Work surface damage/repair

[Gareth73]

Good afternoon all...

I hope someone can help me with a problem?

I'm due to leave my rented apartment next week and need to repair any minor damage caused since I have been there.

One issue I am not sure about is the kitchen worksurface, which is made of wood. There are several stains in the surface now, where liquids have seeped in or where a tin can / bottle has been left standing on the surface and left a ring mark (wood doesnt seem a suitable choice for a durable surface!).

Can anyone suggest any methods / products to use in order to:

a) remove the stains/ring marks
b) leave the work surface looking uniform in colour/texture, as the marks are isolated rather than all over the place.

The work surface is actually very nice, so I dont want to totally trash it in any attempts to get the stains/ring marks out. I've had a look over some of the existing topics here, such as //www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=64242 , but nothing seems to be detailed enough for this particular DIY rank amature!

Thanks in advance.

 

[mr_mike]

Hi Gareth,

What wood is the worktop made from ?

Most marks if caught quickly can be removed by very careful sanding & re-oiling / sealing.

Oak is particularly susceptible, by it's nature and due to it's high tannic acid content, to forming nasty dark stains (iron tannate) when it comes in contact with iron. These can be more difficult to remove. They can respond well to Oxalic Acid, a wood bleaching agent, but this process should really should be carried out by someone qualified to do so.

Depending on the marks you have, how the worktop's been sealed/treated initially & the type of wood, I'd be very careful before trying to sand the marks out.

I'm sure one of the other regulars on this forum (Scrit, are you about ?) will be able to give a more considered & informative answer....but we need more info......!?

 

[Gareth73]

Hi mr_mike (can I call you Mike!?! )

Cheers for the reply. Am 99.9% sure its oak. The following pic from google images looks very much like mine:

One thing that does appear different is that mine doesn't look as "shiny", almost as if its not been treated properly, or maybe the last incumbent sanded it all away?

On the subject of timing, I'm afraid some of the ring marks have been there for several months now, so I doubt this qualifies as being "caught quickly"!?!

Also, one other bit of info. I had a go at washing the ring marks out using an abrassive pad and soap water. As a result, its already noticeable that there are two tones of colour to the wood.

I've f**ked it, haven't I?

If you think the wood bleaching is the best option, who would I normally approaxh for such a service?

Cheers again,
Gareth

 

[mr_mike]

Hi Gareth,

Yes.....Mike's fine !

They are Oak worktops. They have been treated....probably only at installation stage by the sounds of it. If water and an abrasive pad has resulted in two tones of colour to the wood, then they're likely to only have been oiled initially.

If it was me, I would give the worktops a clean with soapy warm water (don't flood them !). Wait till the wood is completely dry, then try sanding one of the marks (that are in a less noticeable area first) with some fine sandpaper (240grit silicon carbide paper, followed by 320grit then 400). Do it by hand, and sand with the grain. The area will go lighter in colour as you sand to bare wood. Then try applying a little Rustins danish oil to that area, wiped on with a portion of old T-shirt I find very adequate. You shoud be able to blend the sanded area tone to the rest of the worktop. Several thin coats are better than one thick one !

Now, I can't tell you type of oil was originally used, but in this case, Danish oil won't take as long to dry, leave it over night & compare it in the morning. If it's fine, then try some of the other marks. These sanded & re-oiled areas will very quickly go the same colour as the rest of the wworktop on exposure to natural light. Once you've done these, I'd be inclined to give the, already cleaned, complete surface
area a thin coat of Danish oil all over.

Now, there will be other opinions on this forum I'm sure.......!!!!

I can only tell you what I would do. It's very unlikely you've done any really terrible damage. The beauty of wooden worktops is they can be sanded and re-oiled.

Try a little inconspicuous area, and see how you get on. If you feel you're making it worse, then call an experienced kitchen fitter/carpenter/cabinet maker !?! but expect to pay a tidy sum for completely sanding & re-finishing.

Let me know how you get on....and let's hope you haven't b****red it !

 

[mr_mike]

oh.....only just noticed that picture you posted isn't yours !?

........just be aware my comments were referring to that photo......

 

[oilman]

If your worktop isn't as shiny as the one in the picture, it may have been finished in tung oil. Danish oil is a modified tung oil, but the finish will be different.

 

[Scrit]

I think Mr Mike has covered it well. Remove the existing finish with fine sandpaper, although I'd possibly start as low as 120 grit on a random orbit sander for speed (however if you're not confident don't try starting that coarse - you don't need an ROS, just sand in the same direction as the grain). If the marks won't sand out then you'll need to consider oxallic acid (crystals), available from professional decorators suppliers I believe (I've had mine from Bolloms in the past, but they last a long time). You buy in crystal form and add to water. BTW, it isn't the same as household (chlorine) bleach.

To get the colour back into the timber I'd consider oiling first (1 coat Danish oil to seal), then tinting the affected area lightly with artists oil colours applied with a rag, before adding another 2 or 3 coats of oil. The oil colours you should look at are burnt umber and burnt sienna, and you may possibly need to mix the two. It is also possible to tint the oil by mixing in oil colours and judiciously applying. Allow at least 6 to 8 hours between each oil coat (preferably overnight) and apply by wiping on fairly liberally, then wiping the excess off within a few minutes. Try to keep the room warm whilst the oild is drying. You'll need 3 coats of oil, I'd say.

When you've done the repair give the entire worktop a single coat of oil, leave to dry, then buff up lightly (a lambswool bonnet/mop on a drill at about 1500 rpm is really good for this) as this will even out the lustre and help blend-in the repairs. If it is too shinety and you want to matt it back go over with a "Scotchbrite" grey or maroon finishing cloth - MachineMart do some grey metal polishing pads which are similar, readily available and cheaper, although the same result can also be achieved with pumice stone, Barkeeper's Friend, etc.

Scrit

 

[Gareth73]

Gentlemen, thank you very much for the advice. You have given me hope that all may not be lost!

I'll let you know how I get on.

Cheers,
Gareth

 

[big-all]

my thought here

real wood needs special care as in many coats when installed and top up coats with ocasional "stripping " and re finnishing throught its life thus is the landlords responsibility to finnish it propperly in the first place and keep it properly maintained throughout its life to maintain a water resistant finnish

now the landlord can make it part off your tennancy that you maintain the worktop but he must state how to do it as its a special requirement you cannot be expected to automaticly know how to!!!!!


why not ask the landlord how was the worktop finnished and protected!!!!

and when you get the usual "confused " answer you know it aint been "finnished "properly or maintained

 

[Gareth73]

Hello all,

Just to let you know the advice you gave was spot on and the work surface is looking much better now. The 120 paper did the trick, along with a bit of elbow grease!

I've applied the oil and am allowing it to dry before applying a second coat, but its already looking better than it was when I arrived.

This DIY lark is a doddle!

 

[Scrit]

This DIY lark is a doddle!

Yes, but only when you have the right book or website.......

Scrit

 

[Gareth73]

This DIY lark is a doddle!

Yes, but only when you have the right book or website.......

Scrit

Absolutely mate, absolutely. I've learnt a little bit of useful info thanks to you lot, so a big thanks.

I'm hoping you can help with another wood related problem......

In the same apartment I have a parquet strip floor. Unfortunately for me I left the window open whilst out and a storm lashed in some rain water. As a result, a small part of the floor (perhaps 10% coverage) is slightly damaged. Its visibly noticeable, though its hardly an eye-sore.

My landlord has insisted that the WHOLE floor needs to be replaced and I've been quoted around €700, which is a lot of money. I'm loath to pay this, particularly as there is existing damage from previous tetenantshat hahasn'teen addressed.

The questions I have are:

1) Is it possible to repair the floor in a similar fashion to the oak work surface?
2) If not, does the whole floor need to be replaced, as I am being told?

I've had a little search on Google first to see what advice is available, but would like the opinions of those with more experience than myself. Does the following seem sound advice:

http://www.accuratebuilding.com/pub.../home_flooring_guide_circle1984.html#parquet2

I may be able to get a proper picture if that will help?

Once again, many thanks.
Gareth

 

[big-all]

this should be coverd by his contents insurance as accidental dammage!!!!!

 

[Gareth73]

this should be coverd by his contents insurance as accidental dammage!!!!!

Nope. Not here in Germany. Just about everything is stacked in the favour of the landlord over here as well. Us tenants get a bit of a raw deal.

 

[Scrit]

When you say "slightly damaged", do you mean water damage or warping? Also is it a real parquet (herring-bone block) floor or some other form of floor?

Scrit