An oak kitchen overhauled down to the last u-bend
The project at a glance
- The challenge
- Five worktops with a failing finish, seals at the end of their life
- The timber
- Glued laminated oak, two new tops 40 mm thick
- The finish
- Two-pass sanding, hard sealer, two coats of polyurethane varnish
- The result
- A sound, watertight kitchen, with no other tradesman needing to come back
Restore what could be restored, replace what had to be replaced
In the kitchen of their barn, mid-renovation, the owners showed me tired worktops in : a failing finish that no longer protected the wood, and above all plumbing connections and seals that were no longer sound. Rather than replace everything, I sorted. The big top on the central island and two secondary tops, sound at the core, deserved to be sanded and re-varnished in place. The two sink tops, too far gone, were replaced with new.
Sand, seal, varnish: a finish that lasts in a kitchen
Everything we kept got the same sequence: sanding in two passes, one coat of hard sealer to block the oak's tannins, then two coats of . The two new tops, in glued laminated oak 40 mm thick, were made with their sink cut-outs then treated to the same standard. The end result: a warm, even shade across the whole kitchen, and a surface ready to take the water of everyday life.
The detail that was not on the plan: the sink wastes and the u-bends
The quote (the French devis) covered removing the sinks and refitting them. At refitting time, one finding: three of the sink wastes in place were faulty, a quality defect in the original equipment. Refitting them as they were meant guaranteeing a leak to come. I offered to replace them outright, u-bends included, with quality parts, and while I was at it I overhauled the waste pipes and water feeds that showed defects, then redid all the seals. That is how I work: take the job through to the end, wood and plumbing included, so the client has nothing to manage and no other tradesman has to come back after me.
This project was run in coordination with Florian Balzac (FB Agencement), a partner joiner. And this kitchen is only one part of this Campan barn's story: the ground floor's oak flooring has been completely restored, and the upstairs floor followed. More projects to discover here.
"A huge thank you to Tom Klein! We are delighted with his work. The result is superb. Hats off to how well he listens. He guided us through our choices all the way through the project. He is a very serious craftsman, deeply involved and passionate about his trade. We recommend him wholeheartedly! We will be turning to Agencement Klein again, that is certain!"
The questions I often get asked
Is a wooden worktop sensible around a sink? Varnish or oil in a kitchen? Can you replace a worktop without changing the units? How long does a well-made finish last?
I have practical answers to all of that, and an article to dig deeper: which worktop for your kitchen. For your specific case, call me: the quote is free.
Tired worktops or a kitchen to rethink?
Tell me about your kitchen: the state of the wood, the areas that suffer, what you would like. I tell you what can be restored and what should be replaced, and I give you a clear price. I speak English, so feel free to call or write in English.
More projects
The oak floor of a Campan barn, set free then brought back to new
