Kitchen surfaces


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Old 01-11-05, 01:08 PM
Bugsear
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Kitchen surfaces

Our kitchen has exposed wood shelving as well as a few countertops. The wood is approx 1 inch thick, is in fantastic condition and seems to be unfinished. We do not want to use them as cutting surfaces. We would like to know if they should be sealed using either an oil or poly. We're concerned about keeping them clean and looking great. Any ideas?
 
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Old 01-12-05, 08:02 PM
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Do you have wooden countertops? Is this house or kitchen new?
 
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Old 01-18-05, 04:30 AM
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If wood is butcher block, you can keep it oiled with white mineral oil from the drug store.
 
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Old 01-18-05, 09:43 AM
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Yes, the countertops are wood. We are thinking of using poly on the wood shelves and tung oil or mineral oil on the wood countertops. Would these be the best products?
 
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Old 01-18-05, 05:12 PM
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You could use tung oil for all of it, if you like. Tung oil is a durable finish and is easy to repair or renew. As with polyurethane, it takes several thin coats to build an adequate finish.

Hope this helps.
 
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Old 01-19-05, 03:21 PM
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Pure Tung Oil is non toxic if it doesn't contain dryers or solvents. Don't use tung oil products that are mixtures containing toxic dryers, dyes or solvents. It is essentially just a vegetable oil but produces a nice finish that won't go rancid. Use only Tung Oil that is "pure". Water-based polyurethanes are often non-toxic when dry. Check the label to make sure. Contact manufacturer to be sure if label does not indicate this.
 
  #7  
Old 01-20-05, 12:37 PM
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Thank you for the help...One more question: the countertops are just over an inch thick, which to me seems thin to use as a cutting surface for many years. Does anyone out there have experience/advice using wood surfaces this big as cutting/food prep surfaces? Anything you would do again or not do again? Thanks much.
 
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Old 01-20-05, 07:27 PM
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I recommend using a cutting board for cutting, rather than use the countertop itself. The damage to the countertop would become unsightly in short order. The cutting board would be simple to replace when needed and to put out of sight when you wanted things to look presentable. Many times, kitchen countertops get uses other than food preparation. Having a cutting board would eliminate any concerns about contaiminating the surface with the results of some other activity.
 
 

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