Anyone have butcher block counters?

[Soliloquy]

We are re-doing our island. It's a bi-level with a cooktop. We are removing the cooktop, making the island all one level, and buying a range to go where the wall oven is (not part of the island).


We are getting butcher block for the island for a few reasons. One, I think it looks lovely. Two, we eventually plan to replace the other counters but we don't know with what. I don't want to have to try and match what we get for the island.

Wondering if anyone else has butcher block counters and how you've cared for them.

[Laurlor]

We had them in our last house. I loved how they looked but they felt high maintenance. Ours butted up to the sink and water definitely damaged them. I also didn't love that I couldn't put hot things on them. But the good thing was that we did sand them and re-oil them once and they looked good!

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---------- Post added at 04:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:47 PM ----------

I just looked on Redfin and found pictures of our old kitchen. We installed them 24 years ago and they still look good in the pics!

[MudPies]

Our island is butcher block- unsealed. I use wax or oil when it needs it. I really like it.

[Singingmom]

Laurlor, your photos would sell me on it! So warm and beautiful.

[knitlove]

My mom had wood counters in her house. She used a sealent that was designed for wooden boats. They were amazing - you couldn't cut on them but they were beautiful and held up well to lots of cooking and spills.

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[Soliloquy]

Originally Posted by Laurlor

We had them in our last house. I loved how they looked but they felt high maintenance. Ours butted up to the sink and water definitely damaged them. I also didn't love that I couldn't put hot things on them. But the good thing was that we did sand them and re-oil them once and they looked good!

I absolutely love white kitchens! Eventually I'm going to have the cabinets painted white or replaced with white. Your white kitchen is gorgeous! They do still look really good after 24 years!



I did read about water and butcher block next to the sink. That's why I don't think we'll do the whole kitchen with butcher block. I think having it on the island will look nice.

[RealLifeMama]

I would love a butcher block island because it is a perfect bread making surface. I'd make sweet rolls every day!

[domesticzookeeper]

We replaced one of our kitchen counters (where the sink is) with butcher block this year, and plan to do the rest of the counters and island with butcher block next year.

My parents already have butcher block counters in their place, and they opted to seal them with polyurethane, which gave them a nice sheen and made them absolutely impervious to water. I think Tung Oil, which is a marine sealant, has the same effect.

I personally like the way that butcher block ages with time, so I opted to do upkeep with wax and oils. It's a lot more work up front when the wood is still dry and continuously absorbing layers of oil, but eventually you can move to products with a higher wax-to-oil ratio that lasts longer and gives a smoother finish. The patina will build up to the point where you don't need to re-apply so often; we're a little less than 3 months in now and only need to re-apply it bi-weekly. We do have trivets to hold our hot items and are mindful of sitting water near the sink, but I don't feel particularly nervous about the water or wear on the counter.

[passthemanna]

Following...I'm thinking of doing butcher block in the kitchen I'm building. My dad has all. The. Wood. Tools. So I can make it exactly like I want.

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[Soliloquy]

Originally Posted by domesticzookeeper

We replaced one of our kitchen counters (where the sink is) with butcher block this year, and plan to do the rest of the counters and island with butcher block next year.

My parents already have butcher block counters in their place, and they opted to seal them with polyurethane, which gave them a nice sheen and made them absolutely impervious to water. I think Tung Oil, which is a marine sealant, has the same effect.

I personally like the way that butcher block ages with time, so I opted to do upkeep with wax and oils. It's a lot more work up front when the wood is still dry and continuously absorbing layers of oil, but eventually you can move to products with a higher wax-to-oil ratio that lasts longer and gives a smoother finish. The patina will build up to the point where you don't need to re-apply so often; we're a little less than 3 months in now and only need to re-apply it bi-weekly. We do have trivets to hold our hot items and are mindful of sitting water near the sink, but I don't feel particularly nervous about the water or wear on the counter.

Thanks for all this info! What products are you using?



We are having ours installed and he said he would oil them but I want to look into the options and decide what oil I want to use moving forward (and maybe what should be used the firs time? I don't know if it matters).

[MaybeGracie]

Originally Posted by Soliloquy

We are having ours installed and he said he would oil them but I want to look into the options and decide what oil I want to use moving forward (and maybe what should be used the firs time? I don't know if it matters).

Before you oil them, you might find this article interesting: https://www.drivenbydecor.com/treati...s-mineral-oil/

We are also looking into getting butcher block countertops and I really appreciated the info on that page.

[domesticzookeeper]

Originally Posted by MaybeGracie

Before you oil them, you might find this article interesting: https://www.drivenbydecor.com/treati...s-mineral-oil/

We are also looking into getting butcher block countertops and I really appreciated the info on that page.

Very good info! Which is why I would never use oil alone on the counters, and IMO the beeswax is essential to getting both a longer-lasting and grease-free surface protection. Oil does build up in the wood over time and is essential for that early seasoning, but the wax is what gives you the smooth and polished surface over the seasoned wood.

We started seasoning our counter with this, frequently and generously at first, and backing off on the amount as the wood 'drank' less of it in each time. Rule of thumb was to see how quickly it starts to looke matte and dry, and how long water will bead on the surface before being absorbed (a really well-seasoned counter does not absorb water with any speed): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Now we're maintaining with this. Dry wipe the counter clean, apply the wax thoroughly but not in excess, allow to sit for an hour and then buff. After that it's water-resistant and totally smooth to the touch: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Also, I'd highly recommend getting a lil' plastic putty knife from the hardware store. Best way to clean up stuck-on food without resorting to methods that could strip your counters.

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Just wanted to add that every finish option is going to have its downsides, so I think the best way to be really happy with your counters is to decide ahead of time the amount of upkeep that you're happy maintaining.

I've lived with a high-use Tung oil surface before, and I didn't personally love the way that it aged to have shinier areas mixed in with worn down/chipped-through duller areas. IME it is longer lasting than wax and oil, but not nearly as durable as polyurethane, and refinishing it periodically is a much bigger task than maintaining wax and oil...but you also do it a LOT less often. Kind of a six of one, half-dozen of the other situation

https://www.addicted2decorating.com/...ot-pretty.html (she ultimately stripped her counters and went with mineral oil alone, which I wouldn't personally do, but it reflects my experiences with tung oil)

https://waterlox.com/guide-cleaning-...shed-surfaces/

https://waterlox.com/guide-refreshin...ished-surface/

[ECingMama]

My sister had them, but her husband LOVES maintenance work. They were pretty.