big problems with cherry kitchen tops

[suzie]

Hi

I recently had solid cherry work tops fitted in my kitchen.They looked lovely for about one day. I suspect they never had the right seal on them as they now look really sad and marked. Despite our builders assurances that with the proper care cherry tops are fine in a kitchen, we have found almost anything, including water, marks them. I know they were treated with several layers of oil, but I do not think they ever had a seal put on them.

We know we will have to completely re-sand them and start again to remove the marks. But what oil should we use to treat them and most importantly, is there a tough seal we can use to make them more durable?

I am aware wooden benches will never be the most durable option but is there anything we can do to make these expensive benches stop marking when in contact with water, salt, mild heat etc. Please help...

Kind regards Suzie London

[suzie]

Hi

I recently had solid cherry work tops fitted in my kitchen.They looked lovely for about one day. I suspect they never had the right seal on them as they now look really sad and marked. Despite our builders assurances that with the proper care cherry tops are fine in a kitchen, we have found almost anything, including water, marks them. I know they were treated with several layers of oil, but I do not think they ever had a seal put on them.

We know we will have to completely re-sand them and start again to remove the marks. But what oil should we use to treat them and most importantly, is there a tough seal we can use to make them more durable?

I am aware wooden benches will never be the most durable option but is there anything we can do to make these expensive benches stop marking when in contact with water, salt, mild heat etc. Please help...

Kind regards Suzie London

[usenet]

Our rubberwood is simply treated with Danish Oil and still looks pretty good after several years. We don't put oil on as often as we should either, it seems to cope with abuse very well, better than most worktops in fact.

[Mike Halmarack]

It's a big temptation when such things are new, to keep sanding them back to virgin purity but it's such a lot of hard work and mess. What I'd do is give them a soapy scrub once in a while, dry them, then give them a coat of oil (preferably of a type that's safe to eat). What will happen is that the sort of marks that look so pronounced now will gradually cover and blend into the whole surface in a pleasingly intricate pattern of shades and tones. See it as the development of a beautiful and unique wood surface. Once these things escape from the magazine page they develop a life of their own :-)