Green Building Forum - opinions of worksurfaces.

opinions of worksurfaces.

dan_the_man — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 13:07:10 +0000

Posted By: paul.dixon27 Iroko is what i've found to be the best, Oak is lovely but it can stain with wet iron,like knives and pots, and it's not quite as water friendly as iroko.

any ideas on removing the black stain from oak work surfaces? i see oxalic acid is recommended for other woods but wouldn't it result in bleached out spots on the surface?

not convinced about wood work surfaces near sinks, they all seem to blacken and crack and if you want a natural product then coating with resins and boat varnishes doesn't seem very compatible. in drier areas they are great though.

opinions of worksurfaces.

Julian — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 09:52:29 +0000

Sealing some oak tops in the kitchen with tung oil. All was going well and I had 5-6 coats rubbed in. Then a spell of cooking (excessive humidity) and after the oil has gone matt and feels damp to the touch. Rubbed with a finger it rolls off easily. Is it best to try to dry it out and carry on?

opinions of worksurfaces.

owlman — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 10:59:05 +0000

Posted By: dan_the_man.
any ideas on removing the black stain from oak work surfaces? i see oxalic acid is recommended for other woods but wouldn't it result in bleached out spots on the surface?

not convinced about wood work surfaces near sinks, they all seem to blacken and crack and if you want a natural product then coating with resins and boat varnishes doesn't seem very compatible. in drier areas they are great though.

Hi d_t_m,
Exposure to iron compounds or ammonia causes Oak to blacken. You'll not shift it apart from sanding it out. I agree with you about sinks and water and wood, in general, they don't mix. All surface coating eventually degrade and once the water gets underneath you're in for a hiding. Keep the nice wood to drier areas of the kitchen, unless you like the shabby look.

Hi Julian,
Good to hear you're putting in some elbow grease, sounds like you're overdoing it a bit. Remember "a little bit and often."

Mike

opinions of worksurfaces.

mrswhitecat — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 17:41:53 +0000

Are you keeping cows and pigs now Contadino?

opinions of worksurfaces.

ludite — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 12:15:04 +0000

slightly off thread here, but with all the talk of wood not being good near water (saunas? airing cupboards? hot tubs?) (boats?) - have you seen the designer wooden baths that are out now?

Does anyone have any experience of them or opinions of why anyone would want/need a bath made out of wood?

opinions of worksurfaces.

ChrisEngland — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 12:34:02 +0000

Ludite - don't throw your fat on the compost heap - not relly very good for them. Put it somewhere rodent proof to dry thoroughly then burn it - get something out of it that way.

opinions of worksurfaces.

owlman — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:54:27 +0000

Posted By: ludite; slightly off thread here, but with all the talk of wood not being good near water (saunas? airing cupboards? hot tubs?) (boats?) - have you seen the designer wooden baths that are out now?

Does anyone have any experience of them or opinions of why anyone would want/need a bath made out of wood?

You're not usually that worried if the sauna or hot tub isn't that visually perfect. As a worktop would try to be. As for airing cupboards I thought they were meant to be extra dry.
Wooden baths, mmm, self-punishment perhaps.