How to repair a damaged area on your solid wood desk top

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Our solid wood desk tops are oiled or waxed as standard and so they have a degree of water resistance, however we do not water proof our tops with polyurethane or similar (adding a plastic coating to the top is a departure from the natural look and feel most of customers want). This type of additional finish might be a good option for your desk top though; it is easy to apply later, and comes with many different texture and sheen options, most are easy pour-on solutions.

With our standard oil finished tops, you can have the best of both worlds. With a few quick and easy steps, you can maintain your top whilst retaining the natural solid wood look and feel.

What you will need:

PPE you deem necessary – mask for dust, gloves, eye protection.
2 lint free cloths.
1 application sponge.
Extra fine sand paper (optional spec: P320 foam backed)
Mylands Wood Finishing Oil or the same oil that your top is finished with if different from standard (i.e. teak, Belgium grey etc)
You can buy all these things in a handy kit here, once purchased they will last you for years.

Step 1: Don’t panic!

Here we have a spot of water that was not wiped off the top quick enough. It is clearly a bit lighter than the surrounding oak colour. Use a microfibre cloth to remove any dust from the area.

Step 2: Sand back the affected area

Using only very light pressure sand back the water stained area until you can’t see it, or it is very faint. Don’t worry about sanding back a large area, or feel the need to lean into the wood; the sand paper should do the job for you.

Step 3: Prepare the surface for the oil

Wipe away all the loose material from the sanded area. You shouldn’t really be able to see where the stain was. If it is still very visible, continue sanding.