Pallet Wood Redo In the Bathroom

When it came time to redo our bathroom floor and counter top, we turned to our tried-and-true material: wood. We chose pallet wood - hard wood from pallets. We covered the floor and counter top with beautiful, warm wood. We made our own wood putty by combining sawdust - from the same wood - and wood glue. For the finish, we used tung oil - another one of our favorites because it's a natural product and easy to use.

When it came time to sand the wood, we fired up two sanders and went at it in a marathon session! We were covered in sawdust!! 

These last two photos show Bill and I taking a breather - literally: we had to exit the bathroom to get our breath back! 

Wood Counter Top: Kitchen

Every time I choose a project to write about for this blog, I think, 'Oh, that was my favorite project!' And if all  the projects are my favorites, this is my VERY favorite! No, really! 

When we moved into this house, most things were functional and functioning but outdated. The counter tops were no exception. The kitchen counter top was gold-flecked yellow Formica. The speckles were worn off in spots, but the counter top served us well for about two years, till we could come up with something more comely....

Before we redid the counter top in the kitchen, I redid the back splash - with burlap and copper paint. 

When Bill planed boards from a barn someone gave him, he found some hard wood in with the pine that made up most of the barn. So he set those boards aside. We both wanted to find a project that would allow us to use and enjoy that beautiful, old hard wood. Then one day it occurred to me that we could cover the kitchen counter top with that hard wood. Before I presented the idea to my husband, though, I had to work out all the details; otherwise he would poo-poo the idea. 

One of Bill's protestations, when I presented the wooden counter top idea to him was, 'We'd have to pull out the sink!' I had an answer for that: Apply the wood up over the lip/edge of the sink. I was able to give him answers for all of his concerns, and the project was soon afoot. 

We filled the spaces between the boards with home-made putty: I mixed sawdust with wood glue. We glued and screwed the boards in place.

We eventually made trim boards in the same hard wood, using a router. The question we get from nearly everyone, when they first see our counter top is, 'What did you use to finish it?' Tung oil is my answer. It's a shellac that is non-toxic and easy to use. We add another layer of tung oil from time to time: we wash down the counter top and spread the tung oil on with a rag; it takes @ 8 hours to dry. 

This house has a full kitchen in the basement. We eventually used wood to redo the counter top in the basement. But that's another story for another day.

Hope all is well at your house. 'Bye for now.