Oiling the underside of a kitchen worktop

[DDDC]

I've bought lovely thick solid oak worktops for my new kitchen. Unfortunately, the kitchen fitter only realised today (the day he was due to fit the worktops) that they were solid wood and required oiling.

He's already bolted the worktops on and is planning on oiling only the exposed surfaces. Is it OK to have NO oil on the underneath and on the sides that are against the wall? Could it cause us problems several years down the line? I've read that the wood needs to be oiled 2-3 coats minimum all over.

Bottom line is that I'm spending a lot of money on this kitchen and I don't want its life being shortened by cutting corners. Please advise!

 

[foxhole]

Needs oiling both sides and also foil protection above any dishwasher.

 

[DDDC]

Guess I'll need to do my best to oil the underside where I can reach it. We won't be able to take off the worktops now. I'll just have to lay a dust sheet on the floor to catch all the drips!

Thanks for the advice.

 

[matthew1984]

its the fitter who is really cutting corners here - and he knows this, as any good kitchen fitter would know that wooden worktops need thorough sealing all round otherwise they will take on moisture unevenly and they will bow.

have a look at oakworktops.com says about oiling at least 6 coats top and bottom.

if it was me i would really take the worktops back out - a real shame i know but better than having to do it down the line when the worktops have bowed and need repairing.

 

[DDDC]

Thanks Matthew. I've managed to oil about 80% of the underside of the worktops by taking drawers out etc. I'm hoping this will be sufficient to stop bowing.

 

[Ed cook]

I know this is a decade on - but I’m in the process of replacing a worktop where the underside was not sealed. You can see from the photos I have uploaded that the whole thing has warped out of control and is black and mouldy. Interestingly, the instructions that come with the new oak worktop from B&Q indicate that only the top should be oiled - I will not be following them.