Polyurethane or Linseed Finish on Wood Counters?

meanwhile · #1 05/18/10, 12:29 PM

I have wood counters in the kitchen (I did not put them in there / previous owner did) and am trying to repair them. I have sanded and cleaned all the gunk off. Sanded down to good clean wood. It is Oak of some type with a oak frame edging.

I do not know what type of finish was on the wood before I bought the house. The counters were already damaged and I was going to rip them out but really cannot afford to and when I pulled the sink out, I discovered the counter boards are really thick (3 inch thick) beams which appear to be Oak of some type. I have sanded and it looks like it will be nice after a finish.

What to put on as a finish? Polyurethane? The thick oil type Poly? Or Linseed? Pros / Cons of each?

I will not be using the counter as a "cutting board" and do not set food on the counter (usually) so I am not worried about having a "food grade" finish.

Thank you very much.

KMA1 · #2 05/18/10, 12:35 PM

I would use the polyurethane. I have had really good results with it. As I posted previously, I have had bad experience with linseed oil on a counter/table top, although some posted previously saying they had good results.

**clovis** · #3 05/18/10, 01:02 PM

I am a huge fan of linseed oil, but I think I'd go with poly on this one for kitchen counters.

sheepish · #4 05/18/10, 01:18 PM

I have used tung oil with much success on kitchen counters. It has the advantage over linseed oil in that it doesn't darken as much and the advantage over poly that it remains flexible and is easily renewed by applying another coat. If polyurethane develops a crack, it lifts and has to be removed before re-applying.

Sawmill Jim · #5 05/18/10, 01:34 PM

I got polley on cherry don't know if it will hold up or not did it about ten years ago .

Need to do lots of cabinet building but my round tuit is missing .

meanwhile · #6 05/18/10, 04:18 PM

Thank you - so anyone else? Sound like Poly is winning so far.

solidwoods · #7 05/18/10, 04:18 PM

3" thick wow.
If you will cut on them use mineral oil, if not I use water based finish.
Water based can be refinished in an hr.
I make wood strip and butcher block counter tops for a living.
jim

Wis Bang 2 · #8 05/18/10, 05:17 PM

I learned while restoring my wood/canvas canoe that poly is hard to 'un-do'. Everyone in the wood canoe restoration chat board recomended using non-poly spar varnish so future repairs would be easier.

Poly will hold up to alot but once some of it fails you will have to work hard and loose some of that 3" wood to be able to do it over.

Tung Oil and spar varnish would be my choice.

tamsam · #9 05/18/10, 05:18 PM

I would get a good cutting board and save the counter top. Hope it comes out nice for you. Sam

agmantoo · #10 05/18/10, 05:56 PM

Tung oil, true tung oil not a diluted wanna be. Suitable to last a lifetime with a little painless touchup every 20 years. Will never peel.

Danaus29 · #11 05/18/10, 06:33 PM

Another vote for tung oil here. Brings out the details in the grain but doesn't darken it. Easy to apply, easy to fix if it gets messed up. I use old socks or pieces of jeans to apply tung oil.

meanwhile · #12 05/19/10, 06:16 AM

Thank you everyone -

Not to confuse it but anyone used Mineral Oil Finish? Would that compare to Tung Oil or Linseed?

Micheal · #13 05/19/10, 08:14 AM

Personally I would NOT use anything as a finish on a kitchen counter top that I would not be willing to put into my mouth - as that where it could end up.
Therefore I vote for mineral oil!

Jenn · #14 05/19/10, 08:14 AM

I mixed linseed oil- maybe it wasn't boiled- and beeswax and had a horrid sticky finish. We were very happy to give away that piece this year. I had unfinished wood counters in one home and oiled them often with olive oil. Now I polish all my wooden tables and our sailboat exterior wood with beeswax mixed with olive oil (heat both to same temp- where wax has melted- and then they blend very well) though except for scrapes and of course the boat wood these tables have some finish already- scrapes show up on one piece until I wax.

timfromohio · #15 05/19/10, 09:41 AM

Use a poly-based finish. Water will smell less during application, but oil-based might provide a nicer looking finish.

I made black walnut countertops for an island in our kitchen and learned the hardway about finishing. My first finish consisted of a mineral oil stain followed by multiple coats of a wax finish - I wanted to go the traditional route. Less than 24 hours after the countertops were installed a mug of hot tea was spilled. What was I thinking? Wax vs. hot liqud - guess who won ....

For a kitchen application you want the most durable finish possible - go for poly. I had to uninstall and refinish the countertops and did 7 coats of oil-based poly. It has proven to be extremely durable.

Regarding being foodsafe - once dried it's fine. I understand Michael's hesitation and read up on poly (there's a good article in the magazine Popular Woodworking that you can look up) Would I eat poly? Nope. Nor would I eat pottery slip but I drink coffee out of pottery mugs all the time - you need to consider the state of material when it's all said and done.

arabian knight · #16 05/19/10, 10:44 AM

Poly as it is easiest to clean and even use antibacterial cleaner on.

nc_mtn · #17 05/19/10, 05:44 PM

If you don't want OMU (poly) go with Waterlox. http://www.waterlox.com/ Its a modified tung oil. Its great stuff. Really penetrates the wood.

I just went to their site and they even recommend it themselves for counter tops. http://www.waterlox.com/solutions/countertops.aspx

That would be my vote if I didn't want OMU...

sheepish · #18 05/20/10, 05:33 AM

Tung oil is made from tung nuts. It is a food-safe oil, if no other products have been added to it. Many tung oil products have additives.

It hardens in a way that other oils (mineral, unboiled linseed, olive oil and other food oils) do not. This means that the surface does not wash off and have to be renewed frequently (weekly or monthly)

Nature_Lover · #19 05/20/10, 12:13 PM

Tung oil for natural wood countertops.
Tung oil gives a really different finish (I can't think of any varnish or poly to compare it to.)

Depending on the wood grain, tung oil seems to soak in to the softer parts of the grain and leave a matte finish there, even with several coats. The harder parts of the grain (those which would take less stain, if you were finishing with a stain) become glossy and hold the shine for years.

I have used Tung oil on several projects, and even when my kids were young, and hard on wood coffee tables and dressers, I didn't have to refinish anything with tung oil. Th coffee tables needed a few more coats after a few years, but I didn't have to sand or strip the wood at all.

This gloss and matte finish effect gives the surface a depth, that seems to make the grain stand out, and is unique to tung oil.