When should I re-oil my worktop?

Last Updated on September 13, 2024

THE WATER TEST!

The water test is a simple method which reveals the level of oil protection on your timber worktop. The test could be done during the oiling process to show whether further coats are needed, or after the surface has been in use for a period, to check if it is time to re-oil your wooden worktop.

How to do the water test?

Spill some water on your worktop – if the water drops form a bead, the surface is sufficiently well protected, and it does not need to be oiled just yet. But if the water sits flat – it is time to re-oil your worktop and build up the protective layer.

Water sits flat on your worktop?
Let’s get on with re-oiling!

To begin with, do not ignore this sign – you want to make sure your worktop can last for as long as it is needed, even if that is for generations.

Let us put your Carpenter Hat and get on with our tasks.

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Check out our Oak worktops

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Touch Up or Bare Wood?

To begin with, you need to establish whether your worktop needs a “touch-up” or whether it needs a remake. It is important to distinguish between those two because this will determine whether you need to just lightly sand and then re-oil or whether you need to strip down your worktop to bare wood and then build up again.

But how do we know which it is – It is mostly up to you. If your worktops look to be in good condition, free of scratches, blemishes, and discolorations then they just need a touch-up to reinforce the oil protection. But if your worktops seem like they have been through a “3 yearlong divorce”, with scars, marks, and dents – then it is a better idea to go bare wood!

Touch Up!

Start by sanding your entire surface with 240 grit. Make sure you pay attention to any small scratches or discolorations.
– if you cannot remove them with 240 grit, go down to 160 grit to dig into the damaged areas, but then make sure you build up again to 240.

Once the surface is clean of blemishes, and has been sanded consistently at 240 grit, you can now put on a coat of oil.

If you need to refresh your memory on oiling, here are our Osmo Oil Guide and our Danish Oil Guide!

Once the worktop is dry, perform the water test once again and if you are happy with the results – amazing! But if the water is still sitting flat, simply repeat the oiling process once again.

Bare Wood!

The biggest advantage of solid wood worktops is the fact that they can get worn out, damaged, scratched and then easily rejuvenated back to their initial glory.

As years go by, especially if you have a busy kitchen, you might end up with a surface that is scratched, marked and with a sink area that is discoloured. In which case, just a touch-up is not an option for you, but you need makeover.

To start off the process, you need to strip your worktop down to bare wood.

• Begin the process with a 60 or 80-grit orbital/electric sander or a belt-sander. The bulk of the sanding will be done at those lower grits, as they allow us to strip down the protective layer and dig into the damaged areas. Sand, sand and sand until all your worktops are at bare wood and free of blemishes.
  
• Now you should have a good and clean surface that you can work your way up to a flawless finish once again.
  
  Note: For a detailed breakdown of the entire oiling process from bare wood, check out our Osmo Oiling Guide.
  
• Osmo Oiling Summary: Sand the surface to 120 grit and apply three extremely thin coats of Osmo, with 24 hours of drying time and light sanding in between. That will seal the deal.
  
• If you want to use Danish Oil, here is the summary: Sand the surface to 240 grit and apply 4-5 coats of Danish Oil with 8-12 hours of drying time in between. Apply more generously and leave the oil to soak into the timber for 10 minutes after application and then wipe off all the excess with a piece of cloth or paper towel. If you need more information, here is our Danish Oiling Guide.
  
• Once the oiling is complete, Water Test your surface yet another time. If it passes, you are good to go, if not – apply an additional coat of oil.

Our mission:

Wood worktops that will last for generations!

We hope you found this guide useful, if you have any questions, feel free to get in touch with us on [email protected] or on 01727260688.

We would love to hear from you with some feedback or comments on this guide!

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!