Good Morning,
I am building a bathroom vanity out of solid wood.
Considering all the options for the top, I just don’t like the laminates or the engineered stuff, and granite is just not right for my house. I have decided I would really like to have the top be wood.
The thing is, being a bathroom vanity, I know it will get it’s share of moisture. Is regular old polyurethane good enough?
What finish would you suggest for a wooden vanity top?
Thanks everyone?
Replies
My finish of choice for kitchens and baths is water-based polyurethane.
I would add that the Achilles' heel of wooden tops in these situations is the way the sinks are mounted. Many good finishes will protect the flat surface of the top, but if the sink allows endgrain to be constantly wet there is no finish that will withstand it forever. It's not clear to me if you are mounting a sink in this unit, but if so, the way it is done will affect the piece more than the choice of finish.
DR
ring,
I am actually installing a sink. I'll be using a standard round sink that sits on a cutout. I'd be very interested in hearing your feedback and advice on this...Thanks!
Matthew
My choice is to use 2 part Poly as I do on timber kitchen benches. However these are for my clients & they have to be idiot proof (not that my clients fall into this catagory but I think you'll get my drift). I believe that conventional poly if applied properly & looked after would probably give you quite a good many years of service.
If you are dropping a basin into the top cut the hole before finishing & coat the inside of the cut-out as you are doing the rest of the top (not forgetting to do both sides).
Don
The best I can advise is as follows:
When you make the cutout with jigsaw or whatever, sand it really smooth, spackle with exterior grade, and finish the endgrain with a few coats of some exterior paint. It will be completely hidden forever, so it doesn't matter if it's bright orange, as long as it gets a complete weatherproofing. The same goes for the faucet hole if it comes through the wood and is not part of the sink unit. Then finish the whole top with whatever you have decided to use. When you set the sink, you put a continuous bead of sealant (usually clear RTV) around the lip. Use enough to get some squeeze-out when you lay it in place, and clean up the excess immediately. The idea is to insure that there is a continuous seal all around, and that water doesn't even get to the endgain which you have carefully waterproofed.
DR
Try coating your wood with epoxy (West System works) diluted withdenatured alcohol. Lightly sand when dry and then put your fav finish on. It still wont be forever but will last a long time. Aloha, Mike
Matthew,
You have got good advice so far,especially from Ring about the silicone.
I am just adding that I have used catylsed poly and plain old precat furn lacquer on bathroom projects with good results.
I think that the type of wood used is also very important- I have mainly used Iroko-much favoured by boat builders because it does not go overboard with water contact.(phraseology coincidental).
Ialso made a toilet seat from African mahogany(khaya) and put catalysed poly on it-it has been good for 6years now-in fact I brought it with me to New Zee-have sent a pic for a laugh!
I see that I have got jagged edgesto the picture-has it got something to do with compression-I used "normal"?When am I going to get the hang of this photo thing???
All good responses, howver I would add that you should make all cutouts, sand them and then when you seal the wood (before installing sink or other hardware) make sure to seal ALL of it. the holes, top, edges and bottom to prevent uneven movement and warping. - Yes all, I do know that this is standard for finishing any piece, but since this was a finishing question I wanted restate the obvious (and necessary).
Whatever you use, check the manufactures recommendations on re-apllying. If noting is stated on the product that DIRECTLY relates to your situation then call them and ask then write the info on a piece of paper and use packing tape to seal it to the can for later referance.
Thank you everyone for your very helpful suggestions!
I am going to collect all of your advice together. As you know, this is one of those projects that one does not want to have to redo any time in the near future. Your suggestions on which finish to use, and how to use that finish on all parts, will help a lot.
It's always great to know there are such knowledgeable people milling about here on Knots -- and that they are willing to stop and chat with you about your project!
Take care,Matthew
A few years ago, I was coming down the track on a bathroom redo in my own house. I was planning to build a craftsman style vanity with QS WO -- about 4 1/2' long, located in a corner of the bath.About that time, there was a thread over at Breaktime about wood countertops, and I picked up a few links for companies that make them. I thought they looked great, so I decided to make one myself.Had to buy 8' boards in 6/4, since I wanted the finished top to be 1 1/4". Cost about $200.
Making it up was easy; used drop in sink. I reasoned that the finish would deteriorate in time, so I wanted something that was renewable. Used my own concoction of an oil and spar varnish -- something I had used on a lot of exterior projects. I knew it would freshen up nicely by simply rubbing it out and reapplying the mix. I was careful to coat everything -- bottom, unexposed sides, cut edge for drop in sink. It's been 2 years now, the top is still dead flat, and the finish still looks great, and I haven't yet had to recoat it. But --- I think it's a PIA to keep it that way. Water spots and tooth paste spray don't harm the finish, but they make the top look horrible. So if I dribble anything on the top, I wipe it up. Just this past Friday, I met a granite guy on a job site. He told me his yard was overflowing with granite/stone remnants from kitchen countertops. If I was willing to do my own installation, he said he would make one up for me for about $100 -- since I had made a template in case the wood top didn't work out.I'm going to drive over there next week to see what he has laying around. If you do end up making a vanity top, I think you'll love it. It's distinctive, and an altogether terrific look. You just have to be ready for the maintenance issues -- no matter what finish you choose. And BTW, I would argue against any film finish -- even the fancy epoxy coatings. No matter how "bullet proof" they might be, they are still subject to scratches, and dings from dropping something on them; and these problems are difficult to fix. The oil/varnish stuff is really perfect for any surface subject to wear -- and it can be easily maintained in perpetuity.********************************************************
"I tend to live in the past because most of my life is there."
-- Herb Caen (1916-1997)
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