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Worktop Customisation ServiceRepairing Minor Kitchen Worktop Damage: A Worktop Express® Nutshell Guide
If installed and maintained correctly, your wooden kitchen worktop will be highly resistant to damage; however we appreciate that in busy kitchens accidents do happen! This guide aims to highlight the most effective and easy methods of minor repair, whilst providing some handy tips for reducing your future kitchen maintenance.
What should I do if…
There are small scratches on my worktop?
General usage of your worktop can occasionally cause small scratches or other marks to appear. On wooden worktops this is nothing to worry about – they are easily repairable by following the simple instructions below:
- Sand the damaged area using 120 grit sandpaper until there are no signs of scratches on the surface
- Clean with a lint-free cloth to remove dust
- Re-oil using Osmo Top Oil, according to label instructions
There’s a stain on my worktop?
If the stain is light you can sand and re-oil your worktop as per above. If the stains are consistently spread over the whole worktop, we would recommend sanding and oiling the entire area to create a uniform, unblemished appearance.
Please consult our oiling worktops nutshell guide for further guidance.
Another recommended method for removing tough stains would be to wipe the area with a very weak solution of water and lemon juice and rinse clean. This should improve the appearance considerably.
What should I do if…
My worktop has a crack in it?
Some contraction and expansion of the timber should be expected; it is a natural worktop and may react to the moisture levels in the surrounding air. With the correct installation and wood kitchen worktops maintenance, you should not experience a problem; however in the unlikely event that a split in the worktop occurs, we would recommend the following action:
SMALL SPLIT: Wood filler or wax repair
A suitable moisture-resistant wood filler can be used to fill small splits in your worktop. It’s available in virtually every shade and is easy to use as follows:
- Apply the filler to the damaged split, trying to leave as little as possible on the work surface
- Sand over the area to ensure it is smooth and then re-oil as necessary
Wood wax is extremely similar – all that you need to do is melt wax into the split in the worktop, before sanding and oiling once more.
LARGE SPLIT: Glue and clamp
If the split in your worktop is too large for wood filler or worktop wax to be used, it may be necessary to glue and clamp the timber.
- Clean the timber, paying particular attention to the interior of the stave that has split.
- Spread high strength glue on the inside of the split.
- Hold together using clamps and leave to dry. If left for sufficient time, the split in the worktop should be fixed.
To allow wooden worktops to expand and contract, we suggest you leave a 3 - 5mm gap between the worktops and any adjacent walls. This gap can be covered with our matching worktop upstands. We also recommend the use of slotted angle brackets when attaching the worktop to kitchen cabinets; these brackets allow the wood to move when needed.
What should I do if…
I’ve dented my worktop?
Most worktop dents can be rectified with ease as per these simple instructions:
- Spray water onto the surface and place a damp cloth over it
- Iron the surface for approximately 5 seconds at a time only (you can burn the timber and cause more damage if you hold it for any longer)
- The combination of heat and moisture should react and cause the worktop to slowly rise to its original shape
- Finally, sand and re-oil to complete the process.
Should your worktop be damaged, there are a number of potential solutions to try (the most effective of which are collated within this guide), so do not panic. However, if you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
And finally… If you have further questions about the care and maintenance of laminate worktops, why not read our Laminate Worktops Aftercare guide? Alternatively, please contact us and we will be happy to help with any queries.
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