Solid wood kitchen worktop to make bathroom vanity? Stupid?

[DavidA1982]

Evening all

I'm having the bathroom refurbished in two weeks. I left the wife in charge of buying all of the furniture. She's done a good job, but there is one problem. She has her heart set on a great big countertop basin. We've got quite a modest bathroom (2.5m x 1.8m) so I'm not too pleased because it means a massive vanity unit.... and that's the problem.

She cannot find one she likes. I cannot find one that is suitable. So, I'm thinking of building one. We are having the kitchen done at the same time and have ordered a lot of solid wood walnut worktops. There is already a lot of wastage in the order for the kitchen, and by changing some existing 3m pieces for 4m pieces, I can get enough material to build an 800mm vanity from worktop offcuts very cheaply, in a simple "n" shape. I'd have to take a lot of depth out of the 620mm worktops to make it shallower and so suitable for a bathroom, and I could use those offcuts to create a simple shelf underneath for towels etc.

Visually, it would be ideal and fit perfectly, as well as being very economical. However, having wooden worktops in the kitchen is bad enough; having them in a bathroom will be 10 times worse. So my questions are:

1) Is it a really bad idea?
2) Is there any finish I can apply to the wood to protect it?

I'm really hoping it is feasible, if only because I'm really starting to enjoy working with wood and this would be a really, really cool project! However, I don't want to do something that is just going to cause problems for us in the future. In particular, I don't want to spend hours and hours a month rubbing the thing down with Danish oil.

EDIT: I've just realised that I could do this for about £40 if I simply use an existing offcut for the "worktop", and cut down some upstands to create legs and a simple frame. It would look different, but could kitchen upstands work as legs for a simple table? For reasons I cannot really explain, I actually prefer this idea from a moisture perspective... and to be honest, for £40 it has to be worth giving it a go anyway. Any thoughts would be appreciated!

 

[Deleted member 174758]

...having wooden worktops in the kitchen is bad enough; having them in a bathroom will be 10 times worse. So my questions are:

1) Is it a really bad idea?
2) Is there any finish I can apply to the wood to protect it?

I can but agree.

I don't want to spend hours and hours a month rubbing the thing down with Danish oil.

I can't think of a less suitable finish for a place like a bathroom........

I think that you'll need to seriously waterproof this top, so if it were me I'd make it up, sanded and ready to install (including all the drillings), and give it a coat of Bonda Wood Hardener, restain if, resand it, give it a coat of a dewaxed white French polish and finally finishing with a minimum of 4 (preferably more) coats of a good, quality 2-pack acid catalysed lacquer (not water-based), ideally a matt or low sheen (I'd recommend Morrells as a supplier, ask for 2-pack brushing lacquer and make sure you get half a gallon of solvent - expect to pay £60 to £80 for your finish and solvents, rags, etc - and it needs decent quality bristle brushes to apply, NOT synthetic filament which will dissolve in the thinners/solvent). Please don't ask me about the suitability of alternative products as this is a case where inferior DIY products won't cut the mustard IMHO, because you intend to stick this top in absolutely the worst environment for a solid wood product and it will need all the protection it can get. Even then if the room gets steamy or the top is left wet all the time (because somebody like long hot baths, is careless with damp towels, etc) it may still be too much for the finish and you may get breakdown and movement over time (had to say that because some people think that wood is like plastic, y'know......)

 

[DavidA1982]

Wow - what a response. Thank you. A few follow-up questions:

you say "I can but agree". Is that you agreeing to it being a really bad idea?!

As regards the finish: thank you, that is really, really specific. My concern is that it sounds like it requires a lot more skill than I have. I'm just starting out on finishing wood and have sanded and finished some doors I've restored, and some veneered materials I used to make some wardrobes, but I don't have the experience or confidence to take on what you describe! Especially when the finishes cost twice as much as the unit itself. I'm able to make the unit up, but once I've done that, is there a place I could take it to be finished as you describe? I'm not after specific recommendations, rather a type of tradesman or business to look for. My builder is a carpenter by trade so I'll ask him if he's up to it, but I suspect this is some seriously skilled work!

 

[Deleted member 174758]

you say "I can but agree". Is that you agreeing to it being a really bad idea?!

I'm saying that to solid wood in a really damp environment - but at least it's not beech which I'll guaranteed will go black over about 7 to 10 years (been there, done that - some customers never listen)

The finishes are specific for a simple reason - AC lacquers are a lot more durable than anything you'll ever see in a DIY warehouse or shop and are what manufacturers use themselves, albeit sprayed rather than brushed. The price tag reflects the fact that there are minimum order quantities/order values (Morrells minimum order is £50 for delivery) and the fact that you'd need lacquer, hardener, thinners, rags, etc and you'll have materials left over at the end. BTW I'm erring on the side of caution with 4 coats - a trade sprayer would probably think in terms of a clear undercoat plus two top coats for an environment such as yours, but if you don't have the confidence to do your own finishing I'd suggest you try to find yourself a French polisher who does spray finishing. They might not work with AC and instead use pre-catalysed (1-pack) or PU (polyurethane) lacquer, but the end results will be the same.

 

[DavidA1982]

Thanks again, this is really helpful. I spoke to my builder about it this morning. He says he often has to build bespoke pieces for bathrooms and they often contain wood. He uses a guy who builds cabinets for kitchens and bathrooms: he says that this guy can spray on a suitable finish. I've asked him to check whether this guy can do what you've suggested. If not, I'll find a french polisher.

Thank you so much for your help on this, I really appreciate it.

 

[foxhole]

I used 5-6 coats of top oil on a similar job, worked a treat but must be treated on both sides and all edges.