Poly vs. Mineral oil for coutertops: the great conflict.

[closed for business]

I'm going to dabble in doing a mini kitchen reno. the cabinets are painted white (not my choice, some joker painted nice oak cabinets white). I'm going to replace the backsplash, and repaint the cabinets an antique white bisque color. I'm planning cherry counters, potentially live edge, with a walnut stripe. there may be some inlay work, depending on how i'm feeling.

anyways, would you poly them and seal it once and for all, or do mineral oil treatment like a butcher block. Poly would lockout moisture mostly, but will get scratched. If it was MO, and they got scraped, you can touch up sand/oil and you're back to newish.

thoughts?

[atgcpaul]

I just did butcherblock in my kitchen and used General Finishes Enduro-Var Water Based Polyurethane Varnish. My other choice was going to be Waterlox Original which seems like everyone who does wood countertops swears by.

Anyway, I chose the Enduro-Var because I wanted to spray on a lot of coats in a short amount of time and I didn't want to stink up the house when I brought them inside.

I should have used the Waterlox for the ease of future repairs. I tinted the Enduro-Var and I know I won't be able to get the same color down the road when I need to fix up spots. I finished a small game table with Waterlox and the smell dissipated much faster than I thought.

Personally, I wouldn't go with the mineral oil. I've used it on cutting boards and the IMO the sheen isn't as nice and it always feel oily.

[®smpr_fi_mac®]

Mineral oil doesn't cure. I wouldn't use it.

[meackerman]

This was for wooden cuttingboards, but seems it would work on any wooden countertop.
Problem with most film finishes like poly is if someone cuts on it, they can cut the finish there's no easy way to fix it.

Howard Acheson said:

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An excellent treatment for wooden food preparation surfaces like cutting boards and butcher blocks is a mixture of mineral oil and either Paraffin or beeswax. This is what is used on many commercial wood surfaces. It will last longer and be more protective than just mineral oil. Mineral oil can be found in most supermarkets in the pharmacy section or in a true pharmacy. Paraffin is found in the canning section of the store or in a hardware store.

Heat the oil in a double boiler and shave in some wax. The exact proportions are not critical--a 5-6 parts of oil to one part of wax will work fine. Stir the mixture until all the wax is liquefied. Apply the mixture heavily and let it set 10-12 hours or overnight. Next day do it again and continue until the wood will no longer absorb the finish. Let it set for 10-12 hours and then lightly scrape off any excess. Then buff it with a rag.

Reapply whenever the wood begins to look dry.

Never put a wood board in the dishwasher and don't soak it in dishwater for long periods.

A final point, do not leave a cutting board over sink drain for long periods. The water in the sink and/or trap creates high humidity which will create uneven moisture on the two surfaces of the board. This will cause the board to warp, crack or split or otherwise deform.

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[jteneyck]

It's pretty simple. If anyone is going to cut directly on the counter top, don't use varnish, use Howard's recipe. If you can convince yourself, and whoever cooks in the kitchen, never to cut on it varnish will look nicer, longer.

John

[Cooler]

I went through that decision making recently myself. My rationale was it you are planning on using the counter top as a cutting board, then mineral oil; if you are going to use cutting boards for cutting then poly.

The mineral oil finish will require vastly more maintenance. The poly is not safe for food.

I put down 4 coats of oil based poly. I waited two full weeks before putting the finish to use. After one week I used place mats on the surface to protect the finish. But after two weeks I was confident that the finish was fully cured. In a couple of years I might scuff it up and apply another coat. But I expect it to stand up well.

I have several silicone trivets to protect it from heat and scratches. If you are using poly I recommend that you get at least a half dozen of these (they work great as pot holders too).

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1...cone+pot+holder

Here is my poly coated countertop:

[meackerman]

Cooler said:

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The poly is not safe for food.

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since when?

once its cured its food safe.

[Cooler]

meackerman said:

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[blockquote]Cooler said:

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The poly is not safe for food.

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since when?

once its cured its food safe.

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[/blockquote]

What I meant is it not safe to use as a cutting board where chips of the poly can get into the food. It is safe to put food on poly finish. You would not want to eat it though.

[closed for business]

jteneyck said:

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It's pretty simple. If anyone is going to cut directly on the counter top, don't use varnish, use Howard's recipe. If you can convince yourself, and whoever cooks in the kitchen, never to cut on it varnish will look nicer, longer.

John

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Or slide a pan on it, or a cup or bowl that the bottom isn't polished smooth or... whatnot. I can refrain from cutting on it, but what about setting a plate on it that's made out of stone ware and moving it?


The gent that has been down this road, how long have you had yours fully cured and any moderate/major marks?

[jteneyck]

Good point, and the reason I have granite counter tops. Can't cut on it either, though, but that's why cutting boards were invented.

John