What are the most suitable materials for protecting wooden kitchen worktops

In the past, wood was a common presence in the kitchen, and I don't just mean furniture. Spoons, choppers, twisters, bread kneading cups, all were made of wood. That's why many prefer to choose wood for their kitchen worktops. Now the situation has changed, the damage wood can take is much greater because of aggressive cleaning materials. In addition, we want our furniture to look as good as new for as long as possible, which is impossible without wood protection. And this begs the question: what is the most durable finish for your kitchen worktop?

What are the problems facing a wooden kitchen worktop

In order to choose the most resistant finish, you first need to know what problems it must withstand. In the kitchen, the presence of water, steam, the high temperature of objects sitting on the fire, abrasive and aggressive cleaning substances are tests for the worktop. These aggressions cause the wood to warp, stain, scratch, stain and even rot. That's why it must be protected with materials resistant to all these aggressions.

Finishing products used to protect wood are subject to the same tests. That's why the most resistant ones should be chosen. Not all oils and varnishes are equally resistant and sometimes it is better to leave wood unprotected than to use a varnish that will soften and stick when you put it on the pot taken directly from the fire. Lacquers suitable for the kitchen should be resistant to water, steam, alcohol, high temperatures, staining with various hot or cold liquids, scratching or abrasion. There are standardised tests to determine these resistances, and the results can be found in product data sheets.

Finishes used for kitchen countertops - pluses and minuses

Wooden kitchen worktops can be finished and protected with a variety of materials that have different qualities, strengths and maintenance methods. The advantages of each or the trade-offs we make by choosing a particular material are described below.

Oil

It's a classic finish, preferred by many who choose a wooden kitchen worktop. There are many types of oils, many of them totally synthetic. I say that because the most often cited reason for choosing oil is that it is natural. Natural oils commonly used in wood finishing are linseed oil, tung oil and of course blends of these (Danish oilKreidezeit oils).

Linseed oil protects only against water, but has no chemical (alcohol, acetone) or mechanical resistance because it does not form a film. If abrasive cleaners are used, the resistance is based solely on that of the wood; linseed oil does not contribute much. The idea of applying a layer of wax to increase its resistance is not good at all, as the wax film is not at all helpful in kitchen conditions. Water resistance is quite low over time because the oil is removed by cleaning products, even water. That's why a linseed oil finish needs to be re-done after 6 months, maximum one year, especially if the worktop is used intensively. Learn more about linseed oil here.

Tung oil (sometimes called wood oil) is more resistant because it forms a film. Unlike linseed oil which remains sticky if not wiped off, tung oil hardens in contact with air and forms a film. The oil normally dries very slowly. The natural commercial version is a boiled, more viscous oil that dries more quickly. Even so, it should be left for a few weeks to reach full strength. But after full curing, tung oil is very resistant (it even resists acetone). To get into the wood better, it is recommended to dilute the first coat with orange peel oil or turpentine oil. Further information about tung oil can be found at here.

There are also many synthetic oils on the market. If you want a truly natural finish, check the label carefully. Sometimes products are presented as natural oils that contain other substances in addition to the two oils mentioned above. But if you're more interested in the oily look, there are very hard-wearing products in the synthetic oil range, some even chemically hardened to withstand both the abrasive action of cleaning products and the action of alcohol or wine or coffee stains.

One-component varnishes

One of the oldest varnishes used to finish wood is nitrocellulose lacquer, in short nitro. It is a varnish similar to shellacbut the resin dissolved in the solvent is synthetic. Hardening takes place by removing the solvent, and the process is reversible. It is therefore a varnish without chemical resistance (alcohol, acetone). The varnish does not have good mechanical resistance and scratches easily. It is also not very resistant to water, and if water often gets on the surface and stays for a long time, the varnish turns white and runs off. It is a thermoplastic varnish that softens at high temperatures and becomes sticky. Nitro varnish is a low-strength varnish and is not recommended for finishing wood countertops in the kitchen.

There are also one-component varnishes that dry through a polymerisation reaction and are more resistant. This is the case for water-based varnishes. The curing reaction is not reversible, the varnish does not become fluid again if water is poured over it. There is, however, a period, 2-4 weeks, when the reaction is not complete and the varnish can absorb moisture if water reaches the surface. The film becomes opalescent, but after removing the water and warming slightly, the surface recovers. Non-curing (one-component) water-based varnishes are generally alcohol resistant, less resistant to acetone and have medium resistance to scratching and abrasion. They are recommended for less used wooden countertops.

Hardening varnishes, two-component varnishes

These are the ones that harden (dry) as a result of the chemical reaction between the two components. The result is a coating that is resistant to both water and chemical or mechanical attack. These are the recommended varnishes for coating wooden kitchen worktops.

Polyurethane varnishes are among the most resistant hardening varnishes. They have very good scratch and abrasion resistance, do not soften under the action of alcohol and acetone, do not stain, are very resistant to water and high temperatures. Once the chemical reaction between the two components is complete, the resulting film is totally inert and safe for the user. It is one of the most widely used finishes for kitchen furniture, both for wood furniture and for MDF furniture.

Other types of hardening varnishes with very good resistance are also used in industrial environments. For example, UV-cured varnishes are some of the toughest varnishes. But they require special application machines. Polyurethane varnishes can also be applied with an ordinary spray gun and are affordable for a small workshop.

The type of wood and the way it is protected influences the strength of the worktop over time

The wood you choose is also important to make your worktop strong. No matter how strong a varnish is, if the wood underneath is soft, the film will easily crack. Hard woods with high resistance to mechanical stress are usually used. Oak is the most commonly used. Spruce wood is softer, but is used quite a lot because it is affordable. Although used for spoons and other kitchen utensils, poplar wood is not recommended for a kitchen worktop because it is soft and has a high risk of water absorption. To have the strongest possible worktop, wood should be chosen in the same way as for a chopping board.

The strength of the countertop also depends on how well it has been coated. Both sides and especially the areas with fibre ends must be protected. There the absorption is increased and it is a place where water can easily penetrate. If it's next to the sink, you need to make sure that water doesn't puddle and there's no possibility of it getting into areas with high absorption risk. The better covered it is, the greater its resistance will be.

I hope you find the information useful. If you have any questions or queries, please leave them in the space below. I will certainly answer them.