Which varnish can prevent timber kitchen benchtops from getting sticky?

[dickcopeman]

Our timber kitchen benchtops get very sticky to touch. Cleaning them with cloudy ammonia or bicarb of soda gets rid of the sitckiness but it comes back within a few days. We have cleaned our rangehood filters and used only clean wipes to wipe them down but with no effect. 

I sanded and re-varnished them with a water based varnish about 18months ago. They need re-sanding and re-coating again so I would like to know which varnish would be best to avoid the stickiness problem.

[MitchellMc]

Hi @alexreed092,

You can certainly switch to a hardwax oil, but you would need to sand back and expose the bare timber to apply it. It also needs to be applied every 18 months. This requires a quick light sanding, followed by re-application.

I've spoken with Cabot's technical team, and they have advised that the stickiness is likely due to the product breaking down on the surface. The number one cause for this is using products such as Spray and Wipe or other chemical or abrasive cleaners. These timber benchtop coatings are designed to be cleaned with a cloth and warm, soapy water. This would be the same for a Hardwax oil or any other DIY coating. They will break down if chemical cleaners are used on them. 

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell