Waterproofing wood for bathroom use

[AdamW]

I am building a vanity unit in my bathroom and am hoping to use beech or a similar hardwood for the counter top. I am not sure what I should use to seal the wood against water. Due to the messy nature of a bathroom (toothpaste, soap etc.) I think varnish is the way to go (rather than oil).

I have had a look around and there is something called "yacht varnish", but it says unsuitable for interior use! Would several coats of polyurethane do it?

Now, seeing as decking is made of wood and stays looking nice, there must be something I can use! Anyone got any ideas?

 

[oilman]

Oil

We have wooden window sills in he bathroom and in the kitchen. They are parana pine, and they have only oil on them. I used tung oil, which the chinese used for waterproofing their boats over three thousand years ago. It takes a long time to polymerise (several weeks), and as it does, it swells to fill all of the pores in the wood. Don't be persuaded to use a quick drying version like Danish oil, as it will not penetrate the wood because it cures too quickly.

You will need som patience to oil the wood as the rule of thumb is 1 coat per day for a week, then 1 coat per week for a month, then 1 coat per month for a year. (I stopped after a month ) but the result is well worth it.

The oil is applied diluted 50:50 with white spirit, and will penetrate the wood by perhaps 1/8 of an inch. The maintenance is very easy. If it needs it, just a wipe over with a cloth with a little oil.

Ours have been in for two years and toothpaste splashes just wipe off.

Tung oil is used for waterproofing wooden salad bowls and utensils.

Varnish.

We also have a varnished wooden boat. The pre-varnish treatment is a fluid containing tung oil (it's good stuff). To waterproof wood you will need a minimum of 5 coats of varnish, and preferably 8 to 10. Any scratches will be more obvious than with oil and the maintenance is more difficult than for oil.

Having said all that, beech is used for kitchen utensils and chopping blocks as it is difficult to get water into it, even if it isn't treated. That property does make it a bit difficult to get anything to stick to it, including varnish.

 

[salem2000]

I would agree.

In any case why ruin a class piece of timber by covering it in Varnish.

 

[AdamW]

What first class responses!

Thank you, I will have to find some Tung oil.

I suppose yet another advantage of oil is that you don't have to rub down between coats, and you don't have any real chance of getting runs. All in all should make it look brilliant.

 

[masona]

Info:
Tung Oil obtained from tung trees native to China.

 

[oilman]

I suppose yet another advantage of oil is that you don't have to rub down between coats, and you don't have any real chance of getting runs.

Liberon produce tung oil, just make sure any oil you buy is "pure tung oil", "contains pure tung oil" is a sales ploy. Teak oil has no specification, so you could be getting anything.

The oil goes on with a brush, if the wood absorbs it straight away, add more until you get a continuously wet surface then wipe off the excess in about 20 minutes. Do it again the next day. There's no chance of runs. When the oil dries in a couple of months, the surface will probably feel slightly rough. Rubbing with fine steel wool will give a satin like finish.

 

[AdamW]

Brilliant!

Off to see if my local timber merchant sells any decent wood and tung oil.

 

[briktopp]

hello I have just had 6 large wooden windows installed in my house. They are made of douglas fir and are treated and painted on the outside by the suppliers but are untreated on the inside (on request).

I have been reading about this Tung Oil and wondered if it would be the best product for the window in the bathroom baring in mind the room is in constant use. All the other windows are in dry rooms so i'm thinking of using coloured danish oils or leaving them bare perhaps!! or at leasty until i figure out what works. Is this a good plan?