[Grisha]

Does anyone have an experience with wooden countertop for a bathroom.? It is water resistant per IKEA's description. But I have a concern that it will warp over time due to moisture environment.
Any advise is appreciated.
Thanks,
Grisha

[NBeth]

If you were to use Waterlox Original Seal and Finish on ALL sides, in multiple coats, I think you'd be fine. Cut out for the sink and sand, then apply the Waterlox. It darkens the wood somewhat and forms a very glossy surface. Water just beads up. Because the entire environment is humid, apply on all sides.

Hope this helps,
NB

[gwen]

Waterlox would definitely be my recommendation in a bathroom environment. You can find out more on the Waterlox company webite:
waterlox, tung oil, tung oil finish, waterlox tung oil, floor finishing, floor refinishing, tongue oil varnish, polyurethane, floor finish, wood floor finishing, wood floor refinishing, wood floor varnish, wood sealer, wood floor, hardwood floor, VOC

Another source for Waterlox wood counter pics is:
Custom Wood Countertops, Butcher Block Countertops, Kitchen Island Counter Tops

Waterlox comes in high gloss and satin finishes. I went with the satin the IKEA Numerar Oak countertop we used on our island and it is a nice, not overly glossy, furniture type finish.

Best wishes on the wood in the bathroom. That was my first choice for our upstairs baths but we would have had to seam the pieces as our double sink countertops in both bathrooms extend over 100". Since both will be used by children, we figured with seams it probably wasn't such a good idea.

Gwen

[kisaacs]

I agree with the above posters that waterlox should make wood work for you. I've got an undermount sink in my maple countertop at home in our kitchen, and we used waterlox over a year ago and haven't had any issues. I've been very glad to have made it through a humid summer and a dry winter with no cracking, no water issues, no nothing.

Gwen - you've probably already done your kids' bathrooms, but if you haven't and still want wood, take a look at Lumber Liquidators. They're only a little more than IKEA (maybe 10% or so), and have 12 foot lengths in maple or cherry. I know people have had issues with them, but we got flooring and counters from them and they've been great.

Kristen

[ann_marie_99]

I have a follow-up question.

We're installing a wood countertop in our bathroom too, under a vessel sink. This is a small half-bath off the hallway, so there's really not a lot of moisture; only whatever bits of water/soap splash out of the sink while you're washing your hands.

Would the oil that Ikea sells for the kitchen countertops (BENHALDA) be OK for this? Waterlox is exceedingly expensive ($100+ a gallon), so I'd like to avoid paying that much for it.

Thanks!

[kisaacs]

Well, you'll only need a quart of waterlox, unless you're doing more than 16 linear feet of counter. We used less than a quart on our whole kitchen. I wouldn't trust the oil in the bathroom, but that's just me.

Kristen

[splatgirl]

I don't have any experience with the oil that IKEA sells, but I have the oak butcherblock as a counter in my guest bath, under a vessel sink. It's treated with Watco danish oil and it's been great. I've used that particular product before and it's extremely reliable as a permanent waterproofer if you apply enough coats until the wood stops sucking it up. I think it's sold in pints, quarts and gallons. Very inexpensive. It's sort of like stain in that you can choose the color. Other than that, it doesn't change the finish of the wood.

[Artsy]

I have the solid birch Numerar in my bathroom under a vessel sink. I applied several coats of Poly-Acrylic with sandings in between. Also applied it to the holes that I drilled for the faucet. Started with an 80-grit sandpaper and progressed to a 300-grit. For the final application of the acrylic I used a sponge roller. Looks glossy and fabulous and I just wipe it down with a damp cloth when it needs it. I just uploaded a photo of my bathroom in progress.