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I renovated my laundry last year and used the laminated beech timber panel from Bunnings for my benchtop….did it all from scratch and coated it with Cabot’s clear poly….anyway long story short I had to sand back once I’d installed the tap as had some minor damage when cutting the hole for my tap 🤦🏻♀️
I’ve decided to replace the tap now so thought I’d remove the sink and redo the benchtop again….so I sanded back with 240 grit sandpaper using an orbital sander and then recoated with the Cabot’s poly again (new tin) but not I have patches where this is happening? Any idea why? I keep resending it back but it happens each time 🤯😫
Hello @melro
Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's fantastic to have you join us, and thank you for sharing your question about your benchtop.
This particular phenomenon often happens when trapped moisture is painted over. Odds are there is heavy moisture trapped in those parts of the benchtop and when you paint over them the polyurethane turns white or opaque. I suggest sanding the benchtop one more time and letting it breath for a few days to allow the moisture to escape. If you want to accelerate the process, you can use a hair dryer but don't use a heat gun as it will burn the surface of the benchtop.
If you're having a few days of rain, I suggest holding off on painting and wait for sunny weather. Another source of trapped moisture is your brush or roller. These painting tools must be left out in the sun to totally dry off. Make sure that the windows and doors are open to allow good air circulation in the room.
Please remember to wear personal protection such as gloves, goggles and a paint mask when using Cabot's Polyurethane.
If you need further assistance, please let us know.
Eric
Hi @melro,
I thought I'd also add my experience. As you'd know, this product is opaque and goes on a milky colour. All of the areas in your photo that are still milky appear to be lower, indicating that the bench top is not perfectly flat. You can see where the product is sitting in the rough grain of the timber. These lower sections hold a thicker amount of the product and have not fully cured, unlike the flat section that would have only got a thin coat. I'd recommend you leave the bench for another few days, and I think you'll see things improve.
It's likely a combination of what @EricL has suggested with the humidity and that there is more product in these areas. The point of my comment is that I just wanted to point out that unless you sand the bench perfectly flat, you'll likely experience the same issue again. My recommendation would be to do several thin coats after sanding and not a couple of thick coats. I always get the milky look when I lay on too much product.
Please keep us updated on your project and reach out if you need further assistance.
Mitchell
