Kitchen Countertop

[iublue]

I have been contacted by a lady that is considering a wooden kitchen countertop.

What is the best, toughest finish to use?

I used epoxy on a vanity top once and it was difficult to deal with especially on the edges.

What does the Woodnet brain trust say?

TIA

Toney

[jteneyck]

I have been contacted by a lady that is considering a wooden kitchen countertop.

What is the best, toughest finish to use?

I used epoxy on a vanity top once and it was difficult to deal with especially on the edges.

What does the Woodnet brain trust say?

TIA

Toney

If the countertop will be cut on then you are limited to oil/wax products.  If it won't get cut on then Waterlox OSF would be a good choice if you can let it cure long enough before installation; like at least a month.  If you can't, or can't convince the lady to treat it with kid gloves for a month or two, then some kind of 2 part finish like conversion varnish is probably the best choice.  

Repairs get progressively more difficult in the order I listed them.  

Another approach would be to use something like Rubio Monocoat.  It's really durable but also super easy to repair/refresh. 

John

[iublue]

If the countertop will be cut on then you are limited to oil/wax products.  If it won't get cut on then Waterlox OSF would be a good choice if you can let it cure long enough before installation; like at least a month.  If you can't, or can't convince the lady to treat it with kid gloves for a month or two, then some kind of 2 part finish like conversion varnish is probably the best choice.  

Repairs get progressively more difficult in the order I listed them.  

Another approach would be to use something like Rubio Monocoat.  It's really durable but also super easy to repair/refresh. 

John

Thanks John for the suggestions.

I just called the lady and she said she would NOT be cutting on it.  Given that fact, if it was your countertop, what would you use?

Is Enduro a bad choice?  Since it is a surface finish it would be hard to repair but it would give a good resistance to water and alcohol.

Do you have experience with the Rubio?

Thanks for the help.

[jteneyck]

Thanks John for the suggestions.

I just called the lady and she said she would NOT be cutting on it.  Given that fact, if it was your countertop, what would you use?

Is Enduro a bad choice?  Since it is a surface finish it would be hard to repair but it would give a good resistance to water and alcohol.

Do you have experience with the Rubio?

Thanks for the help.

I used to think EnduroVar was pretty bullet proof, but it can be damaged if you leave stuff on it long enough.  I'd pick Waterlox or Arm-R-Seal over anything short of a catalyzed waterborne.  If you want to go that route, then Enduro Conversion Varnish (I haven't used) or TC's EM-8000CV (I have) would be good choices.  Keep in mind, even the WB finishes take at least a month to really cure.  EM-8000CV is the most durable WB I've used, pretty much nothing touched it after it cured for 4 - 6 weeks.  

I have used Rubio Monocoat 2C but only on a couple of projects.  It's very durable but not exactly in the same way as a film finish.  If you leave water on it long enough it will temporarily raise the grain but looks and feels perfectly fine after it dries out again.  I haven't tried leaving wine on it, and would want to test that before using it on a countertop.
The huge attraction of RM is how easy it is to repair.  After cleaning, sanding, scraping, whatever is needed to remove the damage, just wipe more onto that area, no need to redo the whole piece. It blends in seamlessly with the rest.  Same thing with scratches.  You don't even have to remove them, just wipe some RM into them and it will look better though not flat of course.  Nothing about repairing a damaged film finish is easy.  

If the lady is a neat and tidy freak I think a film finish would be fine. If she rides hard and leaves her horse wet afterwards then I'd use something that's easy to repair.  

John

[AHill]

No matter what you use:

1. Don't cut on it. Have the customer use a cutting board.
2. Don't put hot pans on it. Tell the customer to use trivets or some other stand.
3. Put all the above in writing and have it be part of the contract. That way you don't have to be running back every time they ignore 1 and 2.