We just installed a walnut bar counter downstairs and used pure tung oil cut with citrus solvent as we did in the kitchen with the cherry counters. On that, I believe they needed a month to cure. I know our walnut counter, which I finished oiling a week ago (it took five coats) is still not fully cured. That surface, definitely beads water, and still does 7 years later in the kitchen, and i've only done a one coat re-oil one time on those.

Our floors are waterloxed, white oak. The water droplets on the floor do not stand, they soak in, then disappear eventually. Our waterloxed floors have never beaded the way the counters with the pure tung oil do. Our floors were also never oily, from the very beginning. Our floor finishers told us to stay away for a few days, which we did, then all was well. Nor did they ever look dry.

My husband just made a walnut vanity for a friend's powder room which he waterloxed. It's perfectly smooth feeling, and not remotely oily from the moment it went in, a few days after the waterlox coats (three of them) were completed. I'll try to find out from her if water is beading around her vessel sink.

There are others here who did waterlox on the counters and I'm sure they can help more than I can....

We haven't had any of that so far with our island. It is very smooth. Water beads, but I haven't done an overnight test. I would call Waterlox. They know their product extremely well and will guide you in the right direction!

(800) 321-0377 info@waterlox.com

Check out the FAQs on the Waterlox website. The water ring thing is ringing a bell. But the oiliness and roughness sound all wrong to me. Does the fabricator frequently work with Waterlox? It sounds like something wasn't done correctly.

I would simply call your contractor and the fabricator and have them come out and take a look at it. Was the finish smooth and oil-free when it first arrived with the three coats applied by your fabricator?

As a woodworker I have worked with Waterlox quite a bit. While tung oil is a component of the mixture, it is basically a varnish that should harden to a solid finish that is resistant to casual water exposure. The tung oil just helps with adding "depth" to the wood. Water should bead and the wood should not look "dried out".

The counters should have been very smooth to the touch when you received them. If they are rough-feeling it is possible they weren't sanded smooth enough before the shop applied the Waterelox. This might lead to more open pores that allow water to sink in more easily. Also, walnut has fairly open pores so it is quite possible they did not apply enough coats to properly fill the pores.

Regardless of the cause, something wasn't done properly by the fabricator. You counters are not performing properly and the problem should be addressed by the contractor.

I agree with hobbesct. People are often misled by the Waterlox "tung oil" ingredient to believe that this is a pure oil finish, when in reality it's boiled down and functions just like a regular varnish. It dries to a very hard lacquerlike coating that looks a lot like an oil polyurethane in that it brings out the depth of the wood very nicely.

Having also worked quite a lot with both Waterlox and various oils in my own wood finishing, my suspicion would be that the fabricator/finisher somehow mistook Waterlox for pure tung oil, and applied real tung oil instead of the Waterlox product. This would fully account for the oily spots and roughness. Definitely ask them!

Waterlox is wonderful stuff for floors, furniture, trim and counters, but it's a very different look than a pure oil finish. It has a low gloss (satin formula) or high gloss (original formula) with much higher sheen and solid pore coverage than pure oil can provide. Can you take a photo?

Circuspeanut, it had occurred to me as well that they may have put oil on the counters instead of Waterlox. That would explain the lack of water resistance and the rings left behind by the glass. That would also explain their instructions to have the homeowner add a coat after installation. Having the owner add a coat of oil is a common requirement for oiled finishes. But adding a coat of Waterlox to already-finished surfaces is not something that would be typically performed by homeowners.

I suspect the counters are oiled but not coated with Waterlox.

No, it wouldn't. My counters with tung oil are completely water resistant. Water beads and sits and evaporates into white dust over night which wipes right off.

Now, my oiled counters have several coats, not three. Perhaps if they used tung oil and only did a couple of coats, maybe. Also, my counters aren't rough so that's got nothing to do with tung oil. Sounds like a crap sanding job to me.

What you have absolutely doesn't sound like Waterlox applied correctly. I do believe they used some kind of oil. But there is a big difference between specifying "Waterlox" and specifying "tung oil". I don't care if there's tung oil in it. If that's what you asked for then you should have gotten Waterlox.

By way of comparison to circuspeanut's gorgeous counters, here are mine shortly after we moved into the new kitchen:

And here they are seven years later (and they've only been re-oiled once in that time, as in one coat. And that was at least four years ago, it's time to do it again):

The seal is hard and glossy and practically impermeable.

Frankly I find the tung oil finish to be more durable than the Waterlox on the floor (but okay to be fair, the 80 lbs Golden Retriever bundle of love doesn't walk on the counter).

My point is that the roughness is not a factor of the tung oil (if that is what they used) nor is the water problem (unless they didn't do enough coats).

I can't remember how long it took these oiled counters to cure. I'm guessing at least two weeks. Since then, I wash them down with Mrs. Meyer's soap, which contains lavender and orange oils. Whether or not that has had a positive benefit on them I do not know. But clearly it didn't hurt.

Your counters were definitely not done as you requested. But you can't go wrong with either Waterlox (done correctly) or with pure tung oil (done over many coats and with much patience so it can cure properly).

I have self-applied Waterlox on alder and it turned into a smooth surface where water (coffee, red wine, beer, spaghetti sauce, etc.) spots bead up until they dry up or I wipe them off.

It sounds like your tops were not treated with real waterlox, OR you have been using something on them (most counter cleaners) that has turned the finish soft and non-resistant.

I just use a damp cloth on mine.

This is a long shot but Waterlox has a very short shelf life once opened if air space is left in the container. VERY short.
Perhaps your fabricator tried to use a previously opened container or didn't remove the air from the can they used to do your sample?

Thanks so much for all of your comments. I am almost sure that I am not dealing with Waterlox. The fabricator sent a container (unmarked) of what I thought to be waterlox in order for me to do the final application. it is very thin and oily and still very liquid after two months. This is not looking promising...
I'll let you know what happens :-/

It certainly appears you don't have Waterlox in that container. Waterlox does not appear very thin and oily, and it would have definitely skinned over after two months. As gbsim mentioned it starts to dry immediately once unsealed. If yours doesn't even have a skin of partially cured finish on top it is definitely not Waterlox.

Regardless of which finish was used on your counters though, they still shouldn't feel rough to the touch. It appears there is more of a problem here than just the applied finish.

This is a long shot but Waterlox has a very short shelf life once opened if air space is left in the container. VERY short.

It turns to jello, then a gummy solid in the can ... should harden in a few hours if wiped onto a surface.

Whatever they sent you is not Waterlox ... you need to have a chat with them, because they goofed.

The stuff in the can sounds like a pure oil, either tung or linseed. An easy way to check is to pour some on a piece of glass and let dry. If it's wrinkled when dry it's an oil. If it's smooth and tough then it's a varnish or poly.

Pure tung oil has a very strong, distinctive nut smell. Almost overpowering, imho. There's no mistaking it for anything else. Never smelled linseed oil, though. Both tung and linseed are fairly dark.

Sounds like you have a pure tung or linseed oil finish. Those need to be buffed dry after application. I've never heard of them still being oily enough to transfer weeks after application, however. It's also possible you have a mineral oil finish, which is more prone to drying out than tung/linseed. Mineral oil is pretty light and clear in color, and very thin.

Linsedd oil takes a very lg time to cure (and colects dit the whole rime).

Boiled linseed Oil (AKA 'BLO') has been partially cured in manufacture and hardens better, but still takes a rather long time.

Rushing coats of either, or applying them to thickly, leaves a sticky mess behind that sometimes never hardens.

Just about any varnish should have skinned over in a partial container after a few months.

Sounds like a straight oil.
Some of them never harden well without driers being added.

That doesn't sound like tung oil in your can. Tung oil is not thin, it's quite thick, and it doesn't separate. chiefniell is right, it's dark, and it has a very distinctive scent.

Thanks for all of your input.
I've discovered what was in the container that came along with my countertop - mineral oil. Which explains why the countertops have not performed up to my expectations. After talking to my contractor and the fabricator, I believe the breakdown in communication was with the office staff of the contractor who actually placed the order for the top. They did not specify a waterlox finish that I had emphatically requested. So...my contractor has agreed to refinish the tops himself with waterlox.
During this discovery process, I talked to the man who owns the company that made my countertops. He said the process to re-do the finish would be to go over the wood with mineral spirits a couple of times to draw out the oil as much as possible (I have not added any more oil). Go over the wood with a fine grit sandpaper to smooth the roughness and then proceed with the waterlox application. One coat per day.
Can anyone who has experience with this process give me advice? Will these steps be enough to get a professional finish on the tops? I am disappointed that I will not be able to finish the undersides of the counters because they are already bolted down to the cabinets. I am afraid that may cause problems down the road.
Any input from experienced users of waterlox would be greatly appreciated!!

He's going to refinish them in place? That sounds like a laborious process for you as well as him. I'd think he'd remove and take them to a shop, then he can do both sides, as he should. And he should put some plywood down for temp counters for you while he's refinishing your tops as they should have been originally.

We were told to use a wet rag to wipe over the bare butcher block to raise the grain then sand it down and continue this process until the grain didn't raise before applying the waterlox to get a smooth finish. As opposed to just sanding and applying the waterlox. This has been a great method for us and I was so thankful to learn it because I can tell from our test piece what a difference it made.

You do not want to have them finished in place, Waterlox is a great finish, but it STINKS. Even after it is cured the countertops will still smell pretty strong for a few weeks.

uhhhhh since its been over 6 years.....the OP probably had them refinished already :)

This is obviously an old post, but I'm chiming in for the sake of any new readers. For whatever it's worth, the Waterlox website recommends doing the last coat with the countertop in place.

https://www.waterlox.com/project-help/guide?id=75e58eb4-f779-4c17-847b-53570d03362e