How to Protect Your Timber Benchtop
What to use: Cabot’s Benchtop Clear Water Based
Why you should use it: Got a timber benchtop at home that needs a bit of TLC? Cabot’s Benchtop Clear Water Based makes kitchen and living area benchtops heat, chemical and stain resistant, while giving them a fresh, new look. Ideal for solid timber, bamboo, plywood and engineered timber, it’s food-safe and protects against heat marks from hot cups and plates. Genius!
How it works: Cabot’s Benchtop Clear gives the same quality look and protection as Cabot’s Cabothane Clear Water Based but with the added benefit of it being fully food safe when properly cured. Because it’s water based, this product is fast drying and low odour, which means you can finish your project quickly – and without filling your house with fumes.
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Depending on your project, you may also need
If interior timber that has been previously coated has visible scratches or a surface that’s severely worn, make sure you sand them back before you commence coating. After sanding, remove any dust so the surface is smooth and clean, then remove any stubborn stains, dirt, wax, grease and oil with mineral turpentine (you can remove old polish with a suitable polish remover.)
If there are holes or gaps to fill, do this after the first coat of Cabot’s Benchtop Clear Waterbased has been applied, to ensure accurate colour matching.
Depending on the surface you’re coating, there are several ways to prep:
Bare Interior Timber: Sand the surface smooth in the direction of the grain, using 180 - 240-grit sandpaper. Once this is done, be sure to remove all traces of sanding dust.
Previously Coated Benchtop: Clean the surface with Cabot's Floor Clean and allow to dry. Once this is done, test-coat Cabot’s Benchtop Clear to a small test area and allow it to dry for 24 hours. Then, firmly press sticky tape to the surface and pull off quickly. If the coating comes off, sand back the surface again. Repeat until the coating sticks.
If you’re planning on staining your benchtop, apply one coat of Cabot's Interior Stain Water Based or Cabot’s Stain & Varnish Water Based to bare interior timber.
Apply a second and third coat, sanding between each coat.
And just like that – your benchtop’s good as new!