Wood is a noble and trendy material. It will give charm to your interior. Whether you want a modern or rustic decoration, wood will match all your desires. For example, many of you have equipped yourself with an ikea wooden worktop (or another large furniture sign). These pieces of furniture allow you to integrate wood into your interior at a lower cost in a kitchen or bathroom for example. Only some time after your purchase you will ask yourself : how do you protect an ikea wooden worktop ? In order to help you, we will first explain why it is important to protect an ikea wooden worktop. Then we will help you choose the right protection product for your needs and explain how to use it.
WHY PROTECT AN IKEA WOODEN WORKTOP?
Ikea wooden worktops, like all other worktops, are subject to daily aggression: splashes, stains, scratches. If you have a wooden worktop in an ikea bathroom or an ikea kitchen, the wood will be put to the test. If you do not protect your ikea wooden worktop, it may blacken around the sink due to moisture, and may show traces of pots and pans or grease over time.
WHICH PRODUCT TO PROTECT AN IKEA WOODEN WORKTOP?
PREFER A RESPONSIBLE IKEA WOOD PROTECTION PRODUCT
When you buy your wooden worktop, most furniture retailers offer wood protection products as a supplement. We advise you to choose your products by reading up on them yourself. These are often entry-level products that can be harmful to the environment and to you during application.
When choosing a product to protect an ikea wood worktop, it is preferable to choose a water-based product (and not a solvent-based one) in order to have fewer volatile compounds in the product's composition. With an ikea wood product in aqueous phase, you will breathe less toxic substances when applying and drying the product. You will also be doing your bit for the environment, since water-based products have fewer toxic substances and are therefore less harmful to the environment.
WHICH PRODUCT TO PROTECT AN IKEA WOODEN WORKTOP?
VARNISH, OIL, WAX: WHAT PROTECTION FOR AN IKEA WOODEN WORKTOP?
Generally speaking, there are three types of ikea wood preservatives : oils, varnishes and waxes. Waxes are not really protective products. Rather, they are maintenance products that complement oils to prolong their aesthetic appearance over time.
Oils allow you to maintain the natural feel of the wood. On the other hand, the aesthetic appearance is changed. Oils tend to darken the wood. If you want to protect and darken your ikea wood worktop, oils may be a good solution for you. However, if you have never applied a wood preservative, oils are not ideal. Oil needs to be applied very carefully. If you apply too much oil, which is often the case for hobbyists, you will have an excess of oil that will cause a greasy and sticky effect on your ikea wood worktop.
We therefore advise you to varnish your ikea wooden worktop. It's very easy. Usually 2 or 3 coats are sufficient. We recommend the Worktop Varnish VPT500 which is effective in protecting all types of worktops. It is suitable for solid wood worktops as well as for laminated worktops or worktops containing wood derivatives such as OSB, which is often the case with ikea wood worktops.
The ikea wood worktop varnish is a film-forming product. It will create a film on the surface of your ikea wooden worktop, making it impervious to damage. The Worktop Varnish VPT500is suitable for all types of worktops. But if you have an ikea bamboo worktop, which is very common in a bathroom because this material is very resistant to humidity, it is preferable to use a specific varnish such as Bamboo Furniture Varnish VMB500
HOW TO PROTECT AN IKEA WOODEN WORKTOP?
Once you have chosen your protection product, you need to protect your ikea wooden worktop. The purpose of protection is to make your worktop resistant to damage. The protection prevents the need to renovate the heavy ikea worktop afterwards, which will require time and energy to sand it down.
Protecting an ikea wooden worktop can be done in three simple steps :
If your ikea wooden worktop is new, you need to work on a clean and dust-free worktop. If the worktop is old, you will need to sand it first.
Apply a hard base. This product reinforces the waterproofing benefits of the varnish. If you have a tannic wood (oak, chestnut), you must use Anti-Tanins Primer PAT400. For all other woods, choose the Pore Filler Primer BP400.
Then you need to varnish the ikea wooden worktop. To do this, apply 2 to 3 coats of Worktop Varnish VPT500.
You can read our dedicated article on the waterproofing of a worktop and the application of varnish to learn more about this subject.
HOW TO MAINTAIN AN IKEA WOODEN WORKTOP ?
Maintaining an ikea wooden worktop on a daily basis is very simple. Simply clean it regularly with a damp cloth and black soap such as Liquid Black Soap SN800.
