Last Saturday I woke at a friend’s house feeling rather lethargic and not quite so together – self-inflicted from a late night – my hair was a mess and I looked quite the character in my red reindeer pyjama bottoms (they’re my partners so no judging please!). I walked out onto the landing and came face to face with my friend who looked pretty similar to myself! “Tea?!” We mumbled at each other and with a mutual nod we staggered on down the stairs. Kettle boiled and brew in hand we started to feel, and look, a little more human. Thoughts turned to our rumbling stomachs and the decision to make scrambled eggs on toast was a no brainer. Ten minutes later all was cooked so I laid the table as she served it onto our dishes. Next thing I know she shouts out in anger – She had placed her hot pan onto her wooden worktop and now, somehow, there was a rather large unsightly mark. Panic stricken she looked at me and wondered what on earth she was going to do. Her lack of knowledge left me wondering about others who have this or similar heart stopping moments and feel clueless as to what to do. In a bid to empower us all for any future ‘mishaps’ I thought I would share some remedies to these occurrence’s that, let’s face it, can’t always be helped…
Generally when surfaces become damaged there is a simple fix. If like my friend, your worktop becomes scratched or marked then the top can be sanded down. This will remove the scratches or marks. Finish with a re-oil and your work top will be restored to its original splendor. What we need to remember is that timber is a natural product – that’s what makes it so unique and beautiful – however a consequence of this is that over time it may be prone to slight movement. For example, small cracks may appear. This may induce concern but really it is nothing to worry about as they can be easily treated using hard wax fillers. Hard wax is available in many different shades so you will be able to find one that suits your worktop or, if you’re feeling brave, you can melt different shades of wax to achieve an exact color match! Once you have the correct wax, apply it directly to the area by gently rubbing it against the grain of the wood. Once applied into the relevant crack, using either wire wool or sandpaper, gently rub the filled area back before re-oiling the affected area. This method can also be used for any pesky chips or dents that may also appear.
If you are ever unsure of what to do you are more than welcome to give us a call at Norfolk Oak. Not only will we be able to guide you through the process but if you have any individual worktop issues photos can be sent into ourselves and we can advise accordingly. Furthermore we have demonstration videos on our website that also provide help.
So you see, between us all, we have a wealth of knowledge so that when these moments strike we are fully prepared and able to tackle the issue ourselves without panicking too much! My friend and I managed to resolve her worktop issues pretty quickly so when her partner arrived home that evening and asked us if we’d managed to stay out of trouble all day we were able to giggle and say “Of course” before exchanging a knowing wink at each other. The worktop looked as good as new and now no one would ever know what happened, well, except for us of course!
The adventure of life is to learn, What
will you learn next?
