Help...oak work tops horrid colour after oiling!

[QueenofBlah]

I've got prime oak work tops from Worktop Express. They were a lovely light colour before oiling but now horrid dark sludge brown! I was hoping for a light golden colour. Unfortunately my kitchen fitter had zealously applied 7 coats of Ronseal oil before I came home and saw the awful colour they had turned to. Can anything be done to remove the oil? If so can anyone recommend an alternative oil or varnish?

Seven coats! Two or three is the norm for new tops. I'd ring Worktop Express for advise in the morning.

advice even

Give it 24-48 Hours as it will significantly change colour as it dries out.

Don't forget all products will darken it slightly. The more oil the better to start with as it will help stop staining latter.

7 coats in day? Aren't you meant to leave quite a few hours before each coat? He's gone berserk.

Oil only penetrates so far (a few mm). It will take some time (a long time) but you could sand it back to get back to the original wood.

I used polyx hard wax/oil on my oak worktops and they look lovely. Deep and rich and golden, bringing out the grain and the beauty of the oak. I love it. I made my wife a butchers block with it (it's made of natural wax & oil so it's safe for food) from the off cuts.

Also, how did this bloke apply 7 coats of oil in one day? It usually takes about 12-24 hours between coats...given he's coated it so, so rapidly there's a chance that it won't have had much of an opportunity to soak into the wood. Try putting some paper towel on the work tops to soak up the oil - don't scrub, only blot. If you scrub you'll be working the oil into the wood.

He did go beserk! I think he literally wiped on, wiped off and then started again and again! So presumably it's not the fault of the oil, it's just the amount of costs which have made it look so dark. He's advised us to re-coat every day for a fortnight then once a month for the rest of the year. I've tried blotting and have soaked a lot of oil up but it still looks the same. I'll try sanding when it's dryer but I think it will have penetrated too far.

I would suggest leaving it to dry for a couple of days you really don't want to end up with a patchy surface. It really is likely to lighten up in the next few days.

You do need to build up lots of coats though in order to make it waterproof. If you don't you run the risk of water staining which is much worse. When I was oiling ours it did several coats fairly quickly, the first few soak in almost immediately and then it takes progressively longer for each to dry.

Don't think of it like varnish, it's a different process

Why has it turned so dark then if you do need lots of coats? Is it a problem with the wood?

Let it dry, then sand, then oil. Will be fine.

Or : don't sand again- I'm no expert but I bet it'll be fine

Is it definitely just plain in n oil, or is there a stain included in it, there are a number of different colours you get, antique oak, etc etc.

Can you post a pic?

I can't see how oil with no stain could change the colour that much. Are you sure the oil doesn't have stain in it? Is it designed for worktops.

If you do manage to get rid of it, Osmo Polyx oil (in clear!) is the product to go for.

I've tried oiling an off cut of a worktop I once got from Ikea with the same oil, I think that is oak too but not sure. Anyway that piece went a completely different colour - a nice golden shade, which must prove that it's the wood in the worktop which affects the end colour? Strange because the worktop express worktop was very light before oiling.

What oil are you using? There's different ones, Osmo doesn't darken as much as teak oil for instance

Untreated oak has grey tones. Once you oil it, more yellow and brown tones come out ime.

Hello, I have exactly the same issue with my worktops they’ve gone a really deep red/brown colour and not the deep golden colour I was expecting . Could you tell me if you did manage to get them thecolour you wanted and if so how? Many thanks for any advice

I think it's just what happens when you oil it.

We have an oiled oak worktop and it went very dark (it wasn't that many layers and there were 24h between layers).

We're also reconsidering sanding it down but haven't got round to deciding what else to treat it with.

Thanks for your response JoJoSM2
I contacted Wood Finishes direct. They were really helpful and advise these products. The cleaner will take it back to its natural state and the oil has a white pigment in it that stops the dark colours coming through. It’s worth giving the a call for advice, they are so helpful. Good luck with your worktops

www.wood-finishes-direct.com/product/osmo-intensive-cleaner

www.wood-finishes-direct.com/product/osmo-polyx-oil-raw-3044

Slee, thank you!

We had wooden worktops in our old kitchen and we oiled them maybe once a year. I would never have them again though - they mark easily and they are a nightmare around the sink because you've got to keep them dry or they rot. Now got a composite which is so much easier to look after.

Some oils have colour to them and this might be the problem. I have been terribly upset in the same way - our oak has gone a horrible colour. We put some clear oil on one of the offcuts and it went a nice pale colour, just perfect. I am going to sand the surfaces down to the bone and hope for the best. They say that you have to wait two weeks to let the oil harden in order to sand it off. I really feel for you too.

Hi just had solid wood work tops fitted they came unprotected with the oil to do yourself I have done 3 coats as advised, one side has suddenly produced funny v shaped marks that were not there before help please ! Have taken photo but new to mumsnet and don't know how to put photo on or if you can thanks

Hi I'm having problems with new solid wood worktops oiling etc... beginning to regret choosing them !