Solid wood work top - Not been looked after

Trout69

Good morning all, its my first post in a long time (Yay me).

I've just moved into a rented property which has lovely solid wood work tops in the kitchen. Sadly, the previous owners have not looked after them, it doesnt look like they've been oiled at all.

There are a lot of stains and also a horrid black damp mark at the back of the sink. Does anyone have any ideas on how to get rid of the damp/stains? I know sanding is an option, but i'd like to use that as a last resort.

I was thinking maybe some salt on the damp bit to try and drawer out the water, but then im obviously still stuck with the black stain. Any suggestions would be most welcomed

Thanking you kindly

Donna

Norman_Castle

If you stop splashing water on the damp bit it should dry in a few days, assuming there is not a leak.

getmore4less

Fix all the water leaks first most staines are caused by water.

Have a look at woodworking sites for repair and finishing
loads if you search "wood black mold"

http://blackmoldexpert.com/how-to-remove-black-mold-from-wood/

Once you get the stains out best you can.


I used a product called Tung oil on a wooden table and it is impervious to just about everything. Also food safe

Tung oil provides a relatively hard surface finish that, as long as the surface integrity is intact, provides a waterproof finish that is impervious to dust, alcohol, acetone (nail polish remover), and various acids such as fruit and vegetable acids (orange juice).

problem is it smells when applying and takes ages to cure.
not easy to remove one applied and cured.
not cheap

you need to look for something food safe

Norman_Castle

Liberon Finishing Oil is tung oil with dryers and is food safe

http://www.liberon.co.uk/oil-finishes/finishing-oil,434,464.html?&args=Y29tcF9pZD0zMDQmYWN0aW9uPWZpY2hlUHJvZHVpdCZpZD0xOTQmfA%3D%3D

Trout69

Thanks guys, im not moving in fully for a few weeks so hopefully the damp will have dried a bit by then (its the bit behind the taps where water gets splashed)....its a shame the previous tennants didnt appreciate how wonderful these work tops are. I'll look up your suggestions and keep the board posted on my progress. Fingers crossed

DirectDebacle

Use raw (not boiled) linseed oil. Entirely food safe and used widely within the trade for the maintenance of butchers blocks etc. Economical too. I can buy it at £1.70 for 500ml (cheaper if I buy larger quantities) cf to Liberon at around £8 per 500ml. You are going to need a lot to protect and maintain worktops. Linseed oil penetrates deep into the wood and several applications are needed to build up the protection level. Once achieved re apply regularly. Once a month if heavy usage and exposure to a lot of water. Less if light use.

Apply with a brush or soft cloth. Brush is preferable and clean well after use. Cloths, if left to dry, can self combust so if you do use a cloth rinse thoroughly in water and then dispose of it.

Removing stains is tricky and are properly removed by sanding. This applies to light stains. Deep stains may be impossible to remove. Mold is different and needs treating with an anti fungicide.

Wipe spills etc up immediately. Clean worktops, chopping boards etc with salt and lemon juice. The salt acts as a mild scouring powder and the acid in the lemon juice kills bacteria as well as giving off a pleasant aroma.

There is some research that shows that wooden choppig boards harbour less bacteria than plastic/ man made types. Apparently there are enzymes in the wood that kill bacteria naturally. Next time you buy a chopping board buy one that is constructed the same as a butchers block. That is with the end grain as the cutting surface. Maintain and clean as above.

With proper care wood worktops will outlast just about any other worktop and look good, especially when they have acquired some 'age'.

leveller2911

No offence Direct debacle but OP Do NOT use raw linseed oil as it takes ages and ages to dry fully and it can stay tacky.........Just want to emphasise this do NOT, NEVER, NICHT,NEIN, EVER USE RAW LINSEED OIL..

Boiled linseed oil dries but I wouldn't use that personally.I would recommend teak Oil,tung oil or Danish oil all have driers in and will , well dry .The more coats you give the worktop the more or a shine it will have and more protection.

OP can you take a few photos of the worktops so we can identify them, my guess is its probably Maple or Beech which is cheap, very hard but sadly not durable anywhere near water , it gets black mould which once there you will not be able to sand out as it runs up the grain.I'm guessing it looks quite a mess around the taps.

Just a bit of useless information for you ,cabinet makers and wood turners will pay a premium for "spalted beech" which is Beech that has got a fungle infection and give the appearance of black streaks in the timber..Hope the link to a pic works and another usefull page about linseed oil and the bit about linseed oil spontaneous combusting is true .:D


http://www.naturalhandyman.com/iip/infpai/inflin.html

dander

Sorry, know nothing about worktops, but I've used boiled linseed oil on various things, mixed half and half with white spirit and never had any problems with it. I've always found teak oil nice to use though.

jennifernil

We use Danish Oil on our beech worktops. Still looking good after almost 23 years.

Russe11

I wouldn't do anything with out written permission from the landlord.

Trout69

Thanks guys, the landlord isnt a problem, its a close friend, contract is in place and they are happy for me to try and rectify all the little mishaps...lol!! At present i am trying to prevent usage of the kitchen tap so i can try and identify the problem properly. It does look a mess your correct. Im not sure what of wood it is, i'll try and get a pic and post it and you can give me your experince on whether this is something that can be corrected/made to look better...or just something that i have to live with

I have plenty little things to keep me going while i wait patiently for the wood to dry....I've already managed to fix the wireless heating system, and have a part on order for the shower....i think im on a DIY roll!! lol!!

Donna