Kitchen

Reply to: I also love the look of raw natural oak. But as any wood, as soon as you apply a finish (even non yellowing), it gets yellow (the best test is simply to use a wet rag and see the color difference). I have an old butcher block counter height table that had gotten really yellow over the years and looked so dated. I did some research and unfortunately we do not live in Europe where keeping the natural look of wood must be common as they have plenty of products to achieve that timeless look. So I came up with the solution (but it is very time consuming). First I sanded down with 80 sandpaper. Then I used 150 sand paper. I removed all dust with a vacuum cleaner then a wet rag and let dry thoroughly. Then I made a white wash with regular white latex paint and water. I ended up having about 2/3 water 1/3 paint. I did test in a small spot to make sure I would be happy with the final color. I applied this with a brush over the wood, and wiped off all excess with a rag. I let dry thoroughly. After it was completely dry I sanded slightly with 220 sand paper. Be careful when you sand: if you sand down too much of the white, then you will end up with a yellow spot (to be sure your whitewash is even after sanding you can use a wet rag, and reapply whitewash in places that look too yellow once wet). Then dusted again. Then it was time to apply Polycrylic from Minwax. The recommend 3 coats. If it is not a heavy duty surface like a table you are probably good with just 2 coats. The first coat soaks in and looks really uneven. Then you need to sand with 220 paper in between. Then apply a another coat. The whole process is really long, but you do get the look of natural oak with not a hint of yellow. I know because I compared my raw wood with the white washed/Polycrylic and you could not tell the difference. Good luck!

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Reply to: This is an old post, I know. But should someone run across this by accident, as I did, I installed red oak cabinets in a bathroom and love the look of the raw wood. However, I was confronted with the same delima of protecting the wood. I used Briwax clear paste. Worked perfect. Buffed it and is hard as nails. No color change to grain at all.

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Reply to: Olau, I also stripped my oak cabinets that are similar to yours. I didn't want a shiny finish, so I used 2 applications of Minwax wipe on polyurethane, sanding between coats. The finish isn't too shiny, but the color is almost the same as it was before stripping. So, I sanded a few doors back to the wood, and tried experimenting with darker stains on the back of the drawers. The java gel stain is too dark for me. My kitchen would seem like a cave. The other medium stains I tried made the wood look rustic, which is not the look I want. I'll end with a note of caution. I thought my top of the line Merillat oak cabinets had solid oak door and drawer fronts. They don't. If you sand or strip too much, you will remove the veneer.

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Reply to: Olau, The floors you linked to are just like floors in one of my clients homes. A few years ago they wanted some of them refinished and could find no one in the area willing to do it (I don't do floors). It is a difficult finish to achieve and match for refinishing. They did have them refinished, but they don't match the originals. If what you really want to achieve is red oak with a flat finish on it and are willing to accept the color that a "clear finish" will produce, there are flat finishes available. McCloskey used to make one but they have been bought out by Valspar and no longer make the flat, (I don't use Valspar). Professional finishes can be made dead flat. Looks like there is nothing there (except for the color change). I mix my own sheens, and can go from dead flat to high gloss and anything in between. Maybe a paint store (such as Sherwin-Williams, not a big box store) could mix up some flat finish for you. Can't hurt to ask. And, in a previous post you said that your cabinets have been unfinished for about 6 months. Before putting anything on them, they need to be cleaned and sanded again to achieve good adhesion of the finish.

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Reply to: There is no finish that will not change the color of the wood. Some more than others. Oil finishes do add the amber color. Water based change it the least. The amount of color change you achieve is also a function of the type of wood you are treating. There are professional finishes that are known as "water white", meaning they will color the wood as water would. If you want to see what a water white finish will look like, just spray some water on the unfinished wood. That will be the closest you will be able to get if you can come up with a "water white" consumer finish, short of not putting anything on the wood. You should always do samples before any final application. Don't believe the color charts, or what you read on the cans.

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Reply to: If you’re thinking of selling your house, I would not put a marble backsplash up. Some people are intimidated by marble. Find a nice ceramic tile, in an interesting shape, or install in an interesting pattern. I think herringbone is classic and won’t go out of style so easily. You want to appeal to the most buyers possible. Make it attractive, simple,and easy to clean. Using the countertop material is the best idea if you can match it and the price doesn’t kill you.

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Reply to: I installed my countertop quartz as the backsplash after looking and what seems to be millions of tiles. Couldn’t be happier. No grout to clean, everything wipes off easily and it’s a cohesive look.

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