I have the RH herringbone dining table in weathered brown oak. It's beautiful, but unfortunately I had to return the first one that was delivered to me due to a wood chip being bent back and breaking off. Then, I was ever so gently wiping off the next one that was delivered to me when another wood chip bent back causing you to see the natural color of the wood once more. Has anyone had this problem? Will a protective sealer or oil protect the wood from flaking off, or will that simply protect from water stains?

Hi pthaggard,

Did you ever try the General Finishes two part treatment? Please let us know if you're still checking this thread. Thanks!

@pthaggard can you give an update on the Mondern Master finish? I bought a canister but now I’m nervous based on some previous posts.

Has anyone compared Modern Masters Dead Flat to General Finishes Flat out Flat. Need to protect my custom made 100+ year old reclaimed wood table but don't want to change the natural color

Hello,

I compared General Finishes "Flat," "Flat Out Flat," and "satin" on a Restoration Hardware reclaimed oak table (bare wood after sanding). The "Flat" and "Flat Out Flat" seemed equally matte but the "Flat" seemed to have the least effect in terms of changing the color (very minimal). "Flat" also offers more protection than "Flat Out Flat" if that is a factor. See photos above (Kristin, June 28, 2017 post). It was very easy to apply. Haven't tried Modern Masters Dead Flat.

Hello,

I compared General Finishes "Flat," "Flat Out Flat," and "satin" on a Restoration Hardware reclaimed solid white oak table (bare wood after sanding). The "Flat" and "Flat Out Flat" seemed equally matte but the "Flat" seemed to have the least effect in terms of changing the color (very minimal). "Flat" also offers more protection than "Flat Out Flat" if that is a factor. See photos above (Kristin, June 28, 2017 post). It was very easy to apply. Haven't tried Modern Masters Dead Flat.

@jwsargent4 and @Kristin - has held up over the last 2 years for you? I have wanted the Reclaimed Russian oak in the grey wash forever.. finally pulled the trigger, and now I’m a nervous wreck about it!

KCee, Congratulations on your new RH table! Our table has held up beautifully with General Finishes Flat (looks the same after almost two years without any signs of wear or discoloration). Granted, the table hasn't had much use in our formal dining room. We have a second Restoration Hardware table (Salvaged Boatwood Rectangular) in our kitchen nook for everyday. I've been meaning to seal it with the GF Flat, but haven't gotten around to it. We use placemats and are careful and it has held up very well too. You might consider trying out several different sealants on the underside of your table and going from there. Good luck! :)

We use MM dead flat on many of our cerused projects with great results.

Any finish I have seen will not protect from water unless you use apply regularly also...a wax product over a lacquer sealant....or a polyurethane varnish.

If you don't want to change the hue, I'd have a glass company cut a piece of 3/8 inch thick glass to lay on top of it, like they do lacquer finish desks at commercial businesses. Ask them for some felt circles to place under it, so it can breathe or place some pretty crochet small doilies in strategic spacings at the corner and centers....

After that,or instead of that option, go online or find a commercial business that deals in upholstery fabric. There you can purchase a heavy quality piece of CLEAR plastic to use as a 'table cloth' over your table.

You could also place a vinyl tablecloth(one that has a reverse side that is fleece...usually you can find them at places like Target or Family Dollar stores, or anyplace that sells camping supplies or picnic supply departments.

@Kristin - thank you!

I have 2 kids who I am so afraid will not use placemats, etc.

I will definitely try underneath first.

@MS Colours - thank you for responding. I originally decided to go with MM dead flat, but after reading online for 2 days straight, it seems you aren’t supposed to use it on unpainted wood? Is that true? I’m not familiar with cerusing...

@redsilver - thank you also! I have thought about the glass...

After purchasing a RH salvaged trestle table in the natural, we as well realized we had a challenge on our hands with protecting it. We initially thought we had the answer with the 100% tung oil we read about online. We applied it to the bottom of one of the table leaves and excitedly thought our problem was solved. Then we applied the Tung Oil to the top side of the leaf. Yikes! The wood looked charred! So back to the drawing board. We ordered a sample swatch of the wood from RH. We then ordered three products we had read about online: General Finishes Flat Out Flat Topcoat (GF), Modern Masters Dead Flat Varnish (MM), and Saman Flat Mat waterbased varnish. We tried all three products on the wood swatch. The Saman product had more of a sheen than the other two, so we ruled that one out as we were wanting the table to look as close to the way it looked when we received it from RH. The GF and MM looked really close. We decided to try the MM on the bottom of the second table leaf. So far so good, so we then applied it to the top of the leaf...this is where things went terribly wrong with the Tung Oil, so our expectations were low. But it looked great! It did darken the table ever so slightly, but we were pleased with the results so we decided to go for it. We applied three coats of the MM to the top of the actual table, and at this point we are so relieved...we think we've found a way to protect the table while still keeping the look we loved. We've tested it by pouring water and hot sauce on it...both easily wiped up with no change to the table. Phew! What a relief!

la5678 and jwsargent4 and any others who used the GF high performance flat and then flat out flat method, did y'all sand your table lightly before the first coat? If so didn't that change the powdery finish from RH?

i did not do any sanding. I did wipe it down and blow it off with air before applying the product.

We sanded ever so lightly...with corrugated cardboard, a trick from our painter...lightly...

I have the Boulangerie table in natural finish from RH and also applies 100% Tung Oil first to the legs... turned out good then to the table top which is just horrible. Completely altered the colour and left black marks on every indentation. Whatever you do DO NOT USE 100% TUNG OIL on natural salvaged wood. It not only soaks in but also discolours the wood.

I too just purchased a RH table in the salvaged natural pine. It arrives next week. It sounds like the Rubio monocoat gets the most positive votes. For those that have theirs coated with Rubio monocoatt, what do you wipe the table down with. I have an 7 and 8 year old so its bound to get some sticky spills... Also, is it the Rubio monocoatt in Oil Plus 2C? Pure or Natural? Thanks for your feedback in advance!

I'm surprised no one has suggested plain old mineral oil. Its what we use on cutting boards, chopping blocks, etc. food safe, protects against moisture and staining and provides a nearly flat finish. It does take several days to completely dry but leaves a hard durable finish. It wears off after awhile but easy and cheap to reapply.

We didn’t use mineral oil because we were trying to preserve the finish/color of the table as it looked new. The tung oil really darkened the wood and my research showed the mineral oil would do the same.

Amyz....we used the Modern Masters product and we are so happy with the result. It’s been a year and it is so nice to not be worried about the kids spilling their drinks, dripping salsa, etc. It easily wipes down. Can use a wet rag if it gets sticky. If anything, it’s the crumbs that get in the crevices of the table that are harder to get out. We have to get the vacuum out to clear the crumbs out. But that’s seldom needed.

I tried two methods on samples of Restoration Hardware Gray Reclaimed Russian Oak before doing my table.

1. 3 Coats General Finishes High Performance Flat and 1 Coat Flat out Flat

2. 3 Coats of Milk Paint Pure Tung Oil with the first coat being a 50/50 oil/solvent mix

The GF Flat essentially did not change the color and look at all except for a subtle increase in sheen. The final flat out flat coat did blunt that sheen slightly but it added a subtle opacity/whiteness from the matting agents (i.e. did not dry as clear as the flat) which is stated on GF's website. I used compressed air, followed by 3M ultra fine sanding pad, vacuuming, and tack cloth before 1st coat. Lightly sanded using 320 grit sandpaper between coats.

The Tung Oil also looked beautiful but it definitely darkened the wood (made the grain pop) and it looked slightly more wet (less with more steel wool rubbing). It had a lot more sheen than the GF flat. I did nothing before 1st coat of 50/50 mix and then used steel wool lightly between each coat.

Ultimately I did 3 coats of GF High Performance Flat and elected not to do the flat out flat final layer because of the subtle opacity effect.

Extremely Happy with the results. I spoke at length with the owner of a reclaimed wood supply store near me who said there is NO product that changes the appearance less than the GF High performance flat. It dried completely clear.

Does anyone know what the powdery finish is on the RH salvaged wood tables is? Im wondering if I should buy that? For those that have treated their table, did you remove that powdery finish first? Im worried that if I wipe it off it will be ugly orange pine.

I don’t know what it is. But
I do have a finishing suggestion for those who’s table is still unfinished. Osmo. Is a German finish that is used on floors and tables. I had an unfinished maple table made and finished it my self. You wipe it on with a scrubber. It’s completely non toxic and and do it in your house. It’s a combo oil and wax. Some nice restaurants use it, those whose tables look like plain wood, yet don’t stain. Really durable and matte. Can be spot repaired. From Favaris unfinished furniture, and a few other places. There are videos , just find a furniture one, not a floor one.

$6,000 tables the customer must self-finish to protect? Scam of all scams. The person who comes up with an identical finish that can tolerate a toddler will someday be able to purchase all of RH.

Does anyone have any before/after pics of the RH salvaged wood round table in natural using the GF poly/GF flat out flat finishes?

@Kristin hope you will see this but I saw your photos of your beautiful table! What color table was that? The bleached or natural? It turned out stunning!

Thank you! I was lucky to find the table at our local Restoration Hardware outlet store. It was originally the "Brown Oak" color until I sanded it down to the natural wood and refinished with General Finishes flat. It looks almost identical to RH's "Natural" finish. I couldn't be happier with it :) Happy holidays!

Alexandria Reyes, I know it’s been 4 years, but can you please tell me how your RH Natural Salvaged table is holding up with the 3 coats of Modern Masters Dead Flat varnish? Have you had to reapply? Any stains? Is it chipping or flaking at all? I just purchased the same table and best results seem to be with the Modern Masters Dead Flat, but I also read some concerns over that varnish not being suitable for raw wood...or something along those line. I hope you or anyone else that used it on the salvaged natural trestle table will see this and can offer some direction. Thank you in advance, would really appreciate everyone’s help.

Hi! My table has held up perfectly. I haven’t reapplied the MM and we use the table daily.

Thank you so much for your reply! I swear I have read 1000’s of posts about this subject and was starting to wonder if it was a mistake to purchase it!

Isn't "rustic" supposed to LOOK rustic? With all the dings and rings that it will get over the years that provide tons of memories?

Yes, agree. But have you seen the pictures online of this table if something spills on it?? The finish comes right off. I love the table and the style enough to go forward with my purchase, but I am not going to let it sit unused because I’m afraid of ruining it. See picture below...just water. That doesn’t look “rustic” to me... it looks ruined!

Plenty of memories have been made at my rustic table and none have taken the finish off. It still has character too. You’re allowed to want to protect the finish on an insanely priced table!!

I should say....the MM has been amazing but I still do use coasters.... but I am not a fan of rings.

Yes the picture above is accurate. Water ruins the look of these RH tables sadly..just as that photo shows. Not rustic, just ruined. They need protection.

Thank you. I only saw the issues with the finish after I had placed the order. I have seriously been considering cancelling. Do mind me asking how long you have had your table? And if you have time - no biggie if you don’t ; ).. I would love to see a picture of your table. Thank you!

Is there a difference in how protective GF Flat vs MM dead flat are over time? I am also looking for the most protective finish for everyday use with kids. My table it pottery barn toscana in sea drift, which is already a thin finish on top of wood veneer over wood.

I would seriously look at Osmo. Lasts really well, restaurants use it, flat although I went over with polisher and it as a tiny bit of sheen. Spot finishing. Only con, is not cheap.

Easy to do, no fumes or safety issues. Did mine while in the DR, with Osmo.

Does Osmo work over a table with an existing finish? Or does it need to be applied to raw wood? I'm looking to make it easy and avoid sanding first.

Also- which Osmo product did you use?

Hi Heather,

The PB Toscana is a gorgeous table! We used GF flat on our RH table and it's held up well. Our table is solid white oak that we sanded down to bare wood before applying the finish. You may have already done this, but I would consider contacting PB to find out what the "exclusive multi-step" finish is and if it's safe to apply another finish on top (and if so, what type). Because the top is veneer, you don't have as much thickness for sanding down if the finish doesn't turn out as planned. Also, the stain might not be easy to match. Another protective option would be to order a piece of 1/4" or 3/8" glass with finished edges.

Good luck and enjoy your beautiful table!

Best,

Kristin :)

3 coats GF Flat followed by 2 coats GF Flat Out Flat. Ever so slight change in color, ever so slight change in sheen. 100% protection even 2 years later with 3 kids under 9 at home. We have spilled EVERYTHING on it and had no issues. Worth the time, effort and slight change from the factory finish. Would do it again in a heartbeat.

We put a glass over top of ours.

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Looks gorgeous!!! Did you use a roller in between? Did you sand in between finishes? @HU-295383931

I used sponge brushes for all coats and did VERY light sanding between all of them. Like 320+ sandpaper with very light pressure just to help with adherence between coats and remove some of the sheen.

Did you sand before the first coat too? Thank you! @HU-295383931

I did not sand for first coat. It went directly on top of the factory finish.