Have a stainless steel worktop made up and replace the wooden rubbish.
Not a bad shout.Have a stainless steel worktop made up and replace the wooden rubbish.
I have a walnut worktop ... BUT... it's only on my island where there is no sink. I love it and sanding and re-oiling every 12-18 months is a doddle, but it's quartz by the sink.
Mark V GTD said:
A stainless steel worktop? Don't think I have ever seen that in a domestic situation. Is it not going to get scratched up in no time?
I do agree anything other than wood is the way to go.
Scratched metal worktops look fab to me BUT best in a more industrial style kitchen imo. Mrs G and I wanted that in our current place but decided it wouldn't look right in the house we were refurbishing. Next time!I do agree anything other than wood is the way to go.
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