[Greenbuilding] FINISHES for MDF vs Particleboard vs Whatever

Mon Oct 25 13:23:55 CDT 2010

Good post, John.

Pure Tung Oil is our #1 finish for butcher blocks b/c it¹s durable and safe
and easy to refinish. Reasonably easy to use but can get tricky among those
with more thumbs than fingers.  We also recommend AFM Naturals Oil Wax
finish, which is a combo of tung, linseed, safflower, sunflower, carnauba,
microcrystalline wax, soybean oil, and hemp oil. Very easy to apply. This is
popular with our cork and bamboo tops.

We find most people don¹t like linseed¹s odor so avoid linseed oil.

I also find it critical to set people-folk¹s expectations of different
materials‹especially butcher blocks. We make a point to explain that you put
a wood counter in specifically with the expectation that it¹ll dry out and
need refinishing (moisturizing), which also lends to repairability‹rare
among tops‹and the warm, soft, natural looks.

Jason Holstine

Amicus Green Building Center
³Sustain Your Space²
Member - USGBC, GreenAmerica, NARI, NAHB
e: jason at amicusgreen.com
w: www.amicusgreen.com
p: 301-571-8590
tf: 866-587-9140
f:  301-571-8597

On 10/25/10 12:20 PM, "JOHN SALMEN" <terrain at shaw.ca> wrote:

> Tung oil is the hardest drying oil out there and can be purchased and used as
> a raw Œpure¹ product. Though it is marketed (lee valley) as a food safe (pure
> oil only) technically it is still a toxic substance until it has reacted
> sufficiently with oxygen and sunlight to cure (about 7 days). As a raw product
> it is put in very thin coats with 4-8hrs drying between  needing as many as 6
> coats to provide a decent sacrificial surface. It is virtually waterproof and
> hard and has a matte finish  can be powerbuffed to a dull sheen. Very easy to
> repair and renew by simply sanding an area and wiping on more oil  blends
> easily.
>  
> If you want a shiny surface with tung it needs to be a polymerized oil
> (usually through heat  but often with metal driers and resins added) and the
> marketed versions of that usually are also usually diluted with a solvent. So
> commercially this type of product is a little more unknown. You can make your
> own by simply placing a dish of oil in the sun for a few days then dilute with
> a clean thinner (pure turp or citrus  pure turp has less potential for
> allergic reactions).
>  
> Other drying oils suitable for food surfaces are walnut oil, sunflower and
> safflower oil (typically oils with a low acid value).
>  
> Stone and concrete are porous and people get pretty annoyed at how bad they
> can look after a while and/or the amount of maintenance needed. I like the
> look of deteriorating stone but I am a minority. Most all readily available
> (or affective) stone sealers are silicone based usually with a solvent that
> allows for some penetration. Top sealers (acrylic) are also used but they are
> sacrificial and subsequently have to be stripped to be renewed. I have had
> success with magnesium silicate in a liquid preparation as a top sealer for
> concrete and have also used tung oil. Basic pure carnuba wax is decent
> sacrificial alternative to acrylic as a sacrificial surface  but care has to
> be taken with cleaning and waxing to not trap moisture and soaps.
>  
> Finishes are about providing both a sacrificial surface that will hopefully
> trap a staining material (before it stains) and allow a material to wear
> evenly  they are also a look. First off determine the Œlook¹ you want. If you
> want it bright and shiny  question your reasons as you are demanding more of
> the finish and more finish to achieve that over time. Also you don¹t want the
> finish to add to the chemical soup  more durability typically means more
> toxicity.
>  
> John
>  
>  
>  
> 
> JOHN SALMEN ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN
> 
> 4465 UPHILL RD,. DUNCAN, B.C.  CANADA, V9L 6M7
> 
> PH 250 748 7672 FAX 250 748 7612 CELL 250 246 8541
> 
> terrain at shaw.ca
> 
>  
> 
> 
> From: Melissa Andron [mailto:melissa at realmdesignstudio.com]
> Sent: October 25, 2010 3:38 AM
> To: 'Alan Abrams'; 'JOHN SALMEN'
> Cc: 'Chris Koehn'; Greenbuilding at bioenergylists.org
> Subject: [Greenbuilding] FINISHES for MDF vs Particleboard vs Whatever
>  
> Alan, what are you (and others) using to finish/seal these wood countertops?
> What have you had successes with?  Failures?
>  
> I realize that a client¹s priorities dictate what we¹re able to use‹a client
> with chemical sensitivities may require a very different finish (or even
> material) than a client who does not have this issue and prioritizes longevity
> over all else.  There was a time in my life where the former was a requirement
> for ME based on my health, but now, after many years, I¹m in much better
> health‹and would be more likely to choose something that might offgas a bit
> (and preferably allow it to do this in my garage/workshop for some time!) but
> would last indefinitely (just as sustainable an option, in my book, if it
> doesn¹t have to be replaced for a much longer time).
>  
> Thanks!
>  
> Melissa (Andron) Walter, LEED AP, GreenAP, Allied Member ASID
> realm design studio, inc.
> sustainable interior design
> 919.649.2384
> www.realmdesignstudio.com
> or see us on Facebook!
> <http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1167158862#!/pages/Chapel-Hill-NC/Real
> m-Design-Studio/59661343019?ref=ts&__a=15&ajaxpipe=1>
> member: Green Homebuilders of the Triangle
> <http://www.hbadoc.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=47&Itemid=
> 57> 
>  
> 
> From: greenbuilding-bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org
> [mailto:greenbuilding-bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org] On Behalf Of Alan
> Abrams
> Sent: Monday, October 25, 2010 6:18 AM
> To: JOHN SALMEN
> Cc: Chris Koehn; Greenbuilding at bioenergylists.org
> Subject: Re: [Greenbuilding] MDF vs Particleboard vs Whatever
>  
> Nothing like wood for counters.  When I can sell it, we're using urban harvest
> black walnut, which is as beautiful as it is stable (I have a walnut vanity
> top with an undermount sink, made as an durability experiment.  after four
> years of daily exposure to water, it is in great shape.
> 
> We did a large portion of a kitchen with urban harvest mulberry--also dense,
> fairly stable, and unexpectedly beautiful.  As I've mentioned before, there
> are at least three sets of high grade white pine counters still in service
> that I made in the early 80's--one of which housing a sink.
> 
> regrettably, I have ripped out countless proprietary (Bally or similar) maple
> butcher block counters that were severely warped and delaminated.
> 
> Alan Abrams
> Abrams Design Build LLC
> A sustainable approach to beautiful space
> alan at abramsdesignbuild.com <mailto:alan at abramsdesignbuild.com>
> www.abramsdesignbuild.com <http://www.abramsdesignbuild.com>
> 202-726-5894 o
> 202-437-8583 c
> 202-291-0626 f
>> 
>>  
>>  
>> Butcher block is a good counter surface for dry areas that can be used well
>> and refinished as needed.
>  
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Greenbuilding mailing list
> to Send a Message to the list, use the email address
> Greenbuilding at bioenergylists.org
> 
> to UNSUBSCRIBE or Change your List Settings use the web page
> http://lists.bioenergylists.org/mailman/listinfo/greenbuilding_lists.bioenergy
> lists.org

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.bioenergylists.org/pipermail/greenbuilding_lists.bioenergylists.org/attachments/20101025/6c850d69/attachment.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image.gif
Type: image/gif
Size: 4216 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://lists.bioenergylists.org/pipermail/greenbuilding_lists.bioenergylists.org/attachments/20101025/6c850d69/attachment.gif>