# Forum Home Renovation Laundry  Acacia benchtops from Bunnings

## davewastech

Hi folks, 
Has anybody got a Bunnings acacia benchtop in a laundry or kitchen? At $99 they're quite cheap, I just worry that they may warp or water-damage or discolour or be difficult to cut. The Bunnings ones are from Interbuild - model 8330032, dimensions 2200x600x26. 
Also they have a wax/oil finish - which they say say needs re-oiling every 6 months :Cry:  . Is it possible to overcoat it with something more permanent, like polyurethane? 
Their installation instructions have some disclaimers, and state that it should be installed with brackets every 20cm on all sides, and that the installer should leave a 5mm expansion gap around it. In which case how to tile the wall behind it? 
See  https://2ecffd01e1ab3e9383f0-07db7b9...3a91e2ae2d.pdf 
Any advice appreciated.
Cheers,
Dave

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## Renopa

What a coincidence!  I'm about to install one of these later today or maybe tomorrow morning, in an outdoor kitchen.  It's been sitting on top of the stainless steel cabinets for a couple of months (hadn't planned it this way) so I guess it's done any warping etc by now but still looks straight, haven't had a chance yet to check with the spirit level.  The price was right for what I wanted so I decided to give it a go and plan to keep it oiled with Canola Oil, but in saying that it is under cover and won't get rain etc.   
Can't comment about kitchen/laundry use for this particular bench, but in a previous house the builder fitted Beech benches from Bunnings in the laundry and both bathrooms, I sealed them with a couple of coats of a marine grade clear gloss finish and they looked great.  Sold the house after 2 yrs so don't have any further info but I would expect they would be OK providing people don't abuse them like cutting directly onto the bench and breaching the gloss finish which would allow moisture to get through to the timber.  Before painting the clear finish I made sure the back edge was sealed well with silicone, also the waste and tap hole...I smeared silicone around these to prevent any chance of water ingress.   
I expect with this Acacia bench you would need to very lightly sand it if you plan on doing a clear finish coat, which won't stick to an oily surface.  Otoh, if you plan to oil the bench make sure it's a food grade oil, specially in the kitchen.   
My outdoor kitchen won't get as much constant use as a main kitchen, but won't be sitting idle either.....I cook roasts, pizza, bread rolls etc on the BBQ rather than in the house.  It's great getting vegies from the garden, wash them and straight onto the BBQ.     :Biggrin:

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## davewastech

Hi Renopa,
Interesting. 
Yep I was hoping to varnish. I think having to oil them every 6 months isn't my idea of a good time. :No: 
So do you mean you were able to paint over the oil/wax finish on your beech benchtop with marine grade clear varnish? I wasn't sure if it would be compatible. Or did you sand the wax finish off first? I suppose I'm presuming the original finish on the beech and the acacia benchtops were the same (?) 
Cheers

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## Renopa

The Beech benchtops were a harder timber and didn't have the wax finish like the Acacia, even so, I still sanded it lightly before the marine grade clear finish and did two coats (to be sure, to be sure!).    
Started on the Acacia bench yesterday arvo and had it sitting in place overnight before finishing off later today.  Looking good too!  I wiped it over with some Turps because there were some patches of a sticky substance (looked like old tacky, sticky tape) then a light sand before the first coat of oil.  I just used cooking oil, thought it was Canola but when I read the label it's Soy Bean Oil.  The colours in the Acacia planks are fantastic and it's going to be perfect for what I want and I don't mind having to oil it once or twice a year...then again, it won't get as much work was yours will in the main kitchen, mine is an outdoor kitchen.  I'm thinking of making a benchtop for the bar fridge from the offcut as  really pleased with how it's come up, a nice mix of stainless steel, Acacia bench with it's lovely chocolate colours, Merbau decking and Corry splashback and ceiling. 
Good luck with your kitchen.   :Biggrin:      

> Hi Renopa,
> Interesting. 
> Yep I was hoping to varnish. I think having to oil them every 6 months isn't my idea of a good time.
> So do you mean you were able to paint over the oil/wax finish on your beech benchtop with marine grade clear varnish? I wasn't sure if it would be compatible. Or did you sand the wax finish off first? I suppose I'm presuming the original finish on the beech and the acacia benchtops were the same (?) 
> Cheers

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## goldie1

> Their installation instructions have some disclaimers, and state that it should be installed with brackets every 20cm on all sides, and that the installer should leave a 5mm expansion gap around it. In which case how to tile the wall behind it?

  To tile a splash back fill the gap between the bench top and wall with a flexible caulk then fill the gap between 
the tile and bench top with flexible caulk not grout.

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## Gaza

Be careful using food oils as these grow mould you need to use mineral oil that is food safe   
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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## garryballard

I'm using the same tops but will the glue stick as well when joining if I oil before joining them?

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## Renopa

Glue won't stick to an oily surface, best to glue first wait until it dries, then oil.   The bench I fitted is screwed from underneath, no glue at all.

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## garryballard

Just bought some of these for a kitchenette. Did some solid research on the hard wax oil preparation because it seemed to me the instructions were ambiguous. After searching the website of some Australian importers of this type of product and talking to a highly regarded joinery in Canberra, Thor's Hammer, the advice I got was that you definitely DO NOT do any further oiling! This product is used on floors and is expected to last five years without re-coating, and then only if necessary. You can buy some refresher product if it gets scratches or the original hardwax oil to just rub over the area affected but does not need to be re-sanded. Further you don't oil the cuts where you are joining but glue only as glue it will not adhere to oil. Only oil the cut edges against the walls. See this site about a similar oil to that which Interbuild uses. Osmo Finishes â Thor's Hammer
 Interbuild makes a number of different benchtops/slabs and most are untreated so you need to follow the instructions for those types but it appears that the instructions are generic to all their products except the hard wax oiled acacia.

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## LordBug

What apt timing you have Garry, I've got a pair of these tops sitting in my sight waiting to be trimmed and installed in my kitchen. 
Was there any mention on how deep the hard wax oil has penetrated, therefore how much sanding I'd have to do along the long sides to allow the glue (Titebond 3 in my case) to adhere? 
Beautiful tops regardless, still impressed at how affordable they were, still feels too good to be true!  :Tongue:

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## garryballard

Not sure but I'm just going with a light sand on my edges although it appears the oil has penetrated fairly well. When I cut mine I'm going to do a little experiment with the off cuts just to be sure though.

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## LordBug

A bit of feedback on my own adventure thus far. 
Not too impressed with the acacia bench - Seems like a very soft wood, marrs easily, much too easily.
Not too sure the pair I purchased have any wax/oil on them, it appears to only be a stain on top which removes easily.
Cutting was really easy, though some marks were left from the circular saw blade guard, so had to recut that side with the guard dodgily wired up out of the way. Some sections were prone to mild chipping annoyingly.
Timber fluffs up when I sand it, definitely not going to sand the top before varnishing, only after, due to how easy the stain comes off (Mild scratch will show the original colour underneath) 
Kinda glad it's only going to be a "temporary" (2ish years) bench, though I do wonder if I just got a low quality pair. At least the price was right.

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## davewastech

And a bit of feedback from the instigator here.
Well I chickened out and got a bit of Caesarstone cut to size. Not as cheap as my original acacia plan. Very simple to instal. Mine was a basic laundry job. Looks good enough. 
Thanks for all feedback,
Dave

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