wooden kitchen counter tops

[petra_29]

Do you have these? Are you happy with them? Do they take a lot of maintenance (oiling etc) to keep them looking good. Any thoughts welcomed to help me in my countertop material decision....

[Tarot]

Formica.

[Senor Chevalier]

Yep - not a bad option for the money and they do look good but they used to look better and the sink area has got a bit soggy. It all starts with good intentions, but sooner or later they get wet and / or burn marks and over time they just don't look as good.

Good intentions don't last and I can't maintain the completely fastidious approach needed to keeping them clean and dry so I'm going for something more robust on the next kitchen. Corian or Stainless Steel would be my picks, but then they are a lot more pricey.

[Tarot]

Yes I agree,you cant always rely on people using a cutting board,too much agro.

I like these new steel type splash backs in steel, but dont know where to get them,they are probably dear as well.

But I guess if you want a good hygenic kitchen. we will have to save for it ,

If a jobs worth doing and all that.

[Willard]

We used this place for steel splashback, pretty good value:

http://www.kitchen-surplus.co.uk/

We have a walnut work top and its been fine keeping it in good condition.

[Tarot]

Thanks Willard.thats useful.

walnut sounds neat.

[petra_29]

Thanks all. Very useful. I like the look but wonder (in all truthfulness) how much time I am prepared to dedicate to oiling my worktops. Granite might win after all.

[Alec John Moore]

We went for granite when we put in our new kitchen recently having had wooden worktops from IKEA previously. The granite is fab and practical. We got it from Diapol and the service and price were both excellent. There is a cost calculator on their website.

[Guest]

Picking up on Senor Chevalier's comment, I inherited some in the past and found that the soggy bits had a tendency to develop mould or mildew which wasn't helpful as with me it can occasionally trigger an asthma attack. Probably sounds a bit far-fetched but you might want to take it into account if anyone in your family has asthma. Didn't like the way the oil tended to end up on my work clothes either, but that's probably just me being cack-handed.

Granite's nice if you like baking as you can use it to roll out pastry on.

[Mick Mac]

Have have had oak worktops for 5 years and are like new with oiling only annually. 1 inch thick oak blocks. No problems to report.

[Tarot]

oak must be expensive.

Had a marble top once, but it developed a green mould,and it had to go.

[aspidistra]

I have solid oak block worktops.

Lovely. Yes, you need to look after them a bit more, but frankly not a lot (and I'm not a very careful person but they still survive).

If you have any accidents, you can always sand the spot a bit before next time you oil. I oil once a year.

[Sue]

I'm probably going for wood in my kitchen, probably oak, but will be distressing it before oiling.

Delighted with the new wood worktop I have in my bathroom, though early days.

But I agree there's a balance to be struck between appearance and practicality. Depends whether you're trying to create a space you love being in, or just somewhere to prepare and cook food, I guess.

If you love being in a room with non-wood, very practical, minimal care needed worktops, that would be the ideal option of course :))

ETA: I was googling last night, and there's quite a few DIY and other forums discussing the pros and cons of various materials for worktops, and also the best oil to use on wooden worktops.

Quite a variation of opinion though, as I guess you would expect :)

[Willard]

Doesn't wood have natural anti-bacterial qualities too? Another good quality...

[Jeremy]

Oak worktops aren't expensive. Maybe ?300-?400 for a decent 4 metre length.

They won't stay perfect, and they will pick up marks - e.g. small burn marks and stains from dark liquids. But that doesn't really bother me, and they could probably be sanded out anyway. You need to oil them now and again to stop water damage, but it doesn't take long.

[Huggers]

Ive got wooden tops but I don't think Ive oiled them. What should I use?

[Sue]

Forum discussions seem to favour either Danish Oil (by a reputable maker such as Rustins) or Tung Oil, however the latter is not suitable if you have a nut allergy.

I believe Danish Oil is a mixture of Tung Oil and Linseed Oil, but I might be wrong about that. So possibly also an allergy risk?

You do need to oil them to prevent water damaging them. Also if water seeps in you may get black mould, which is a potential health hazard as well as being unsightly.

ETA: There's also discussion about the merits of a quick drying oil over something that dries less quickly but soaks in further and hence gives greater protection to the wood

[Senor Chevalier]

My recommendation for your wooden counter tops is a natural hardwax vegetable-derived oil called Polyx made by Osmo. Totally organic and hypoallergenic if that's a concern. Easy to apply with a brush, roller or just wipe on and polish with a cotton rag and always gives a fantastic finish.

http://www.osmouk.com/osmopolyx.cfm?chapter=29

Personally, I'd always go for the satin rather than the gloss finish.

[Sue]

I'm in no way an expert, but many of the posters on the other forums don't seem to rate hardwax, can't remember why without lots more googling :)

[Saffron]

Our wooden worktops have a hardwearing varnish -- they don't require oiling. The area around the sink does look like it could do with light sanding and revarnish, but it's been this way for a couple years and not gotten any worse. Otherwise the wood looks nice, makes the kitchen feel really 'warm'.

[Pearson]

Sue Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I'm in no way an expert, but many of the posters

> on the other forums don't seem to rate hardwax,

> can't remember why without lots more googling :)

____________________________________________________

It is due in part to the fact that a hardwax is a 'surface' treatment.

Whereas an oil will impregnate the timber thus providing deeper

protection that of course is less likely to wear away as a result

of abrasive cleaning etc.

(It is also easier to apply to raw timber as it's a liquid)

Oil would normally require 3 coats initially,

then as already mentions an annual coat.

[Tarot]

Sounds like a form of french polishing,not for lazy people then.

[Sue]

Saffron, hopefully your worktop will be fine varnished, but one of the websites I looked at says this:

"At Diydoctor we have received many questions asking which varnish should be used to re-vamp a wooden kitchen worktop?The answer is NONE !

Timber worktops should be prepared without any application that is likely to chip or crack. This will harbour germs and become extremely unhygienic in no time."

I can't say whether or not the above is true, but I haven't seen varnishing actually recommended anywhere for a kitchen worktop.

[ClareC]

We have oak, the builder Danish oiled them something like 6 times after installing, we have redone them twice since..... Have had then 18 mths and they are in pretty good condition still although do need to be reoiled.

My old house had granite which was easier, however, it's not as hardwearing as it's made out to be!! You also suffer smears!!

[Huggers]

Ive just danish oiled mine and it looks fantastic folks!