While quartz and granite worktops may be the fashion now, they don’t look right in every property, and many people still prefer the warmth and natural beauty of real wood. The downside of wooden worktops though, is that while they look great to begin with, over time they fade or get damaged, stained or marked. The good news is that it’s not the end of the world – a little bit of TLC can renovate and restore your wooden worktop to its former glory, for a fraction of the cost of paying a kitchen fitter to come and replace the worktop for you.
In this blog (and accompanying video) we’ll take you through the tools and materials you will need for the job and then explain the step-by-step process for renovating your wooden worktop.
Tools and Materials You Will Need to Renovate a Wooden Worktop
- Dust sheets/floor protection
- Varnish remover
- Paint kettles (clean)
- Old/cheap brush
- Scraper
- Several clean cloths
- Possibly wood filler
- Sanding block and sandpaper of various grades (120, 180, 240), or dust-free sanding set-up
- Dusting brush
- Methylated Spirit
- Varnish
- Clean paintbrush for applying varnish
A Step-by-Step Guide
Asses the Worktop
Start by assessing your worktop. Is it actually solid wood, or is it veneered? If veneered, you will need to be careful when sanding, as you won’t want to sand too deep… Are there stains, scratches, water damage or chips/dents?
Sheet up
Protect the surrounding area – place dustsheets on the floor around the worktop, move all moveable items out of the way, and cover or mask anything that can’t be moved.
Remove Existing Coating
A good quality varnish remover – such as Polyvine Varnish and Paint Remover – will do the hard work for you. Give the bottle a good shake first and then decant into a clean paint kettle. Apply liberally with a brush and leave for about 45 minutes to allow the magic to happen.
The old varnish should then scrape away relatively easily, although in some situations you may need to apply a second coat. The great thing about the Polyvine Varnish & Paint Remover compared to many others is that it’s non-toxic and ultra-low in VOCs, so you don’t have to worry about pets or children in the house, and you don’t need to be overly concerned about covering yourself in PPE and opening all the windows. It’s also got a thick, creamy consistency, so it’s very easy to control where it goes, and to apply a nice even coat of it.
Clean the Worktop
Once you have scraped away as much varnish as possible, wash the surface with a damp cloth. Another good thing about Polyvine’s Varnish & Paint Remover is that you don’t need to apply special neutralisers after you’ve used it – a thorough wash down with warm water and a cloth is all you need.
Abrade
Once the worktop has dried, sand it thoroughly to remove any last traces of varnish, and to leave a smooth, even surface. Work in the direction of the wood grain, progressing from medium to fine grade sandpaper. After sanding, remove as much dust as possible with a dusting brush.
A machine sander is ideal for abrading with the medium grade paper, but you should sand by hand when you come to do the fine grade sanding.
Inspect the Surface
You will probably find that many of the scratches and marks will have been removed with the varnish and the sanding, but any minor blemishes can be sanded out now. If there are holes that need filling, I always find this a bit of a dilemma. Wood fillers are a solid, uniform colour, whereas natural wood isn’t, so any filling is inevitably noticeable.
If there is deep water or grease stains in the wood, then you may need to bleach it using Oxalic Acid. I avoid this unless it’s necessary, because unlike Polyvine products, it isn’t exactly pleasant.
Wipe with Spirit
Clean the surface using a clean cloth and some methylated spirit, to remove any last traces of dust and any other impurities on the surface. Allow the worktop to dry completely.
Apply the First Coat of Varnish
Now it’s time to apply your new varnish. In the example in the video, we’re using Polyvine Interior Heavy-Duty Varnish. It’s available in either dead flat or satin, and dries quickly to give an ultra-tough, crystal-clear finish that will last. And of course, for a kitchen worktop, you need something like Polyvine, which is food- and child-safe, and stain-, water- and heat-resistant.
Apply your first coat, working in the direction of the grain, using a synthetic brush. Something like the Kana Tank brush is ideal, because it has been specifically developed to be used with this type of product. It has an inner “tank” of natural bristles which hold a lot of varnish (meaning you can cover a larger area), surrounded by an outer layer of very fine-tipped synthetic bristles which help give you a perfect finish.
It’s a good idea to thin your first coat with 10% clean water – this helps the product to flow better, and aids penetration into the wood, so that it will bond better. The worktop is likely to look patchy after the first coat of varnish. Don’t worry, it will sort itself out on the next coat.
Sand and clean
Once your first coat has dried, sand gently with fine sandpaper (240 grit or finer) to remove any raising of the grain. Then remove any dust.
Apply more Varnish
Apply a second and third coat, repeating the steps above. It’s better to apply three thin, even coats than two thick ones which might drip or sag. If you are using Polyvine Interior Heavy-Duty Varnish and want a dead flat finish, please note that they recommend applying two coats of satin, followed by one of the dead flat, for best results.
A Video Demonstration
Restoring a Wooden Worktop
A quick video demo showing the steps needed to restore a worktop.
The Best Products to Use on an Old Worktop
I thought I’d explain a little bit about the Polyvine products you might use to renovate an old worktop. I’ve linked to a couple of online suppliers so you can check prices.
Polyvine Varnish and Paint Remover
Unless you plan on using the same product on your worktop as you did previously, and you have no big stains to get rid of, you’re going to want to remove all the previous coating. You can do this by sanding alone, but it will take a long time, even if you have high-end sanders like most decorators. That’s where Polyvine Varnish and Paint Remover comes in.
It isn’t as harsh as other paint strippers, so it’s much safer to use. It has a thick creamy consistency too, so you can apply it generously and it won’t quickly dry like some of the alternative products. Just apply it, wait 20 minutes, then scrape.
Polyvine Heavy Duty Varnish
This is a fully-water-based varnish available in Satin and Dead Flat. You can buy a colourant to tint the varnish if you need to (which is a cool trick and works well).
Polyvine Heavy Duty Varnish is a brilliant product! It’s very easy to apply, dries quickly, is low-VOC, and is durable once cured. It’s perfect for a worktop. You can apply it via brush, or a foam roller. Polyvine makes the perfect laying-off brush for use after application with a foam roller.
FAQs
How can I keep my wooden worktop looking good for longer?
The secret is to avoid anything which might damage the surface. Never place hot pans etc directly on the surface, and avoid using harsh cleaning chemicals, bleach or wire scouring pads – just use a soft cloth and mild detergent solution to clean regularly.
How long does Polyvine Interior Heavy-Duty Varnish take to dry?
Depending on the surface, it should feel touch dry after 45 minutes or so. You should wait 1-2 hours before applying the next coat, and it doesn’t fully cure for 16 hours (so avoid any wear and tear in that period). But with a short recoat time, you can get three coats on in a day, which is great.
What’s the best brush to use when applying stain or varnish?
The Kana Tank brush is ideal, as it was specifically designed to be used for stains and varnishes, rather than paint. It’s made with two different types of filaments – an inner “tank” which holds a large quantity of varnish, allowing you to cover a larger area, and fine-tipped outer filaments to help you achieve a finer finish with fewer brush marks.
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