Solid wood countertops for kitchens
Granite and simulated stone have become popular countertop options in recent years and while these tops require very little maintenance, they are not exactly as beautiful as wood. Wood countertops add a natural warmth and comfort to a kitchen. Are they expensive? Yes, depending on the type of wood. But bear in mind that these tops are easily restored, look gorgeous and add value to a home.
Before settling on wood countertops you need to be clear in your mind about whether the area you’re setting up is specifically for cutting and chopping or for food preparation that doesn’t involve knives.
One note about wood countertops is that you need to be on the alert for people who aren’t sensitive to the differences and may start slicing bagels in the middle of your beautiful walnut countertop.
Cutting boards and chopping blocks exist for good reason: They get scratched and dinged and acquire a well-worn look from hard use so that your other surfaces do not. Make sure anyone in your kitchen with a knife in his or her hand understands where the approved-for-chopping area is.
A sealed wood finish is essentially water-proof and stain-proof and requires little or no maintenance. Whether the effect is accomplished with varnish, polyurethane, or sealer, these countertops are not intended as workspaces. If you’re going to slice and dice, you have to have an oil-finished block instead of a sealed block.
A natural oil finish is safe for direct knife work but requires cleaning and oiling on a regular basis. You will find many chefs who prefer to use butcher-block counters for preparing and serving food - with cutting and chopping being done on a separate board of the same material. Wood surfaces are cleaned with a green scrubber sponge dipped in soap and water (removing stains with a capful of bleach per litre of water) before putting on rubber gloves and working in mineral oil.
Unsealed wood counters can be sanded to eliminate gouges, burn marks, or serious stains, though sanding is not recommended, much less required, for general maintenance. The surface should be reoiled after sanding.
Never put hot pots and pans down on a wood surface; always use a trivet or hot pad, regardless of the finish.
If you are thinking of having wood countertops installed in a kitchen, as about 'End Grain'. End-grain refers to the vertical grain orientation of the wood within the chopping block and it is much denser than edge-grain - or (horizontal - wood, so it can take lots of knife action. It’s also kinder to knife blades, because you’re cutting with the grain instead of against it. And end-grain blocks can be lovely to look at.
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Contrary to what many people think about wood counters (or wood cutting boards, for that matter), if they’re well cared for, they don’t absorb or harbor any more bacteria than harder surfaces do. Studies have shown that wood has natural antibacterial properties. The key to a sanitary kitchen is cleaning and moisturizing the counter. If wood is properly treated and maintained, it doesn’t really absorb the odours and stains the way it would if it were dry.
Oiling is important, and for the first two weeks, you want to oil unsealed work surfaces regularly. Once the oil has penetrated, the counters require little maintenance, though you still need to be wary of standing water, which is wood’s enemy.
An endless variety of looks can be achieved with wood counters, as the material’s natural colourations allow most designers to use wood without staining it. Natural variations that occur in wood allow clients to choose a material that suits their design aesthetic, and finishing the counter in a certain way will really drive its appearance.
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