Help to arrest beech worktop problems *PIC*

[Anonymous]

Hi all, hope someone can help with this.

My dear wife has been trying for a couple of years now to recreate a victorian country kitchen. Money though, is extremely tight. After doing without a holiday last year we managed to get enough money together to pay a guy to put together a bespoke sink/unit. The beech top was treated with oils etc,
and when finished the whole thing looked lovely.

That was in December.

It is now only May and the unit, or rather the worktop, is starting to look shabby. There are cracks appearing in the wood, which are letting water in,
and subsequently the cracks are turning black. In one part it is more than a crack, the actual wood is splitting it seems. Also, the top is bending quite a lot. Sort of 'arc ing' in the middle.

I have attached a compilation piccy, and would be very grateful for any assistance in sorting out these problems if possible.

 

[Anonymous]

I can't really help you and you might not like this message, but the trouble with, or is it the joy of, wood is that it changes size and shape with moisture content. If it gets wet it swells and if it dries it shrinks. That's it's nature and if you fight it you will lose. Your work top is lots of small pieces of beech glued together. It's made like this because the change in size is less likely to cause a cupping or bowing of the overall board, but it's not proof against this. It's a modern idea, certainly not Victorian. In those days they did not have waterproof glues so they did not have gluelam worktops. The draining board would have been a loose board with drainage grooves and a bit of beading round three sides. Any warping would not have mattered or even been noticed. Unless you are going to rip it all out and create a 'real' reproduction Victorian kitchen I think you are going to have to learn to enjoy the slightly shabby look. That would be authentic 'period' anyway.
You could try squeezing a resin glue such as Evostik Waterproof Woodglue (the one in the blue plastic bottle) into the crack that has opened up.

 

[Anonymous]

I see what you mean.

The first thing that should be understood about wooden worktops, especially near damp or heat emitting appliances or a combination of both, is that they can become very unstable.

Beech especially does not like wet and dry cycles, it will eventually warp and can take anything that it is attached to with it or it will split.

If beech tops can be kept regularly clean and totally sealed by frequent application of sealing oils and are not exposed to the extremes, this warping effect can be kept to a very minimum.
Once the warping process has started and hair line gaps have appeared it is extremely difficult halt the problem, as more water and heat will enter the gaps. The original glue joint have broken their sealing property and weakened the whole top.

AS to repairing it, I do not thing is going to be a viable proposition to get it done professionally, you could clean it sand it down and give it a few coats of purpose sealing oils, it will look like a wood top in a coutry kitchen, that is what you want isn't it ?.

Wish you luck

 

[Anonymous]

One way of stopping the bowing would be to fix it down firmly in a number of places across the width. This has to be done in such a way that prevents the top curving up but allows the top to expand and contract across its width. A traditional solution is to use cabinet makers buttons. Alternatively you could use L-section steel fittings screwed to the underside through slots rather than holes to allow the front-back movement.

I have a beech top which I made about 12 years ago. This is fixed to its base using buttons (wooden fastenings screwed into the underside which have a tongue which engages in a short groove in the frame). It was made up from four 2 inch thick strips each about 6 inches wide. I left the wood untreated and use it for cutting meat, veg fish etc. and regularly rinse it down with water although it is never permantly left damp.

The top has shrunk in width somwhat over the 12 years, but has not split nor has it bowed significantly. Despite being untreated it still looks good. The bigest problem is black marks made by wet iron objects being left there for any length of time, such as cast iron casserole lids or sets of weights. However these marks can be removed with a light scrape or sand.

One rule to be observed in making tops like this is to ensure that the strips of wood are laid alternately heart side up and heart side down (planks of wood tend to become convex on their heart side and concave on the other). Alternating them reduces the risk of the top forming a very pronounced currve. I cant see from your photos if this rule was observed in your case.

 

[Anonymous]

Others have explained your problem very comprehensively. Basically, wood and water are not the best of friends!
The reason that your worktops have "cupped" convexly is because the top is getting wet and the bottom isn't. So the top swells while the bottom tries to stay the same size - result: bowing upwards.
If the worktops had been cleated (ie: had strengthening battens screwed to the underside at 90 degrees to the grain run) from the start, this would probably have helped to prevent the problem. But they have now reached a state where I doubt that retro-fitting cleats is going to have much effect.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

 

[Anonymous]

has the top been reoiled or just left alone since it was installed?
Wooden worktops need to have the protective oil redone quite frequently.

By the time it gets to the stage you are at I think its beyond hope.

How big is it and is it fixed to anything? In your position I would be inclined to get some decent wooden planks from a good timeryard and have another top made up, as per the suggestion above.

You could try complaining to the supplier as that looks as if it has been having problems for some time.

 

[Anonymous]

Your worktop is identical to the one I have in my utility room( Dec 2004.) It has been trouble free. Just wonder whether the sealant was not man enough for the job and whether water has been creeping in along the back for sometime, so causing your problem. I am very careful to wipe around the edges with kitchen paper--only takes a second-- after washing up, never leave things draining and gave it several applications of danish oil before use, now it is quickly oiled every two months. Is your kitchen cold, does the wood take time to dry off after the washing up is done?

Good Luck

Jocelyn.
You could try talking to the supplier, it might not have been in the best of condition in the first place. I remember my kitchen fitter sending back the first lot that he ordered.

 

[Anonymous]

IIUC you have a draining rack and a towel over the wood. The rack will create prolonged wetness and the towel will retard evaporation. A bad combination on wood! Board, towel and all cloths need to be kept off the wood.

The wood needs drying after every use. I use 2 towels when doing this: the first gets most off, and the 2nd drier towel leaves it almost fully dry.

I'd take steps to waterproof the surface repeatdely, eg by frequent waxing. Wax will fill those cracks, preventing further water ingress, stoppping mould, presenting a flattish surface, and I'm guessing may even be soft enough to squeeze out if the wood reshapes itself.

With it no longer expanding on the top side, I'd then screw it to iron bars underneath (eg dexion) with movement slots. You may well end up with a permanently cracked surface, but the wax will keep it filled and less visible.

NT

 

[Anonymous]

Thank you all for the comments.

Unfortunately, for various reasons, I have no comeback on this job, so, we are stuck with it. I will try the waterproof glue ion the cracks, and re oil the top.

One thing: Before I attempt to re seal the gap around the sink, do you think that this bowing will stop? ie, will it reach a natural shape, or, is it going to carry on bowing?