Bathroom vanity top

[Mark Vaughn]

Would it be completely stupid to use a wooden top for a bathroom vanity...what type of wood would work?? (don't say teak please $$..)would there be any way to protect it from all the abuse that it would suffer? and if so how??? a buttload of polyurethane? any advice on this? thank you guys so much, i'll post pictures when done!

[Brandi Dentice]

Please forgive me for being nosey, but as a female, I guess it's a trait you guys are familiar with.. having said that...

Are you married? Have girls? Because, no matter how much polyurethane you use, if they have curling irons or straightening irons - it will be ruined in the 10 seconds it takes to mar the surface............... not that I have ever ever marked a bathroom vanity this way *cough*.

Also germ wise, it might not be the easiest thing to keep clean (think bleach on wood or said poly) etc.

sorry - I totally do not want to poke your idea, just wanted to point out the first things I'd say to my husband (aren't you glad we're not married?)

[Paul Johnstone]

Would it be completely stupid to use a wooden top for a bathroom vanity...what type of wood would work?? (don't say teak please $$..)would there be any way to protect it from all the abuse that it would suffer? and if so how??? a buttload of polyurethane? any advice on this? thank you guys so much, i'll post pictures when done!

A friend of mine did this.. Put many layers of poly on it. However, he has no kids, and it's just for his power room.. There's a sink insert in it.

You might want to consider an epoxy finish. I'm not an expert, but it might be more suitable to the application. I really don't know, but don't they use epoxy on wood bar tops?

[Norman Pyles]

Seen one made from walnut. No idea what finish was used, but it looked good. Would never last at my house.

[Bruce Page]

I have to agree with Brandi. Wood & water don't mix very well. Every wood counter top that I have ever seen eventually wound up looking bad. I installed beautiful Pella windows throughout my house - except in the two bathrooms, I installed vinyl.

[Dave Cohen]

How about a layer of 3/8" glass over the wood? Just an idea, cleans up, won't burn etc.

[Jim Becker]

You can do this with wood, but unfortunately, the best species to use are in the $$$$ category as they are tropical, dense, oily and rot resistant. Even they may experience discoloration over time as various types of products used in the bathroom end up on and in the wood. And "polyurethane" is not a barrier to standing water no matter how much of it you slather onto the wood. It's just varnish that has a little more abrasion resistance than the other two types of varnish as it was originally developed for floors. It really doesn't have many of the mythical and magical properties that the marketers would have you believe it provides...

I personally would love the look of a wood counter top, but tend to doubt that I would use it in a bathroom. A seldom used wet bar, perhaps, but not in an area that gets a lot of use and a lot of potential for standing water.

[Bob Feeser]

I am assuming you are considering wood because the cost of granite can be prohibitive. Be that as it may, have you ever seen a granite top made out of inexpensive, pure granite tiles? The 12" squares come to mind. When I do my kitchen, I plan on using them. I have seen dark granite counter tops made that way, with matching dark grout, and it is amazing. You have to get right on top of it to realize it is not solid granite all the way across. I am a little iffy on the use of grout if it is subject to hair dyes, bleach, and a myriad of other chemicals, but it holds up well in the tub. As a substrate use 3/4" ply, seal it with plastic, then hardibacker, or equivalent, then lay your tile. A wood border would be appropriate, and could even be raised off of the tile surface along the back to prevent spills running down the wall. Of course a full backsplash would be ideal.
I saw a show on TV where a kitchen was done using inexpensive 12" square tiles ($8 to $12 per square foot instead of $75, which really adds up in a ful kitchen) and for the edges the granite supply house had front edge pieces that were machined to look rounded, or like a solid granite top, and that gave the top even more of the solid granite look.
Maybe your desire for a wood top is for other reasons, like maybe you have a painted cabinet, and would like a natural finish top to complete it.
If you like the stone top, you could even go with a ceramic tile top, which would save you even more money. Sometimes they are on sale at the big box stores for only a dollar or two apiece.
I don't know if all of this applies to you, but if it does, I'm glad to share it with you.

[Greg Sznajdruk]

I have a friend of mine who used black cherry. The counter top looked great. He used a plastic finish you see on bar tables. Usually with coins imbedded into the finish. I saw this plastic finish at Hopeless Depot. The only problem is when he put the finish on it looked like a cheap bar table.

Greg

[Greg Cole]

It can be done as with most things, just a matter of time & money.
Quite sure the rather famous Greene & Greene homes have wooden surfaces in the kitchens & bathrooms..... IIRC one of them has a wooden bathtub too.... heck shopping for an above ground pool last summer I ran across wooden pools.
I'm with Jim, I really like the idea of wood srufaces but not in a high traffic - severe duty application like the bathroom. With a teenage girl & the wife living in our bathroom I'd definately opt for another material.

Greg

[George Bregar]

Well, since everyone took the "don't route", for a lower cost option white oak would be a good choice. So would cypress. Both stand up to water well. Poly is a bad choice...water will get behind it and make it peel requiring complete refinishing. Use a penetrating oil. It will have to be redone occasionally but that's easier than strip and redo.

Oh, and no ferrous connectors that can rust should be used. They will stain the wood permanently...especially oak.

[frank shic]

bob, if you decide to use granite tiles on your future kitchen countertop, i have one piece of advice for you: take them to a fabricator to have the edges bullnosed ESPECIALLY if you're putting in an undermount sink. i tried doing it all myself and quickly found out that the money they charged would have been much less than the tools i had to purchase as well as the time!

[Todd Jensen]

When I re-do my vanity tops, I'm going to experiment and go the concrete route. I've seen some bartops that look really cool, with a solid clear 1/4" of epoxy to seal it. Anyways, just another idea that might be less costly than exotic hardwoods or granite.

[Bob Feeser]

bob, if you decide to use granite tiles on your future kitchen countertop, i have one piece of advice for you: take them to a fabricator to have the edges bullnosed ESPECIALLY if you're putting in an undermount sink. i tried doing it all myself and quickly found out that the money they charged would have been much less than the tools i had to purchase as well as the time!

Frank,
Thanks for the tip. I had dressed the edge on some marble for a tub surround, and that, I was able to do, because the marble is a lot softer than the granite. You just saved me some wasted time and money, because I was planning on doing the same for the granite. I guess with the right equipment, it is easy for them to quickly turn it out.

[frank shic]

bob, the worst part is sanding each edge from 50 grit all the way up to 3000. you have to go through EIGHT different sanding wheels and it takes FOREVER and gets really messy unless you happen to have a grinder that has a built-in water pump!