Wood Tops are All the Rage!

October 14, 2009

In recent years, wood and butcher block counter tops have made a come back.  These countertops are not like the ones that you grew up with, they are new and improved.  Well, I can't say "new" since they have been used for hundreds of years, but, what is new is that they come in a variety of standard and exotic wood species.  Most people relate butcher block with maple since that has been the most used wood for this purpose.  Now, you can tailor your wood top to match or blend with your cabinets and other countertops.  Other wood species to consider are walnut, cherry, oak and for more of a punch, check out teak, bamboo, wenge, mahogany, zebrawood, eucalyptus, bubinga, rosewood and more (see pics below)...  There are three different applications for the construction of these wood tops, end grain, edge grain and flat grain.  To learn more about this, go to www.glumber.com which is the Grothouse Website, the leading company in quality wood tops.

Iroko Wood Top  

Mahogany Wood Top

Wenge Wood Top    

In the past, the maple butcher blocks that most of us are familiar with, they didn't hold up that well.  The reason for this is that a top coat varnish was applied in an effort to protect the wood, however, this top coat would break down in time with knife cuts and burns.  Once the varnish is penetrated, it opens a wound in which water, food and dirt can seep in which can be destructive to the look and function of the top.  The secret to a long lasting beautiful wood countertop is to not put any top coat finish on it, simply oil it with mineral oil.  Some people think this is a drawback, but I have a wood top in my kitchen and it's a simple and quick process - certainly well worth the look.  If a knife should cut it or a burn occur, simply lightly sand it and then oil it again.  It's important to continue oiling the top every couple of months or so, this helps the wood to stay healthy and less penetrable to liquids.  In contrast to what you may have heard about wood being unsafe because it's being porous which may lend itself to absorbing or holding onto germs, the reality is that wood is very safe.  It still has it's natural enzymes in the wood which actually breaks down food particles almost overnight, a fact that few people know about!

 Walnut Wood Top

 

Teak Wood Top

 

Cherry  Wood Top

 

There is a furniture finish called "Durata" that can be applied to the counter, this finish will resist any and all water, but, it can show scratches.  This finish is best used on a counter surface which will not be in an area of heavy use, perhaps on a table, a desk or an accent area.

Visit the Grothouse Lumber design gallery to see the many options that are available for your new wood top.  Make sure to use a reputable Kitchen Designer to create the design around this wonderful material. 

Comments

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There's something about wood countertops that make a kitchen feel more "homey" and relaxing. The cherry wood is incredible.

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