Can you varnish over worktop oil?
Last Updated on June 20, 2023
When it comes to varnishing your already oiled wooden worktop surface, this stage comes during the final stages, of completing a kitchen make-over or redesign project. Varnish is used as a top coat or as a final coat on many wood products. When applied, it forms a protective film that sits on top of the surface – providing excellent resistance from scratches, water and acidity damage which are the three most common hazards for all kitchen worktops.
First of all, it is possible to apply varnish on top of an oiled worktop surface, as long as the varnish is compatible with the already applied oil. Even if it is compatible, it can only be applied if the oiled worktop surface has been fully cured.
What is the difference between Dry and Cure then?
Drying is a process of absorbing the worktop oil from liquid form, into a protective film. While curing, is a process of transforming the chemicals of this protective film into an abrasive and wear-resistant resin. Some worktop oils such as linseed, may take up to a couple of weeks to fully cure. Whether it is Danish oil or linseed oil, we can apply a coat of varnish on top, as long as we are sure that the surface has fully cured. This is very important, to prevent a highly unpleasant and sticky surface from forming, as a result of applying a coat of varnish on top of an oiled surface that has not cured yet.
How can this sticky worktop surface be fixed then?
Stripping the varnish and the oil and re-sanding the entire surface and doing everything from scratch again, is the only way of rectifying this issue. The benefit of having a wooden worktop is that every mistake can be easily rectified with the use of sanding paper.
Can I apply varnish over Linseed oil?
In terms of applying a varnish finish on top of an already oiled worktop, oil-based varnishes have better compatibility, compared to water-based varnishes.
An oiled worktop should ideally be sanded with high grit, to provide a base for better adhesion with the varnish. And as wood oils tend to penetrate deep into the wood grain, they may prevent the varnish from forming a good adhesion with the surface. Light sanding will clean the accumulated dust and will also open up the wood pores, creating good adhesion with wood.
As linseed oil is one of the most natural and most used for oiling worktops, almost any type of oil-based varnish can be applied over it, as a top layer. However, the varnish it can be applied only if the linseed oil is fully cured.
Can I varnish over Danish oil?
Danish oil is one of the most popular choices of oils to treat wooden worktops, as Danish oil is highly effective at deeply penetrating the pores of the wood, providing a durable, protective barrier that is food safe. Danish oil is well-known for its ability to accentuate the natural colour and grain of wood. To avoid any varnishing mishaps, Danish oil has to fully cure, before any varnish is applied. In general, depending on room temperature, Danish oil dries within 12 hours and cures within 24-36 hours, depending on the number of coats.
Once the oiled surface of the worktop has fully cured, oil-based varnish can be applied, after giving the surface of the worktop a light sanding with high grit sandpaper.
With regards to water-based varnish, a Danish oiled surface should not be sanded, as this type of varnish does not need to penetrate the surface of the worktop to have good adhesion.
Is varnish good for countertops?
Varnish creates a film around the surface of the worktop and provides protection that has excellent resistance against water, mechanical damage and aggressive cleaning material. Once sealed with varnish the wood worktop does not require any maintenance for a long time. Varnish is actually a good choice for busy households – households that do not have time to look after their worktops. If it is well-looked after the finish may last for many years, before needing re-sanding and re-sealing. Households are advised to pick a varnish that is food safe when contact with food.
However, kitchen atmosphere is very aggressive with lots of chopping, dicing and peeling. Even though householders are advised always to use chopping, some small negligence of the households may damage the worksurface of the wooden worktop. Occasionally, even some of the most scratch-resistant kitchen worktops such as quartz, can get marks from knives. One of the drawbacks of varnished surfaces is their non-reparability similar to worktop oils. Spots are theoretically possible, however, the spot where the varnish has been repaired is highly visible and may damage the appeal of the wooden countertop. Once the varnished surface is damaged enough, the varnished layer has to be completely removed with a sander and then re-varnish – which is a tedious process.
But varnish is available only in gloss and satin, and it may not be the best choice for households seeking matt, ultramatt or raw finish. Ultramatt finishes are available in worktop oils and lacquers.
What is the best oil to seal worktops?
There are plenty of different oils used to seal wood surfaces all with all of them having their pros and cons. We will discuss the three most common and popular wood oils used in the kitchen.
Linseed oil – the ingredient found in almost most of the popular wood oil brands
Pure linseed oil is known for its excellent ability to penetrate the pores of the wood. It has a relatively fast drying time, but it is the curing time that can take some time. As mentioned above curing is a process of transforming the chemicals and the minerals from the oil into hardwearing and water-resistant resin.
What are the pros of linseed oil?
- Penetrates the timber very effectively
- Provides good moisture resistance as the oil is fully absorbed by the pores of the wood
- Food safe
- For better wear and tear resistance, it can be mixed with an oil-based varnish
- One of the most natural oils used for sealing wood surfaces
- One of the easiest-to-apply oils available
What are the cons of linseed oil?
- Long drying and curing time
- Requires multiple coatings to build up a protective barrier (Note: very easy to apply)
- Maintenance requirement on a regular basis. The worktop will need to be re-oiled every 2-3 months – depending on the activity, cleaning materials used this time frame can be shorter
Danish oil – the most popular choice among households
Danish oil is a mixture of polymerized linseed oil, varnish and drying agents, which when combined provide a hard-wearing and water-resistant surface for wooden worktops. Danish oil is one of the most popular choices when it comes to oiling wooden worktops. It is a more effective version of linseed oil as it also contains varnish, which when dried and cured provides good abrasive and water resistance. Danish oil is available in Satin sheen level.
What are the pros of Danish Oil:
- Very good absorption to the pores of the wood
- Provides good water and moisture protection
- Creates a hard-wearing surface
What are the cons of Danish Oil:
- Requires multiple coats of oiling to create a strong protective barrier
- Requires Maintenance
- The surface can become sticky if thick coats are applied
- Sticky surface if the oil is applied on a surface that has not dried yet
Osmo Oil – a worktop oil that is gaining popularity
Osmo oil is a hard-wearing treatment specially formulated to protect your wooden kitchen worktop surface in different sheen levels from ultra-matt to gloss. It is highly hardwearing hard-wax oil which has a natural microporous wood finish. It provides very good water, dirt and abrasion resistance. The finished surface has a good resistance against liquids with high levels of acidity content such as orange juice, lemon juice, coffee and others. The liquids will stay still and tightly bead on the surface without leaving any marks and can be easily cleaned.
What are the pros of Osmo Oil:
- Tough and hard-wearing providing good stain and acidity resistance
- Easy to apply
- Good protective barrier can be reached with only 3 coats
- Food safe
- Available in a wide range of sheen finishes – from Ultramatt, Satin to Gloss
- Requires less maintenance, in comparison to other worktop oil sealants
What are the cons of Osmo Oil:
- Longer drying time
- Mixing it with other oil-based sealants and varnishes is not recommended
- Sicky surface if applied on a non-dry surface
Whether is Danish oil, Osmo oil or linseed oil, if the timber is looked well after with any of these oils can last for many years. Besides, wood is a natural product that just like red wine, can look better in time as the colour of its grain gets deeper in time, but this is only possible if it is maintained and sealed when needed.
Linseed oil is one of the most natural sealants that can be used for oiling, however, it has a long drying time, and multiple coats of oil have to be applied to achieve a good layer of protection. Besides, linseed oil is one of the main ingredients of Danish oil, which besides linseed oil contains other ingredients and minerals that provides additional protection to the wood itself and can be said to be the more advanced version of linseed oil. It is not a coincidence that Danish oil is the most popular choice among other oils. Nevertheless, similar to linseed oil, Danish oil also requires multiple layers of coatings to provide a durable protective barrier to the wooden worktop.
Osmo oil, on the other hand, provides similar protection to Danish oil but requires only three coatings. In terms of maintenance, it is also easy to maintain and clean with the surface having good stain resistance against acidic liquids such as wine, orange and lemon juices. Besides, the product is offered in various sheen levels from raw (natural effect) to satin and gloss
However, this oil has a slightly longer drying time and is not recommended to be mixed with other oils.
Is Danish oil better than varnish?
First of all, both finishes with varnish and Danish oil form a surface of good moisture, wear and water resistance. Danish oil penetrates down the pores of the wood while providing a very natural finish accentuating the colour and grain pattern of the wood. Danish oil contains a small amount of varnish in itself. Varnish on the other hand forms a film that sits on top of the surface.
From a visual point of view, oiled surfaces have a more natural look and provide a warm feeling when touched, when compared to varnished surfaces. But, varnish is more water repellent, hardwearing and resistant towards liquids, with high acidity content such as orange juice, lemon, vinegar, wine and etc. Besides, varnish does not require any maintenance compared to Danish oil. But, the maintenance aspect of a wooden worktop is very straightforward and not time-consuming. The work surface has to be re-oiled once in a couple of months, and even homeowners with limited experience can do an excellent oiling job. Besides, if all the maintenance and re-oiling process is done during the evening time – before going to bed- will not even create any inconveniences for the householders. Actually, the re-oiling aspect is recommended to be done in the evening as the worktop will have sufficient time to fully absorb the applied oil until the morning. Therefore, the maintenance aspect of wood oils cannot be considered to be a great disadvantage.
Spot repairs are possible with Danish oil, while spot repairs are not possible on varnished surfaces as they will be visible – once the repaired spot cures. Hence to restore the original look, the complete surface has to be sanded until bare wood and then the whole sealing process has to be re-done. Besides, stripping a varnished surface is more difficult than oiled surface, as the varnished surface is more wear resistant.
Varnish is a preferred finish for busy commercial venues such as pub bar tops, as varnish will be able to withstand frequent spills and will not require maintenance for a long time. Danish oil, on the other hand, is a better option for home environment, in a less aggressive environment, while allowing the homeowners to enjoy the beauty and the warm touch feeling of the countertop finish. In such home environment, the maintenance aspect for householders is more of a pleasure rather than hassle.
All in all, oiled surfaces and varnished surfaces have many advantages as well as disadvantages, ultimately it is down to the householder’s preference with regard to the look and finish. At the end of the day, every beautiful thing comes with its price tag, with oiled surfaces providing a very beautiful finish, however requiring frequent re-oiling throughout its life-cycle, while varnished surfaces having a slightly inferior look, but providing a hard-wearing surface, while requiring less maintenance.
If you have any questions about anything worktop related, please do not hesitate to
get in touch with us!
You can find us at 01727260688 or [email protected]
https://houseofworktops.co.uk/
Enjoy your kitchen and wood worktops!
For additional topics please check the links below:
1) How to Oil Your Worktops with Osmo?
2) How to apply Danish Oil on your worktop?
3) How to repair a scratch on a Wooden Worktop?
4) A comprehensive comparison of all Wood Worktop Oils.
5) Kitchen Worktop Height: Everything You Need To Know
7) How to Store Wood Worktops?
8) Worktop Installation Guide
9) Care & Maintenance Guide for Wood Worktops