Solid wood worktops-are they practical???

LadyMuck

Hi, we're planning our new kitchen and really like the solid wood worktops (oak or walnut).

Have had a few designs and quotes from different people. My main concern is are they practical in a well used family kitchen? I know thet will need looking after and oiling etc but im concerned that they stain, hot pans, chopping etc. We have all the best intentions now ie always using chopping board etc.

Does anyone have any opinions or have solid wood worktops. Are they hard wearing? Do they stain easy?

Any advice appreciated....

vansboy

Not had them, but can imagine that however careful you are, it'll look 'used' around the sink & cooker, quite fast.

VB

superstylin

Think I'll bump this one because we're about to have a Walnut worktop put into our kitchen. Any advice on maintenance would be handy!

Doozergirl

If I ever have wood again I will avoid it around the sink entirely. If you could afford granite even just on that area, I'd do it.

You have to wipe dow the sink area every time it gets wet. Do not get an undermounted sink either because the end grain just soaks the water up like a straw.

Wood needs oiling regularly otherwise it stains. If you put a wet can on the surface there's some kind of reaction that turns the wood black. And curry is fun too!

Oil it - don't leave it to chance because you will end up regretting it. I don't think it looks quite right varnished either and there's the risk that the varnish will taint over time as well.

The nice thing is that you can sand it and start again when you fancy so it will last ages in that respect as long as you look afer it. I guess aged character isn't really what you're looking for in a worktop if you're buying walnut!

OddjobKIA

with children in the house go for one of those very nice standard worktops with a wood effect..

dander

Doozergirl wrote: »

If you put a wet can on the surface there's some kind of reaction that turns the wood black. And curry is fun too!

I read that as a "wet cat" and thought what intriguing lives other people lead!

You wouldn't catch me with a real wood worktop. I think they look lovely, but I'm far too messy and lazy for all that.

windym_2

I have granite in my kitchen and solid beech in the utility. We had to have something other than granite in the utility to allow the top to be removed to service the boiler. I hate it! I would never ever have wood again. The maintenance is just time consuming and boring! In my kitchen, I put hot pans straight out of the oven onto the worktop and it still looks as amazing as the day it was installed. If I put a hot cup of coffee on my worktop in the utility I get stressed! It has 10 coats of oil and to be honest, I could oil it every week and still feel it wasn't completely protected. My son left his damp grass stained jeans on the top (as near to the washing machine as I will allow him to go) and the grass residue left a mark on the wood. Goodness knows what it would be like with a tin of tomatoes or doozers curry! If you can afford it go with granite or a stone finish. Don't go back to laminate, but please take the warnings from wood owners!

Plasticman

LadyMuck wrote: »

Hi, we're planning our new kitchen and really like the solid wood worktops (oak or walnut).

Have had a few designs and quotes from different people. My main concern is are they practical in a well used family kitchen? I know thet will need looking after and oiling etc but im concerned that they stain, hot pans, chopping etc. We have all the best intentions now ie always using chopping board etc.

Does anyone have any opinions or have solid wood worktops. Are they hard wearing? Do they stain easy?

Any advice appreciated....

In my parents kitchen solid wood would be great. They only cook for 2 people, always use a chopping board and never put anything wet / hot / messy on the worktop!

In my house it would be a disaster. We would start with good intentions, but I know that it would be knackered in no time at all.

Norma_Desmond

We have solid walnut worktops and I think they're great - there's only me and DH but we use a big walnut offcut as a chopping board and it's had everything 'thrown at it' including hot pans, sharp knives, beetroot (always a good test!) and all sorts of sauces etc.
I just scrub it down and oil it occasionally along with the actual worktops - it looks rather 'antique' I think and isn't stained at all.
The only thing I'm careful about is wiping off water spills straight away from around the sink.

superstylin

Unfortunately the Walnut worktop is already bought and cut. If I had my way I wouldn't have got it in the first place but we're stuck with it now. Why is it that blokes never think of the practicality of things?! (sorry blokes, massive sweeping statement there)

EDIT
Oh good god, I just remembered he bought a round sink and round drainer too that are seperate, so I'm gonna be dropping water all over the wood when passing the wet dish over to the drainer - that's if i can find a round drainer to stand my dishes up in!

jennifernil

Round drainers are available, and when passing a wet dish over to the drainer try laying a folded towel over your walnut first, soaks up any drips.

We have solid beech tops, now 20 years in place, sanded and resealed twice in that time, due a third treatment soon. They still look good.

Wet cans and wet copper bottomed pots are a problem, but marks can be removed by sanding. Best oil I have found is the "Danish Oil", gives a nice finish.