A wooden worktop question...

[Jaynebxl]

... Or two.

We moved last month to a house with wooden worktops and a butler sink in the kitchen. Currently I'm hating both! Yesterday we oiled the worktop around the sink which does seem to have helped but I wondered firstly how often we need to re-oil?

Secondly my DH reckons we should cover it all in yacht varnish instead. Has anyone tried this? I'm worried about it changing the colour of the wood for a start.

you need osmo polyx hard wax oil. expensive but worth every penny.

it is a floor treatment that is really easy to use and gives a tough finish. we did ours well over a year ago now and they are still water resistant. no stains or marks on the worktops at all, even round the Belfast sink.

previously we used linseed oil and Danish oil - both horrible imo.

osmo also do a worktop oil, I think it is pretty much the same as the hard wax oil but comes in a much smaller quantity.

cares - I'm in the process of re-doing the kitchen, I would like to put wood work tops in and don't want to varnish them. However, I will probably need to rent this place out next year, for a year or two, do you think that stuff is good enough to keep the bench protected if people aren't being quite as careful about wiping the bench dry etc as you would be yourself?

Wooden worktops are absolutely ideal for a showroom.

Not so good in a real kitchen.

If you are renting it out, expect to have it sanded and refinished at each change of tenancy. The black watermarks round the sink will have to be sanded, bleached, and refinished. The rings from cups and teapots will sand off. The marks from hot pans will need to be sanded. and refinished.

The parts that have been sanded and refinished will not quite match the colour of the rest of it.

chipping - neither dh nor I could be accused of being careful! I regularly take pans straight from the hob and plonk them on the worktop. they are still pristine. even around the sink. granted we wipe up water spills but we are not fanatical about it.

they should be fine for a rental.

I would put at least 3 coats of osmo oil on and leave care instructions i.e use boards for cutting, wipe up spills etc. you could also leave a small container of oil for the tenants to use if needed. if they are mistreated then the deposit should cover the sanding back and re-finishing and they will be good as new.

piglet - have you ever used osmo oil? i ask because i have noticed we often end up on the same wooden worktop threads! before we switched to osmo (previously tried both boiled linseed oil and danish oil)we did have some issues with our wooden worktops marking. we sanded them back and re-finished using osmo oil well over a year ago and haven't touched them since. they are still pristine despite being well used and, some would say, abused.

My mum and dad have a maple Worktop that they varnished. Been in over twenty years and no black marks. That's with three kids growing up there, and now a grandson... None of who wiped up water that got on the sides (used a cutting board all the time, etc). I think the type of wood can make a difference.

no, haven't used Osmo. I've seen a lot of stained wooden worktops though, and have decided they are impractical.

I also don't like varnish because it is a real pain to sand off and recoat.

Round the sink is usually the worst part. I go for Astracast Bistro sinks because they have no worktop under them. We have something similar in the staff kitchen at my commercial premises, some kind of catering sink, it stands on a frame with no worktop or joins, very practical and durable, but is a thicker and different grey steel so does not shine.

ceres Thank you, it sounds like Osmo could make it a workable idea. What sort of finish does it have? (I want it to still look 'unfinished' rather than 'varnished')

PigletJohn - have you thought about a name change to EyeoreJohn

lost my tail.

chipping - it comes in two finishes, matte and satin (at least I think it's satin). we have the matte - it isn't truly matte, more of a soft sheen but gives a lovely finish. I found both linseed and Danish oil turned the oak quite orange-y.

piglet - before I tried osmo i'd agree with you. however the osmo is brilliant, easy to use, gives a nice finish and really tough. no marks at all on my worktops.........plenty of clutter but that's another thread!

The used various oils but the one that worked wonders was Tung Oil

Highly recommend - it lasts over a year - unlike the Danish which we needed to do every few weeks.

I have an oak worktop and belfast sink (my choice) and we just sand and oil it every 6 months and wipe up any wet spills straight away. it still looks lovely over 2 years on.

Fantastic, thanks for the feedback. Will try the oil Ceres recommended and see how we go.

Marking my place

Thanks Ceres it sounds great.

Someone just recommended the Polyvine wax oil for something else I'm doing. I wonder which is best? Might have to try both!

I have both in my kitchen and its not a problem. I'm not particularly careful with worktop or mopping up water around sink.

It had about 6 coats of danish oil on all sides before fitted and about 4 more since. There is a tiny black bit in one of the drain groves and a few ring marks on worktop where we've left cups etc. A quick light sand to remove marks then a coat of oil and it will be as good as new. I tend to oil it before bed. Takes 10 minutes to do and is all lovely by morning.

I can endorse Osmo.
I've used the matt version, and now have exactly what I wanted.

Brilliant!

Ugh. How do you cope with draining dishes? We have a metal draining rack which sits on a metal drip tray. I picked up the whole thing to clean today and underneath the wood has gone really black. How on earth do you manage to drain dishes with a wooden top? Our new wax just arrived so I'm hoping for a miracle once we start using that!

We don't really do many dishes by hand. All goes in dishwasher. Only things that are wash by hand are a few toddler beakers, water bottles, lunch boxes etc. I just put a tea towel on drainer to out them on. Never had a problem.

We aren't careful at all with the worktop. I don't put hot pans on it but that's about all I do different to our previous laminate top. It's due a sand and oiling then it'll be good as new.

We have a lot if wood too. It's on side of larder and side and back of island. Kids are always slopping stuff on it and leaving milk bottles etc on top hence the few ring marks we have but it always comes up great.

Maybe if you're letting water get under the draining rack it's constantly wet which is causing the black marks? Maybe give it a good sand then at least 3 coats of oil before you let it get wet again. We use Rustins danish oil.

We have just taken out an island with a wooden worktop. There was a small prep sink at one end. It has been in place for just over 20 years and had only one mark on it. We have lived in the house for the last 11 years & done nothing to it other than wipe it with a damp cloth to clean it. The granite counters are still immaculate.

I have great difficulty with the idea that fashionable surface in a kitchen is more important than a practical one.

Sinks with stainless drainers have been on the market for 50 years or more. Sit-ons like the Astracast Bistro do not need to be on top of, or inserted into, a worktop.

Would you expect tenants to sand and re polish every 6months?

Definitely leave instructions on what you expect tenants to do. I didn't want to do the wrong thing, so did nothing, and got a telling off from the agent.

As far as deposits go, the agent suggested that we would have to pay for not oiling (now do that before an inspection ), but the black marks were 'wear and tear' so not to worry... And yes, I do mop up as quickly as possible.

got a clear plastic drip tray that sits under our wooden draining rack. Tip it out daily of any accumulated drips and never gets water on the oak and you don't notice it cos its clear. Also got draining grooves cut into worktop by sink so any water that does escape runs down into sink.

Cakes - that's ridiculous!! I wouldn't 'expect' the tennants to do anything they hadn't specifically been asked to do (given they aren't mind readers!). IF I wanted/needed them to do something I would have it a) explained beforehand by myself or the agent (so they could take that into consideration before renting the place), b) leave a laminated set of instructions & c) have it in the contract.

hi, we have ikea beech worktops in about 16 months now and have used ikea own brand oil and osmo top oil.

the osmo is great. been about 6 months now and still seems to be holding up and water lies on top rather than soaks in.

we have no dishwasher so our sink (regular over mounted) is heavily used - 3 "loads" of dishwashing a day. I am very meticulous about water or splashes not being allowed to lay on the wood for more than a few minutes before i dry it.

I do use about 0.5 - 1 roll of paper towel a week but that includes general use as well.

I re- oil around the sink more often and dont bother sanding that are when I do.

Osmo has a eggshell not to shiny finish, well the one i chose.