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What do I do with my mahogany kitchen worktop?

47 replies

MsSweary · 03/07/2020 11:03

One option is to replace it but I think that would damage the tiles which I'm not sure are still available.
I can't afford a new kitchen so looking to make the existing one a bit better. I'm going to have a new sink and tap as the old one has had it.

Any ideas? What would you do. I can post a couple of pics if that would help.

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DoctorTwo · 03/07/2020 22:31

Honestly just sand it down to bare wood and giv it a coat of Danish Oil, then once a year lightly sand it and reapply the oil.

cariaaad · 03/07/2020 23:10

Sand it back and coat with Osmo top oil. Honestly, the stuff is great. I was having to re-oil mine all the time as looked tatty after a few months with danish oil. Now they look fab and I love them again.

MsSweary · 04/07/2020 07:05

Well, so many of you think it's worth restoring, and @happysunr1se I'd also thought about changing the tiles at the same time; I agree they're dated and I probably would've liked them a few years ago.

I'm going to bite the bullet and try restoring the worktop as it's all surface and there aren't any chips or dents and while I'm at making a huge ton of dust and mess it I may as well have the tiles replaced too, as well as the sink and tap. I just think it will transform the whole look and feel of the kitchen.

OP posts:
NotMeNoNo · 04/07/2020 07:47

Inspiration on hardwood worktop.

What do I do with my mahogany kitchen worktop?
MsSweary · 04/07/2020 08:12

Now that is lovely.

OP posts:
Bluntness100 · 04/07/2020 08:15

I think the issue is you can’t really see the grain of the wood any more. It’s dark and patchy due to the stain/varnish/oil on it.

Sanding it right back will make it much paler and fresher feeling and will reveal the grain in the wood.

MsSweary · 04/07/2020 09:11

You're right Bluntness, it's got a kind of 'stickiness' in areas that definitely feel like too many layers of varnish.

Thanks for all the ideas, I feel more inspired now.

OP posts:
cariaaad · 04/07/2020 09:18

Here's mine done with the osmo oil Smile

What do I do with my mahogany kitchen worktop?
What do I do with my mahogany kitchen worktop?
Bluntness100 · 04/07/2020 09:36

Yup, as said I had the same thing, except mine was the whole kitchen, there was no fixing it really it was over thirty years old. I tried, painted the cabinets, but didn’t sand the work tops, because I knew ultimately it was going to have to go, because as much im sure it was lovely at the time it went in. It was still a thirty odd year old kitchen.

If my cabinets had been like yours though, I’d have definitely had a crack at sanding the work top right back.

Nighttimefreedom · 04/07/2020 09:45

I also think it's the tiles I would replace and have a go at restoring the worktop.
Can we have some after photos?

Hiddenmnetter · 04/07/2020 09:47

Oh dear OP, that is a beautiful piece of wood. You can re finish a wooden worktop very easily yourself. Buy a random orbital sander, and a cheap wet and dry vac (should come to less than £150). You can buy a Triton wet and dry vac from Screwfix for about £40, and I redid my worktops with a 5 inch Bosch sander that cost me £70 but I would go for a more expensive one with more power of I was going again. A packet of sand paper is about £5 off Amazon.

Clear the work tops, connect your vac to your sander, and then start sanding back at 60 or 80 grit to strip back the old finish. Keep going in an even pattern (don't gouge the worktop) until all the marks are gone.

Once the Worktop is stripped, use a finishing grade of 120 grit to get a smooth finish. If you can see too many marks from the earlier sanding, use white spirit on a rag to raise the grain (wipe it over the sanded surface and it will make it rough again). Then go over it with the 120 grit until it's smooth. Once that's done to your satisfaction, get a clean DRY rag and get as much dust off the wood as possible.

Then get your finish of choice and apply- I prefer osmo polyx hard wax. It looks lovely, and it's very easy to apply, but it doesn't have a stain, so if you want to colour it you'll need to choose a stain to stain it first.

The finish time depends on what you use. I did my worktops while my wife was on holiday with the children. I did each coat with 24 hours between. Now 1 year on the finish looks perfect except where my daughter drew on it with Sharpie 😖😖😖😖😖😖😖

PenelopePitstop49 · 04/07/2020 09:55

We've got Beech worktops, and they're quite high maintenance but it's rewarding. We sand with an orbital sander every 6 months (it's got a dustbag), and one of us sands while the other holds the hoover. Then we oil using Danish oil on a thick cloth, leave overnight to soak in, then go over with wire wool and put another coat on. We do a section at a time otherwise it's a nightmare.

It's also really easy to sand out any small marks or stains.

277xo · 04/07/2020 10:05

Please please please don’t put plastic wrap on that beautiful worktop...

There are lots of beautiful examples on Pinterest of dark wood worktops, it doesn’t need to look outdated at all. I think that changing the tiles (removing them all together perhaps) and as you said, the sink and taps would be better to give the kitchen a more up to date finish.

GuyFawkesDay · 04/07/2020 10:08

I think it's a tile problem too. Change those, sink and taps. I love everyone's wood top photos above

Handsnotwands · 04/07/2020 10:14

Sand it and osmo it. You could even use a dark (black) wood stain. I think it’s lovely

AnnaMagnani · 04/07/2020 10:14

What's wrong with it? It looks like a beautiful aged piece of wood.

Just changing the sink and tiles will make a lot of difference.

If you must do something, professionally sanding it will make it good as new, then oil it, not varnish, with Osmo Oil. Every day for a week, then weekly for 3 months - it will let you know when it has had enough.

Elieza · 04/07/2020 10:18

Defo sand it. It could have the potential you are looking for.

If you get a new sink and it’s as a slightly different shape it may not fit the existing hole cut out of your work top.
So you may need to shop carefully. Or if it fits it could be slightly differently shaped on the bit that goes over the worktop, exposing bits that were previously hidden by the last sink. So those bits would be unsanded.

So if you are hiring a sander make sure that the last day you have it you remove the sink and give that bit a sand before fitting your new one (once you know it fits) so it’s all perfect and beautiful.

NotMeNoNo · 04/07/2020 12:11

This was what we used if it helps www.osmouk.com/sitechaptern.cfm?bookid=Products&chapter=82&page=253

What do I do with my mahogany kitchen worktop?
SeasideArms · 04/07/2020 16:39

@cariaaad what colour are your walls please? I'm looking for that exact shade!

cariaaad · 04/07/2020 18:30

@SeasideArms It's Simply Duck Egg by Crown. Takes a few coats but it's pretty cheap!

SeasideArms · 04/07/2020 21:46

@cariaaad Thank you! Excellent, I'll be off to look for a tester tomorrow!

SeasideArms · 04/07/2020 21:46

@cariaaad Thank you! Excellent, I'll be off to look for a tester tomorrow!

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