Walnut Vanity - Finishes

5 years ago

Hello, I am remodeling a bathroom and having a custom vanity made. My carpenter is asking if I want a sealer added (of course I do) but I am hesitant to have him add it or do it myself (meaning my contractor husband).

My husband and I have zero experience working with walnut and we don't want to ruin it. I think it is beautiful as is and I absolutely love seeing the grain and the contrast between the light and darker colors in the walnut. I know that once we add the finish, the wood will darken and I am okay with that but I do tend to favor the light and dark contrast and am not so concerned with with blending the two colors in. I have read a lot of blog posts and watched videos and much of what I read or see talk about blending the sapwood and heartwood whereas, I like the contrast.

Based on my research so far, I am leaning towards using a waterlox but I still have no experience with what brand, how many coats, etc. I called the lumber yard where we purchased the wood and the owner suggested I use a sealer (clear) to protect it and then a satin (clear) finish but didn't specify what brands, sanding in between, etc.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. The simpler the process the better. We'd prefer a matte finish and are going for a more modern/industrial look. The vanity will be used in our bathroom so it needs to be protected from water.

Thank you!

This is my vanity in progress. The last picture is what the person building it offered to put on it.

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Comments (13)

suezbell
5 years ago
There are oils intended for boat hulls that might be worth considering. If you decide to take on this project yourself, no matter what you try, do some tests on a part of the unit that will be less visible and let it dry before you decide to do the entire piece.
suezbell
5 years ago
Ask the builder of the unit to show you a scrap piece on which he has put the finishing product he suggests you use.
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Jessica Cardenas
Original Author
5 years ago
Great advice. Asking him now!
Beth H. :
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
exactly. have him do a sample for you.

The sanding sealer is just going to lock up the grain. YOu can still use a top coat on top of that.

I've worked with a lot of walnut and have used a satin and semi gloss finish. looks beautiful with the sealer applied.

satin water base^

semi gloss oil base:

I refinished this walnut mcm piece and used general finishes Urethane
Jessica Cardenas
Original Author
5 years ago
So once he uses the sanding sealer to lock the grain, then I would need to apply a sealer on top of that? Loving the first picture with the Satin water base. I like the less shiny finish. Would the satin water base be okay to use for a bathroom vanity?
Beth H. :
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
You could use the satin finish in the bottom one. the urethane wipe on. easy to apply w/a rag. (or have him do it)

I used that one on my walnut block bar top. forgot about this one! I just refinished it a few months ago and used that satin one pictured above. wipe on.

(the scratches are from the cats claws!)

I did a few coats, fine sanding in between. (you can wet sand w/a 600 grit)

the Deft sealer is also nice, but it is a water base brush on. I like the GF one because it's easier to apply w/the rag. no brush marks. and oil tends to hold up a bit better.
suezbell
5 years ago
Beth H. : Each of those is beautifully done.
Nancy in Mich
5 years ago
We used Waterlox on ours.
Jessica Cardenas
Original Author
5 years ago
Love! Any particular brand? How many coats and did you sand in between?
Jessica Cardenas
Original Author
5 years ago
Most likely we will do waterlox too! Most of my research has led me in that direction. The only thing is, I would prefer a more matte finish.
kathylawyer
5 years ago
I am using Rubio oil based stains on my Walnut, fairly new brand.....
Nancy in Mich
5 years ago
I do have one spot, smaller than my pinky fingernail, where something “ate” through the Waterlox and I see bare wood. Since we don’t use harsh cleansers, chemicals, or solvents like fingernail polish remover, we don’t know what caused it. I don’t know if any of your other choices would be more resistant. I think I could possibly aim a drip of Waterlox onto my spot and make it look better. I hear it smells pretty bad, though, so I have not tried it.
Jessica Cardenas
Original Author
5 years ago
I am now thinking tung oil. I've reasearched quite extensively and seen a ton of videos. Once I decide what to do, I'll update here as well as post pictures.