Can a wooden kitchen benchtop be varnished if its been oiled?

JoB166

  

Hi, we recently bought a house where the kitchen bench tops had been painted by the previous owner (they’re wooden bench tops). They were chipped allover and really didn’t look great. 

We decided to strip them and sand back to see if they looked ok, they had some water damage but we’re ok. 

I have oiled them to seal them but feel they need more protection, and I wouldn’t mind making them darker as they are pine. 

So I have two questions:

1. what product should I use to make them darker but also seal them better, something like a varnish?

2. can I varnish over the oil or do I have to sand/ use a product to take the oil off? 

Cheers

Jo 

EricL

Hello @JoB166 (Jo)

It will be necessary to strip the oil off the surface by sanding, otherwise the varnish will not get absorbed properly and will peel off. I suggest visiting your local store and having a look at the varnish sample board in the paint department. There are a number of varnish finishes you can choose from, and it would be best that you see what they look like when applied top timber. But for a natural look I prefer using Cabot's 1L Satin Clear Benchtop Timber Finish. It's designed for kitchen benchtop use, but for a darker finish I suggest looking at the Feast and Watson range.

Here is a handy step-by-0step guide: How To Restore A Timber Table In A Few Easy Steps (some of the techniques used are applicable to your project)

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric