# Forum Home Renovation Kitchens  Linseed Oil or Varnish for Beech Benchtop

## aaronjthompson

I am putting a cheap breakfast bench in the kitchen (only has to last about 5 years until full kitchen reno) and was planning to use a Lagan solid beech benchtop from ikea:  LAGAN Worktop - IKEA 
They recommend regular treatment with their linseed oil product (although I could use some tung nut oil that I have):  BEHANDLA Wood treatment oil, indoor use - IKEA 
Will this not go rancid and/or go sticky and accumulate dirt? Would I be better simply varnishing the benchtop instead of oiling it?

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## Random Username

For five years life, I'd just slap on some flooring polyurethane and call it done. 
Remember to do all sides.

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## OBBob

The oils that are made for that purpose don't have those issues ... but do require maintenance. If it's relatively short term then I'm with Random, just go poly.   
For interest, I use this oil when I fool around making wooden utensils and find it great.

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## OBBob



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## Pitto

I had a friend do an ikea kitchen at the start of the year, and they put in the beech timber top. They treated it with the recommended oil from Ikea and had to replace the top after the water got in and the laminations started to separate within a month of install. 
I Would have used polyurethane myself, however its important to keep in mind what Ikea will warrant. If you treat it with any other product, they may find that as a get-out-of-jail-free card and not honour your warranty. 
Ikea only replaced the tops, they did not pay for the electrician or plumber to come out again.

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## paddyjoy

We installed one of these about 4 years ago, used the ikea oil. Haven't had any problems and ours gets heaps of abuse.

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## Eden

Pitto is spot on 
I personally would use Boat varnish ( polyurethane ) 
as the ones I have done are bullet proof still 
( you don't see people oil boats ) 
here is one example http://www.yachtpaint.com/aus/diy/pr...es/search.aspx  
"these are 3 coats oil" 
The Ikea Beech is on top and the bunnings bamboo underneath 
they have been left outside to show clients if they ask 
I will not waranty a timber/bamboo benchtop if they use oil and they have a very hard time sealing it with silicon if oiled 
both these pieces had 3 coats of tongue oil (cabbots outdoor oil)  and have been outside for 2 years ( the bamboo 3 years )  
This is just my personal opinion ( I wont install any Ikea any more as I do not think it is "fit for purpose" ) 
I install 
stratco
bunnings
kt3/u install it
amorini
masters 
 and have done a few of the greysonline ones
plus a few others  
and have had very few issues with any of them (when we are talking about the materials used)  
once again ............This is just my personal opinion 
cheers Eden

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## Marc

There is nothing wrong with the Ikea benchtops. I have one that is over 10 years old. the bench go all around in U shape and one of the sides is the workbench 1.2 x 4m we prepare food regularly on it, chop, cut, knead dough, make pasta, it looks like a kitchen work bench is supposed to look, well used but in perfect nick. The part that goes around the sink gets wet all the time and I apply Behandla once in a blue moon. 
That stuff may contain linseed oil but it is an emulsion and not straight oil, easy to apply and you wash your hands with water. Anyone that wants to use the benchtop to prepare food rather than to look at it would never apply any plastic coat of any description. 
By the way ... pieces of benchtop for indoor use, thrown outside in the sun and rain with a few coats of oil once and nothing for two years? ... what does that prove? I am surprised they are not bent and cracked, if anything they are doing great.

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## Eden

my opinion only, sorry I should have said  
and the reason I have kept and pushed the stuff hard is to see what really happens over time  
I have done it with most materials from most brands in differing fashions 
( Also so I dont have to weed out the opinion from the fact when others far more knowledgeable than me state fact and not opinion ) 
I'm glad you got a good "one" mark 
I judge them on the many I have done but I am glad that you are stating "fact"   ("There is nothing wrong with the Ikea benchtops") one your benchtop.   
cheers

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## Marc

And what happened with the ONE piece you left in the sun? From that photo it seems to do great. 
And to say that a kitchen benchtop should be plasticised with polyurethane is also your opinion? Do you use your benchtop?

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## Eden

I use my bench top as a bench top 
I have a 1.5m x .55m (1500mm x 550mm) piece of the old 50mm thick bamboo that I oil with boiled peanut oil to cut and prep food on.It sits on top of a cheap (still nice) laminate top 
I install kitchens for a living! 
I base my opinion on past experience mostly 
You take care of yours!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
Your wright I'm wrong 
sorry!

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## Marc

I see ...  :Yikes2:

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## Eden

Ill start another thread Marc  
this thread starter asked about the Ikea Beech 
and oil or varnish  
Ive given my honest opinion and I would rather they listened to you and got back to you later if it went pear shaped!  
 I have photos of about 30 bamboo (the still useful, non split but mouldy one out of the two i pictured ) and only 6 or 7 Ikea Beech ( as I get call backs , F- that )
that you can check out if you need   
then there is the real timber/wood benches also 
=========================== 
anyhow arron sorry to hog your thread , Just PM me for photos of oil verses varnish and you can talk to a customer/ client I re-siliconed  50mm bamboo benchtops for this week due to re-oiling 
cheers Eden

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## Marc

You are a gem Eden.
To the OP, if you use your benchtop to prepare food and cut on it and make bread or any other activity on it, use oil.
If your benchtop is a centerpiece to show and look at it and polish, then preserve it for eternity with polyurethane. 
I am not a kitchen installer, only an (ex) professional cook. I use benchtops do not look at them, I cut ON them without a cutting board.

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## aaronjthompson

I have opened a hornet's nest here and there is no consensus on the best way forward - oil or polyurethane? 
Should I alternatively be considering a more expensive and better quality benchtop (I know that most ikea stuff is over-priced rubbish) and if yes what?

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## Eden

If it is for 5 years only
go the Ikea Beech that you like 
If you want to food prep on it , oil it and avoid food prep over the joins if there are any 
If you want it to stay pristine varnish it 
Marc as a cook is willing to take a knife to them and that I find is not the norm but each to there own and there is nothing wrong with that and it is his kitchen. 
the bamboo shown is a quite bit more hard wearing than the Beech and depending on how you wish to treat it 5 years is a short lifespan and either should survive 
the item you mention  NUMERÄR Worktop - IKEA is approx $380 per blank 
if you read their blurb it states --------------------  Good to know
Above a dishwasher, FIXA diffusion barrier shall be mounted to the underside of the worktop for added protection against moisture.
Not suitable for use in wet rooms.   Care instructions
Wipe clean with a soft cloth dampened in water and a mild washing-up detergent or soap, if necessary.
Wipe dry with a clean cloth.
Light stains can be removed with a sponge damped in water or a mild soapy solution, or with a fine sandpaper.
To ensure that your worktop ages gracefully, treat it regularly with BEHANDLA wood treatment oil; it gives the surface a beautiful sheen, protects the wood and prolongs the life of the worktop.  ------------------------------------------   
The bamboo --------- http://www.bunnings.com.au/kaboodle-...chtop_p2662191    is $50 smackers more 
they are both differing lengths and thickneses  and both options will give you a nice chopping board or 2 from the sink and cooktop cutouts  
there is even a $99 solid timber (not laminated) cheapie at most bunnings stores and similar at other places 
5 years is not a long time so good luck whatever you choose  
cheers Eden

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## Pitto

More to the point, avoiding the swordfight above, Follow the manufacturers recommendation on how to treat the bench top. 
BUT 
Polyurethane will keep out the moisture, unlike the oil treatments. 
I reworked a solid jarrah kitchen benchtop that was installed in 1997, it had a section trimmed off it, the bullnose re-routered and then sent to the 2pac guy who sanded it back and refinished it with satin polyurethane, and it will get another 18 years out of it. Shame the carcases under it wont as they are vynil wrap, and thats another can of worms  :Redface: P 
I would be worried about bacteria in the timber benchtop with an oil treatment, but i no way resemble a cook or chef  :Redface: P

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## aaronjthompson

It is the LAGAN Worktop - IKEA benchtop at $160 (not Numerar at $380 as mentioned by Eden above) that I was looking at. 
I think oiling could be unhygienic (although I'll be using cutting boards and not the benchtop to cut on) and I'd like to use epoxy at the joint to seal it solid and stop water ingress. 
So if I use the polyurethane what is the best product to use - even a marine/hardwearing boat product was recommended above:  http://www.yachtpaint.com/aus/diy/pr...es/search.aspx

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## justonething

Why don't you paint the whole bench top with epoxy glass west system 105 resin with 207 hardener. You are then done.

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## aaronjthompson

Thanks - I'll look into the marine epoxy glass west system 105 with 207 hardener.

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