jud dinsmore
08-27-2009, 8:57 PM
i built a vanity top for a customer in florida and these spots - see pics - have started to develop and i'm looking for some help.
the top is jatoba with waterlox original finish. i put 5 or 6 coats on and everything looked perfect when it left the shop. this top was finished in april but has only been in service for less than three months. the homeowner first noticed the large spot behind the faucet after being out of town for two weeks. the other small spots have developed since he first notified me about two to three weeks ago. worst yet, these small spots are develping all over the place - on the vertical rim of the side wall of the undermount sink and on the back splashes and window stools. these seem like unlikely spots to get wet regularly and the homeowner thinks it is water that is doing the damage.
the top is composed of two wide boards but the stools are different pieces as is the backsplash. overall, the wood top jatoba came from a different supplier than the stools and splashes.
also note worthy, i finished two other jatoba vanity tops around the same time (april). both were finished in waterlox and in the same way and no problems with either one of them. i'm also pretty sure that one or both used the same can of finish, so i think i can rule out a bad batch of finish.
the homeowner feels pretty certain that it is water sitting on the surface that is causing these spots. he's recently reported leaving a droplet on the top for 48 hours and after wiping it up he noticed that the outer ring of the droplet stained the top. i've been torturing a sample piece in the shop with water, liquid soap, and suntan lotion (shop essentials). so far, i cannot get anything to imitate what the homowner is getting.
to update my posting from another site - i've been in touch with waterlox (very, very responsive) and they say salt spray will take 4-6 months to breakdown the finish and it will mess up the sheen. she (waterlox) thinks that it has to be some sort of bleach that would be able to affect the finish immediately. i haven't had a chance to test this yet.
any thoughts?
the top is jatoba with waterlox original finish. i put 5 or 6 coats on and everything looked perfect when it left the shop. this top was finished in april but has only been in service for less than three months. the homeowner first noticed the large spot behind the faucet after being out of town for two weeks. the other small spots have developed since he first notified me about two to three weeks ago. worst yet, these small spots are develping all over the place - on the vertical rim of the side wall of the undermount sink and on the back splashes and window stools. these seem like unlikely spots to get wet regularly and the homeowner thinks it is water that is doing the damage.
the top is composed of two wide boards but the stools are different pieces as is the backsplash. overall, the wood top jatoba came from a different supplier than the stools and splashes.
also note worthy, i finished two other jatoba vanity tops around the same time (april). both were finished in waterlox and in the same way and no problems with either one of them. i'm also pretty sure that one or both used the same can of finish, so i think i can rule out a bad batch of finish.
the homeowner feels pretty certain that it is water sitting on the surface that is causing these spots. he's recently reported leaving a droplet on the top for 48 hours and after wiping it up he noticed that the outer ring of the droplet stained the top. i've been torturing a sample piece in the shop with water, liquid soap, and suntan lotion (shop essentials). so far, i cannot get anything to imitate what the homowner is getting.
to update my posting from another site - i've been in touch with waterlox (very, very responsive) and they say salt spray will take 4-6 months to breakdown the finish and it will mess up the sheen. she (waterlox) thinks that it has to be some sort of bleach that would be able to affect the finish immediately. i haven't had a chance to test this yet.
any thoughts?