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I am buying a place in NYC that needs a little kitchen work. I was recently at a friend's and noticed the very cool counters in the kitchen. They were butcher block and she got them from Ikea. She said she had oiled the heck out of them and they were really economical. They looked great-- she has kind of a vintage vibe going with some original white cabinets/glass door cabinets. I could easily do that in mine.
I started reading up on this. Like many people I have been conditioned to think stone counters are the only way to go, but I am intrigued. Any one have feedback? I would love to see your pics, too!
Last edited by whatisthedealwith; 12-27-2013 at 08:06 AM..
I am installing butcher block in my kitchen. I did a lot of research and oiling does protect them from water. I've seen pictures of counters that are in perfect shape after 5, 10, 15 years due to being oiled yearly, ones with minimal water marks after 5 years due to only being oiled once after installation, and ones that were utterly and completely destroyed because they were never oiled once. We are less concerned about water than scratching due to knives. We're going to try to use a cutting board. There's the beauty of being able to sand the counter down and refinish it.
Ikea has great prices, but I'm hoping to find mine elsewhere because I have a line of counter space that is longer than the longest Ikea counter.
Deciding on butcher block was an easy decision. Figuring out which flooring looks best with it is another story.
I am installing butcher block in my kitchen. I did a lot of research and oiling does protect them from water. I've seen pictures of counters that are in perfect shape after 5, 10, 15 years due to being oiled yearly, ones with minimal water marks after 5 years due to only being oiled once after installation, and ones that were utterly and completely destroyed because they were never oiled once. We are less concerned about water than scratching due to knives. We're going to try to use a cutting board. There's the beauty of being able to sand the counter down and refinish it.
Ikea has great prices, but I'm hoping to find mine elsewhere because I have a line of counter space that is longer than the longest Ikea counter.
Deciding on butcher block was an easy decision. Figuring out which flooring looks best with it is another story.
I'm going to hire a carpenter cut a beveled edge for the sink. The woman who posted this picture said it was the best $170 she ever spent. Isn't it gorgeous?
There are many very lovely homes with butcher block tops but if the counter is not of high quality to begin with and it is not installed with care it will look very bad very quickly -- I have seen those that warp / twist / buckle / end up with large gross grime collecting gaps... Even things like the acids in fruits / dressings / pickles will literally dissolve the glues that hold the laminated wood together -- http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/skil...606602,00.html
The highest quality hardwood countertops come from smaller firms that use trees harvested in Northern Europe -- http://www.hardwoodcountertops.com/p...butcherblocks/ I would strongly recommend sticking with a 4" end grain style butcherblock.
Btw, when it comes to flooring I strongly recommend against anything hard like stone / tile /brick the difference for one's back/ legs / shoulders / neck with even a very dense hardwood ( to say nothing of cork or other even more resilient flooring ...) is like night and day!
Last edited by chet everett; 12-27-2013 at 08:40 AM..
I have butcher block on our kitchen island, I sanded it to make sure it was even then used Howard butcher block and cutting board oil, after several lavish coats it stopped sinking right in and gave the wood a nice sheen without being too glossy.
When the rest of the kitchen gets remodeled next year all the countertops will be butcher block and like Hopes I'm still trying to decide on flooring we don't have the luxury of underfloor heating so brick and tile are out for us.
...we don't have the luxury of underfloor heating so brick and tile are out for us.
That's an issue my husband and I discussed. I told him I wanted the under floor heating. I don't think it's super expensive since we DIY, but I haven't researched it. My husband is opposed for no apparent reason. While I can easily overrule him, I'm considering alternatives. I don't want to do wood since the counters will be wood. I may consider a vinyl tile. I'm not going to let the flooring question hold me up. We're installing the kitchen as I type. I'll figure out the flooring later. The countertop decision is final. That much is certain.
Another point about flooring. I don't think it's wise to pick the flooring until after the counters are oiled. The color will change when oiled.
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