The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Community => Coffee Lounge => Topic started by: Possum on January 08, 2020, 09:00:45 am
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Since we are on the subject of kitchens - has anyone successfully replaced their work surfaces? When we renovated our house eight years ago we installed wooden work surfaces in the new kitchen. They looked lovely but, despite our best efforts with Danish Oil, they have become increasingly stained and unsightly.
There are several companies who advertise replacements but I've been told that their selling techniques are similar to old-fashioned double glazing salesmen. Has anyone replaced their work surfaces and been happy with the results?
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You can buy just the work surface from places like Wickes. Mine is wood effect but a composite with a coating. On its 5th year and not a mark despite daily abuse from all.
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Woodyards also stock worktop timber which I think comes in 3 metre lengths. Corner joints can be difficult to achieve unless you have the cutting jig for the underside clamps- joining strips look ugly. I would have thought most joiners would be able to fit new tops. The only time you would need a specialist is for granite and you would need to be sure the units underneath can stand the weight. Make sure the plumbing is OK under the sink as you will need to disconnect the waste and supply pipes and keep the rest of the house connected, so isolator valves required. Often taps are 'hard' plumbed, so rigid copper pipe all the way to the tap- you need a plumber to deal with that.
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We successfully had beech wood worktops for about 18 years. Regularly sanded and relaxed. Only regret is we moved house :-) now have big standard ones
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Kitchen worktops are one of the con-jobs in the sense that companies selling kitchens have customers excited about the new installation and an easier target for being sold expensive options - particularly the fancy look of the top.
How easy or hard it is to fit a new top varies. I have done it myself on easy installs. You can buy a jig for the purpose (if you own a decent router) or just mark out and hand cut the corners but destroying worktop material getting it wrong can prove expensive.
Our current kitchen was actially installed by a local chappy who usually does double glazing but he's a good chippy and also built my hobby shed and sun room. - Hand cut and spot on.
The kitchen units themselves were made by a small independant Co and to bespoke sizes at a very decent price. For the worktop I used a basic one from B&Q I'd used before. Simple laminate had lasted 20 years in the last house and the new one is fine here after 9yrs so far - no fancy cleaning needed or resanding and refinishing or worrying about chips/stains in stonework and if it does get damaged then the same model is still available so just a section could be swapped out.
If you do want to try renovating the top you have then try a product called Klingstrip. It's usually sold as a paint stripper but is a sort of poultice that will dissolve surface paint and suck stains out of timber and stone. I've used it to renovate a filthy stained stone fireplace and also use it to clean the grease and stain that builds up in kitchen tile groutwork around the sink and cooker - brilliant stuff. You just layer it on with a plastic trowel (old credit card for small bits) , cover with plastic to keep it from drying out (for a few hours to days depending on how bad things are) and simply wash it off.
Danish oil is fine as a quick finish but not very robust. If the worktop cleans up to perfection then I'd use a 2-part clear epoxy coating after.
Addition:
You can buy small test tubs of Klingstrip. I find they are enough to deal with grout dirt/grease if used carefully - saves storage issues.
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Our oak worktops are 8 years old and still in very good condition. They get no end of abuse (wet things dumped on them and left overnight, a sink that splashes and a coffee machine that drips), when new we treated them every other month for a year but since then they have only been oiled every other year. Osmo Topoil seems to be doing the trick and I would recommend it if you get new wood ones.
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We also have oak surfaces that we fitted ourselves. We used Tung oil rather than Danish oil and I re-oil annually - still looking good with only a couple of minor blemishes.
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Only problem with standard shop bought worktops is most are ony 3metres long. My electrician found a place that does 4.1 metres which I needed for my new kitchen so there wasn't a join. Looks soooo much nicer. I've always had standard worktops and they've lasted without any special care for many years
To be honest it's all down to personal choice and what you can afford
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Thank you to everyone for your very helpful advice. Such a wide-range of knowledge!
I think our plan is to clean the surface with Klingstrip and then try the two - part epoxy coating. If that fails, we will be down to Wickes for a replacement. The longest surface is slightly less than 3 metres, so, with the help of a local joiner, we should be OK.
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I think our plan is to clean the surface with Klingstrip and then try the two - part epoxy coating.
I don't think stripping will get out the oil/stains. I would invest in a decent sander (£50) and take the top surface off. It really isn't a big job and will look like new when finished.
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I think our plan is to clean the surface with Klingstrip and then try the two - part epoxy coating.
I don't think stripping will get out the oil/stains. I would invest in a decent sander (£50) and take the top surface off. It really isn't a big job and will look like new when finished.
Klngstrip isn't just a paint stripper. its a poultice and will suck many stains out. Whether it'll work here is another matter.
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OK. So should I sand first and then just treat any remaining stains with Klingstrip? Also, there seem to be a huge number of 2-part epoxy coatings available. Is there one that is tried and trusted?
Sorry if these questions sound very basic. I'm afraid my DIY skills are limited to painting and decorating and putting up shelves.
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No. Klingstrip first then sand if necessary (or apply a second coat to stained areas and try again)
If in doubt just buy a small test tub and try it rather than layering the whole thing and finding it didn't work. You'll probbaly have to run a bit of a test for how long to leave it on anyway - a few hours or a whole day depending - just cover with old plastic bags or clingfilm to stop it drying out.
pgk
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We went for polished concrte. Looks and feels like granite but a lot cheaper. Not very forgiving on crockery though.
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Wood looks really nice but is not very practical as kitchen worktop - we did quartz 3 years ago - looks and feels the same as real marble but it's cheaper and more durable - wood and marble can absorb colouring from spices etc.
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Another simple and DIY option is to tile a worktop - ideally using porcelain tiles since they are better at heat changes and (usually) flatter. Then use epoxy grout and make the seams level. If you want a rolled edge then that would have to either just epoxy or something creative with steel, ally or brass.