skip to main content

Kitchen: wood countertops

9 years ago

Hi. I love the look of wood countertops, but would love to know how functional this is in a kitchen. Not even referring to hot pans, but hot plates, cups... Spilled liquids... And meat juices that spills off cutting boards. How do you manage to keep wood clean and fabulous looking?

Thanks!!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

Lorraine Jenkins
9 years ago
I had bamboo work tops in my previous kitchen , they require a lot of oiling and sanding when they are first put in . Then require oiling around every six months , this is not too hard to do , I used to do mine in the evening after finishing using the kitchen as they were ready to go again in the morning .
Personally I wouldn't have wood all over again , perhaps just on an island because they do require looking after and near a sink I think it's pretty impossible to keep it looking fabulous .
As for hygiene , there arnt any issues ( so long as it's oiled ) , just wipe up as you would with any surface . Hot pans are a no no , but I don't remember having a problem with cups , certainly didn't worry when making a cup of coffee . Hope this helps
PRO
Humphrey Munson
9 years ago
Hi there, we always specify a lacquered finish for our oak worktops as the finish is significantly more durable than an oiled wooden worktop. If for example you split some red wine, even if it was left for an amount of time, it would easily wipe clean from a lacquered surface. Whereas with the oiled surface, it would likely damage it. The same goes for grease which is the biggest culprit of stained wooden worktops - things like meat juices as you mention above, will absorb into an oiled worktop.

As with any worktop, even granite, placing hot pans or ovenware directly onto the surface of the worktop will cause some level of damage, typically leaving a scorch mark. Laquered oak worktops can withstand things like cups and mugs of hot drinks where the heat is raised slightly from the surface.

Lastly, we use specialist lacquer for our worktops which give a beautiful sheen, but not a shine. So often you see wooden worktops ruined with a shiny uneven lacquer. Ours are applied in layers and cut back to ensure a even, smooth finish.

If you need any further advice feel free to give us a call.
Related Discussions
kitchen design: choosing cabinets and countertops colors
Q
Comments (17)
Having looked through your idea book, I would say that 70 percent of the pictured have a similar style to them, broadly speaking. Warmer tones, some darker wood / walnut, many of them handleless. As a next step, I would go back to all the pictures and write down the elements that appeal to you, and be quite specific. If there is one picture that stands out to you as having the right overall balance you can use this as a template when planning your kitchen, even if for example it has shaker doors, but you might want handleless. You also need to consider how the kitchen will look against existing elements in the room, and things you might be planning for the living area. Then consider the practical elements, ie pros and cons of different doors, finishes, worksurfaces etc. Some of this will depend on your circumstances, do you cook a lot, want easy to clean etc? There's lots of articles on Houzz covering that kind of thing. Budget will also play a big part. For my part, I went with a handless German kitchen, with a matt finish with a quartz worktop. I cook a lot and have found this combination very easy to keep clean.
...See More
Oak and white Kitchen wall and floor help
Q
Comments (30)
Claudia Raperport - Your kitchen looks really nice. Where did you get your floor from? honeypoppet - Very good point about the tiles. We have some green samples coming this week. If we don't love them I think we will play it a bit more safe with white/grey tiles. Man About The House - The DIY & Odd Job Handyman - Those tiles look really nice. They are currently sold out but should be back in stock soon. I don't suppose you have any pictures of them in your daughters kitchen? Floor Monster - Currently checking your website and I may request some samples/
...See More
are there any really good wood effect kitchen countertops
Q
Comments (2)
Hello Tina, I wish I could see your posting earlier. Yes, we do 1:1 printings on a glass which looks exactly like wood, additionally you may want us to make it using matt paint, so it won't be shiny. Moreover, if you will request (free) quote for countertop and splashback combined, we will apply 25% discount for your order. Here are some examples of our work: Let me know if you like it so I will arrange a callback whenever you want :) Glad we can help.
...See More
Different kitchen countertop materials, same or different heights?
Q
Comments (8)
It is probably better to keep to one height in the sink corner, for all the above reasons. This time round I'm going free-standing. I discovered one height all round affects my shoulders - the worktops are too high for my height and different jobs (eg mixing, bread making, carving, chopping) and it seems there's a standard height just to fit the appliances underneath. My current, old, about-to-be-redone kitchen served its purpose but practically didn't work so well. So this time I'm including working heights that suit me, not the designer \ trader.
...See More
spamthis1
9 years ago
I have had timber benchtops in my kitchen for 3 years. The only problem I have had was a wet pan left overnight created a bit of a mark. Hot plates and cups aren't an issue. They are great for rolling out dough and the like.

Mine still look great and are an oiled surface. They had three coats of oil to start and haven't been done since. Polyurethane finishes, I was told, can be a problem because the surface can chip and not easily repaired whereas oil finish can easily be sanded back and re-oiled.
PRO
Jaimie K Designs Ltd
9 years ago
Hi I have had and used wood work tops and have always found them to work really well, as well as look good for years.I had wood in my huse for 12 years and they still looked good when I sold and moved out. They do need to be oiled at least once a year but it really isn't a mammoth task. Also if you do damage them you give them a light sand and re oil. I agree with spamthis1 don't use polyurethane finish oiled finish is the best. kr jaimie k
PRO
Homejoy
9 years ago
We love Method products as they're effective, eco-friendly and smell amazing! The best product for wood is this one: http://methodhome.com/products/wood-for-good-daily-clean/

Sponsored

More Discussions

roof lantern location

6

How to decorate window on landing

13

Opinions and suggestions on Howdens Kitchen Design

17

Room Layout - Help please!

2

Garden vs Garage dilema. Please help!

7

United Kingdom

Tailor my experience with cookies

Houzz uses cookies and similar technologies to personalise my experience, serve me relevant content, and improve Houzz products and services. By clicking ‘Accept’ I agree to this, as further described in the Houzz Cookie Policy. I can reject non-essential cookies by clicking ‘Manage Preferences’.