wooden kitchen counter tops

[ultraburner]

I used pure tung oil on ours, that looks good too.

We got the stuff (40mm thick prime beech) off ebay for about ?240 for 6 metres, including delivery. Wickes/bnq/homebase will charge around ?600 for this much.

Cant comment on durability as we've only just put them in, but it only takes about half an hour tops to lightly sand and slap another coat on the whole lot.

[Sue]

I believe you need to put on three coats of oil when the worktops are new, then you only need to oil once a year.

The oil goes on easily (or it seems so from watching someone else do it!) so not a huge chore - I hope!

Only downside is that judging from my bathroom worktop, Danish oil does make the wood look darker (or in my case back to its original colour, as it had been distressed. Still looks a bit like driftwood, but iroko-coloured driftwood :)).

Ultraburner, is tung oil also dark? I don't think I've got a nut allergy so I could use that in the kitchen .....

[ultraburner]

Well, its turned the wood darker than it was un-oiled. Coudnt say how it compares to danish oil, but it looks nice and rich to me now. I've done two coats and will do another couple over the next few weeks. I got it from Labro in Nunhead.

The only way to protect the wood without darkening it would be varnish I guess, but I've been told that's a bad idea as it cant be patched if you mark the worktop and need to sand; you will see a seam where you revarnish.

With that in mind, i've also decided to do my kitchen floor with tung oil as well, how good an idea that is we will see after a year or two:-S

[Sue]

Sounds about the same effect as Danish Oil then, matter of personal choice I guess!