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We're redoing the kitchen on a budget and had to replace the old laminate countertop. I don't really want another laminate and can't afford stone. We're looking at either the Maple butcher block countertop from Lumber Liquidators (finish, cut and install ourselves) or the solid oak counter from Ikea.
Anyone familiar with either of these? Any suggestions/preferences?
We used a piece of the LL butcher block to put in my mother's new cooktop. Oil it (as you should with any butcher block) and you should do fine.
Of course a lot of people don't want butcher block for their whole kitchen (phobia about bacteria from meats) - but as long as you are smart and employ the proper plastic cutting boards in certain locations you should be fine.
Im familiar with them. IKEA is all trash. Maybe a tiny step above that Chinese import junk that is so filled with formaldehyde.
First off, both your examples are about the same price. But the IKEA one comes in 39+" deep. Do you really really want to pay for 39" and dispose of the extra 14" rip? Your counter top is 25" deep. One inch more then your cabinets which are 24" deep.
The other one is much higher quality and comes the exact size of a countertop which is 25".
The IKEA one comes in a max length of 73". I betcha you will have one or 2 lengths in your kitchen longer then that. Do you really really want all those seams? Seams where water and food will seep into?
The IKEA is a soft maple while the other one is a hard rock maple. Either one can be sanded if there were a scratch. But you should never ever ever cut on a wood top. Are people in your house slobs where they wash something in the sink and splash all over and just leave it? Standing water will stain wood. Even oiled wood. You should wipe every single time you spill.....instantly. And like others said, oil frequently.
Your other issue is your back splash. Have you priced that? If you buy the IKEA you can use the 14" cut off to cut another 3 lengths of back splash. But do you have an expensive planner and sander to finish the rough cut? If not you can buy 4" lengths of back splash with most brands but not IKEA which will have a factory edge.
Im a 30 year veteran kitchen designer and would never recomend doing an entire kitchen in butcher block.
I know your on a budget. If you like granite but dont want to pay for it then try this: granitetransformations.com This can be layed right over your existing tops no matter what it is with no mess and no fuss. It's like an engineered granite and looks real nice.
We considered butcherblock for an island. Although we did not end up using butcherblock, we probably would have gone with Ikea. I've heard of Lumber Liquidators wood counters splitting. Plus LL is a pain to deal with - at least in my area.
Although the other poster is a veteran kitchen designer, he has misinformed you about Ikea's products. Apparently he's not as familiar as he'd like to think. Ikea doesn't have maple (they have oak, beech and birch). Ikea's maximum counter length is 96 inches. The standard depth is 25'', so there is no need to "rip it down." They do sell butcherblock intended for islands that is 39'' depth - maybe this is what the other poster is referring to. If you want to verify my statement, go ahead and check the website.
We also looked into a granite overlay but it was pretty pricey, so we just went ahead and went with granite. However, if you are on a budget, don't worry about doing all butcherblock. At Ikea's prices, you can redo it in a few years if you want.
Thanks everyone. Its a small kitchen and there's really only one counter that's about 7 feet long. I was actually figuring on using food grade sealant instead of wood since I would prefer to use cutting boards anyway. The old counter had to be disposed of and we're going with butcher block for the look (and because we figured it was a better investment than laminate). I think based on posts here that we'll probably go with the Lumber Liquidators because it seems like a better quality product (plus I've heard that Maple is better than Oak for BB).
Thanks everyone. Its a small kitchen and there's really only one counter that's about 7 feet long. I was actually figuring on using food grade sealant instead of wood since I would prefer to use cutting boards anyway. The old counter had to be disposed of and we're going with butcher block for the look (and because we figured it was a better investment than laminate). I think based on posts here that we'll probably go with the Lumber Liquidators because it seems like a better quality product (plus I've heard that Maple is better than Oak for BB).
That sounds nice. I am sure you will be happy with your choice. What are you doing for the backsplash?
This thread perpetuates the myth that wooden cutting boards are unsanitary and plastic boards are safe. The evidence suggests that exactly the opposite is true. (For a recent review see Cliver DO. Cutting boards in Salmonella cross-contaminatiion. J AOAC Int 2006;89(2):538-42) Wood, of course, is porous but while bacteria can be drawn into the wood they do not return to the surface. Instead they are killed by bactericidal ingredients that naturally occur in wood to protect it from rot. Meanwhile, some studies show that a knife-scarred plastic surface is difficult to truly clean and disinfect. I have been cutting food on oiled (but not, of course, varnished) butcher block countertops for nearly 40 years with no ill effects. You will be amazed to see how liberating it is to be able to cut anywhere you want on the countertop, to have a cutting surface that does not move and that can take practically anything you throw at it -- even cleavers going through bone.
This thread perpetuates the myth that wooden cutting boards are unsanitary and plastic boards are safe.
Then why did you ressurrect a one year old thread. Better to leave it buried if it's perpetuating a myth. Your response pushing it to the top enables the perpetuation.
desertsun41 who is so negative about IKEA products is probably just employing "sour grapes" because he is a "so-called designer" who is losing business to those of us who have discovered how wonderful and affordable an IKEA kitchen is. There is a fan club online called "IKEAFANS" which was started when homeowners in the prestigious Piedmont neighborhood of Oakland, CA found their friends were more impressed with a new $20K IKEA kitchen than with the $100K kitchens others had put in by so-called "high end designers." I have put IKEA kitchens in several homes I've remodeled and found these homes sold on the first day they were listed for sale, a big part of which was attributed to the kitchen being so appealing. I presently have a butcher block counter from IKEA which is holding up beautifully. I purchased the oil when I bought it and applied it immediately before using the counter top. I get lots of compliments on my kitchen.
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