DIY White Oak Laundry Countertop

In this video, I’ll be doing a laundry room makeover by making a DIY laundry countertop using white oak finished with Rubio monocoat, cotton white. I’ll walk you through milling the lumber, doing the panel glue up, installing supports to the wall studs, finishing with Rubio monocoat, and then installing the top.

A laundry room countertop is a great laundry room update and a great laundry room makeover. It also is a nice surface for folding clothes and prevents things from falling behind the washer and dryer.

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Laser Level- https://amzn.to/3MI7ggy

CA Glue- https://amzn.to/36ezlv2

Rubio Monocoat Cotton White- https://amzn.to/3CELohl

Wood of choice for top

2x4 for wall supports

Wood glue

Clamps

Long screws to attached supports to walls

For this project I had to mill white oak before I could use it. Here is a video I made to explain that process.

Now test fit the glue up to make sure the joints are good. Then apply a nice even coat of glue to the edges and then clamp up using lots of clamps and cowls to make sure the glue up is flat. Some glue should squeeze out of the joints. Let dry overnight.

If you have any knots or cracks, stabilize them with CA glue. Fill the knot or crack with glue, spray with stabilizer, then sand smooth.

Scrap off excess glue with a paint scraper. Then plane the panel flat, checking for flatness along the way. Now sand with a belt sander with 40-80 grit sand paper. Finally, work your way from 60-120 grit sandpaper with an orbital or palm sander.

Water popping raises the grain to allow the the panel to be sanded smoother. It also opens up the grain of the wood to allow more finish to be absorbed.

Spray the panel with water and then let dry completely, then resand with 120 grit sandpaper until smooth.

If the front edge is sharp, add a small roundover with a router to create a softer edge. This will prevent injury or damage to that edge later.

Using a laser level and a pencil, mark out where the bottom of the top will be on the walls. Also mark out the wall stud locations. Using your reference line, install 2x2 supports with long screws into the wall studs. Use at least 2 screws per support, 3 if you can. Then add rubber cushion pads to reduce vibration and to prevent the top from sliding around.

Measure the front, middle and back of the wall where the top will be. The walls are more than likely not square, so the numbers might be different. Now, cut the top to length using a circular saw with a straight edge, or a track saw. The top should be about 1/4" shorter than your measurements. You may need to test fit and remove another 1/8" or so to make it fit properly.

Now apply your finish of choice. I used Rubio monocoat, cotton white. For this finish, clean the top with mineral spirits or Rubio cleaner. Then mix the hardener and finish per the Rubio's instructions. Then pour finish onto the table and spread evenly. Then work into the surface with a white abrasive pad. Finally wipe off the excess finish and let dry for 7 days.

Now install your countertop and enjoy your functional laundry room makeover!