Finishing Wood Countertop For Bathroom Vanity

12/01/2014


From original questioner:

What are you guys using to finish wood countertops for bathroom vanities. We are getting a lot of calls for wood tops in bathrooms. Would clear cv hold up?

From contributor Ke


yep. it would hold up.

but i usually use exterior pu from sherwin williams. F63FH2. and make sure to seal all the way around with the sealer F63FH3

From contributor an


thanks kevin,, didnt think of that one. I was taught that high gloss is more durable than a satin finish, do you think there is any truth to that? If so, do you apply this fact to this application? Or is pretty much,,, if the client wants their wood top to be shiny then its made shiny?

From contributor Ke


hmm... ive never heard that one before.. and come to think about it, nothing ive seen in all my years would lead me to believe that... I do know this - i would always prefer to spray a lower sheen on a high wear item such as a countertop. Higher sheens show wear alot more.
But yeah, i spray the top to the customer's specification.

From contributor an


After thinking about it long and hard it wasnt something i was 'taught' ,, i remember reading it a longgggg time ago in a dusty book about the origins of 'lacquer finishes' and it stated how originally lacquer was created as only a high gloss finish then when dulling agents were introduced it also made the finish weaker. That was a very old book so probably does not apply now. Well,, thanks for the input kevin!!

From contributor Ba


Definitely seal the whole top with whatever you use to keep movement to a minimum. CV gets really hard/brittle so chances are it'll eventually fail in a wet environment. Exterior products are softer to facilitate lots of wood movement. If you're going to go that route I'd use a high end marine varnish. Polyester resin would also be a good choice or an epoxy treated/stabilized top with any number of finishes (CV, WB or solvent-2k or marine varnish) over it. Also secure the top as tight as possible. And yes adding flatting agent to any finish does degrade it to some degree.

good luck

From contributor Le


Hi gloss is a harder product compared to other sheens because the paste they add to reduce the sheen.

The paste is soft and because it is mixed in with the finish makes the finish a bit softer.

That is why they tell you to use gloss on your first coat(s) and only use a coat with a sheen for the final coat.

This gives you the best protection overall. Also, gloss is usually cheaper to purchase then lower sheens because the paste costs money and the more you put in the higher the cost. Dull is usually more expensive then satin, and satin more then semi...etc.



From contributor Gr


I have used CV on bath vanity tops. Undermount sinks are trouble and fingernail polish remover is also CV remover evidently!

From contributor an


so grovey, did you switch to anything other than CV afterwards?

From contributor Le


Acetone should not affect CV on short term. If it was left overnight it could damage it, but would likely evaporate before it could damage. At least with MLC Krystal.

From contributor Gr


I went back to polyurethane. Solvent based seems to work the best for me. Kwick Kleen makes a fast drying poly that I have used, but not on a wood top.

From contributor Mi


I wouldn't use cv, I'd use 2k and wouldn't think twice about it.

From contributor Mi


I've been recently introduced to 2k Poly (solvent based) by Milesi (italian product) and my finishes expert highly recommends it for dining room and bar tops

From contributor Ma


Polyester resin would also be a good choice or an epoxy treated/stabilized top with any number of finishes (CV, WB or solvent-2k or marine varnish) over it.