need advice for finishing retail countertops for my son's shop

[sleepy hollow]

I am building about 150 sq ft of countertops for my son's second retail location which will be in Georgetown, DC.

We are using reclaimed barn wood rough cut 2x6 old oak stock that has been planed and straightened for joining. Beautiful stuff with wonderful character. Also very dense and heavy. We are unable to keep the original patina as the shop is selling baked goods and we need to be more sanitary than average.

So, we will be using stain and poly on the visible surfaces. My question:

What should I do with the underside of the countertops?

The location likely will be temporary - 1 year min to 2 years max. So, the countertops will be coming out and potentially reused elsewhere.

I don't mind finishing both sides uniformly, but I don't think I need to, and we are in a bit of a hurry to get the shop up and selling before mid April. What can I apply to the undersides to seal the wood yet keep my options open for later?

Thanks for any suggestions.

[DonJuvet]

I don't understand how finishing or not finishing the B side affects something you might use the wood for in the future.

Also

What you do to one side you should do to the other

Also also

Water Based, oil modified poly finish will dry very quick in an average warm shop.
If outside temp is above 60 and clear I've put 3 coats on in a day (sprayed thru a cup gun).
It is very durable.

[Cooler]

I would say one or two coats of whatever you are using on the top. Failing to do so will allow more moisture to be absorbed through the bottom than the top and you can get some pretty bad seasonal warping as the humidity rises and falls.

I would also suggest that that cabinets be made in modules that can be taken apart and rejoined at a later date. So when the move happens you can reuse most or all of the cabinets as well as the top.

You can make the cabinets from 3/4" ply and sheathe it with the re-claimed wood and when it comes time to move pry off the reclaimed wood and move the individual cabinets to the new location.

Indeed, if your son has not yet closed on a lease you can get a jump on the construction of the cabinets by making a series of 30" wide modules and 24" modules. You can join these in almost any configuration and have the entire thing done in a few days once he signs the lease.

Typically when people open retail stores they either have to wait on delivery of the fixtures and supplies or they leave their job to build-out the store.

In either case you are spending $2,000.00 to $4,000.00 rent per month for usually two months without any income. And you are either paying someone to build the fixtures or you are taking time off from work to do so yourself.

I would use my garage for storage and build enough cabinets to open, and then add the rest after I've opened my store. That way you are not paying for rent without getting income for one or two months.

Treat it like stock kitchen cabinets. Have them ready. Delivery them the day the lease it signed. Have banner signs made up in advance, so that you don't have to wait until the sign maker arrives.

If you do a lot of planning you can be open and doing business in one week after signing the lease.

Since your son has you to do the build out you can install the made-in-advance cabinets and build the missing pieces after he opens.

Also he can order his equipment and fixtures and put them in storage. Baking supplies can be delivered within a week. So this blitzkrieg approach can be very effective.

And remember that your store sign is usually the single most effective piece of marketing you can do. If it is "Johnnies Bakery", then "Bakery" should take up most of the sign and "Johnnies" should be a tag.

And the store name should instantly tell the story of the business. Names like "Toys R Us", "30 minute Photo", and "Quick Oil Change" tell the story succinctly.

Names like "Verizon", "The Gap" and "Exxon" require millions of dollars of advertising before the name becomes recognizable for the business purpose by most people.

Good luck to your son.

[sleepy hollow]

Thanks for your reply.

I am basically looking to save some time. I have 12 sides to finish if I stain and poly all 6 tops.

Otherwise I have 6 sides to finish. But I don't want to risk any issues with leaving one side unfinished. So, for example, if I were to use tung oil on the bottom or a sealing wax, could I complete the staining and finishing on the bottom 18 months from now if I decided to make a table out of one of the tops?

BTW, I am using water based poly. I have used it for stair treads among other things and it has help up for more than 10 years just as well as the rest of the hardwood floors that were factory finished. I did 4 coats for the stairs, but three is plenty, indeed, especially with the newer formulations.

[sleepy hollow]

Thanks, Cooler, for your thoughts. In this case I am only doing the countertops. Contractor is doing the rest of the space.

See my post to Donjuvet for more info on why I want to shortcut the underside of the countertops. I get the moisture thing, and just wondered if I can wax or oil the underside to avoid those issues without preventing later finishing to match tops.

Thanks again.

[rschissler]

When you say the underside of the countertop, do you mean that it is above a shelf or cabinet, and that is why it has to be sealed, so that dirt or wood particles won't fall onto the food products? If so, why not apply poly without stain to the undersides. I don't see how tung oil or wax will be easier or as good a sealer.

[JR1]

Simply spray a 1# coat of shellac. It's easily removed ad provides basic protection. As it's not on the working surface it doesn't have problems with wear or chemical resistance.

[Cooler]

JR1 said:

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Simply spray a 1# coat of shellac. It's easily removed ad provides basic protection. As it's not on the working surface it doesn't have problems with wear or chemical resistance.

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That makes a lot of sense. I wish I had thought of that. I would use Sealcoat. It brushes on easily. And it dries in 30 minutes or so. It should seal the surface and like you said it won't be exposed to abrasion or chemicals. (Though shellac is not as vulnerable as some people make out.)

[sleepy hollow]

Thanks for the suggestions, all. Shellac makes sense. Have not used it before, nor Sealcoat. How is it removed?

(Should have paid more attention to my grandfather when I was very young. He used it all the time)

[sleepy hollow]

I just read up on Sealcoat and I think I understand better now. Looks like you can stain and poly right over it.

Hmmm...does it make sense to sealcoat (de-waxed shellac) the top as well? (before stain and poly)