Solid worktop with grooved draining board

missbiggles1

Much simpler to get a dish washer; there's only two of us but it gets plenty of use and no need for a draining board of any kind.

Gloomendoom

We have a dishwasher but some things are not dishwasher safe (cutlery, glasses etc.) so the draining board still gets used.

leveller2911

Davesnave wrote: »

Looks like you're right, though that doesn't enlighten me as to why splinters/jabs from certain woods are so liable to turn septic. I've plenty of experience there.

Thats a really good point Dave as there are timbers such as Iroko which has bacteria within the grain of the timber which means even if you get the splinter out immediately it will stil go septic. Its a weird one because as already mentioned timber in general can have anti septic properties, I guess there are just odd examples ,like Iroko.

Not sure if anyone else has noticed ,the Photo the OP posted showing drainer grooves in the worktop, the grooves in the bottom part of the pic go across the grain of the timber which is 90 degrees to the grooves which is a big no no.

Its really bad practice to router grooves in any joint (sometimes unavoidable with narrow staves of timber) but to have the grain of the timber boards running 90 degrees to the drainage grooves is asking for trouble with water getting into the joints.

missbiggles1

Gloomendoom wrote: »

We have a dishwasher but some things are not dishwasher safe (cutlery, glasses etc.) so the draining board still gets used.

Everything goes in our dishwasher, if it isn't dishwasher safe we don't buy it.

pledgeX

Thanks for all the feedback folks.

We went to a few kitchen showrooms today and we're both in agreement; solid worktops with white ceramic undermount/Beflast sinks look so much nicer than laminate or stainless steel. Even if it's less practical, we're in agreement that we'd rather do a bit more work and have something we like to look at.

We saw a few worktops with the grooves in cut into them and we weren't actually that impressed. Current thinking is to get something temporary like what Gloomendoom has posted that can be put away after use.

Linto

Use osmo wood oil. Treated my oak worktops over a year ago and the water still beads off and leaves no marks. Expensive stuff but worth it. I'm just about to top it up. An hour every year for fantastic looking worktops isn't too bad in my book. No signs of the dreaded black mild round the Belfast sink either.

Ruski

This drainer is brilliant and will do exactly what you need

http://www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prod_10701_10001_331028004833DSRK_-1

HTH

Russ

phoebe1989seb

Linto wrote: »

Use osmo wood oil. Treated my oak worktops over a year ago and the water still beads off and leaves no marks. Expensive stuff but worth it. I'm just about to top it up. An hour every year for fantastic looking worktops isn't too bad in my book. No signs of the dreaded black mild round the Belfast sink either.

This ^

We installed wood worktops (teak/iroko) with Belfast sinks at two out of our last four houses and had no issues whatsoever, but we did ensure we kept up the maintenance which not everyone can be bothered with

Although we have a dishwasher, we also have stuff that we hand wash - cutlery, glasses and some terracotta plates that are d/w safe but take an age to dry fully if run through the d/w - but we purchased an Umbra Tub dish draining rack with solid bottom (and a drainer vent positioned over the sink) so no problems with water pooling on the draining grooves.

The other two houses have had granite, one lot we had fitted and our current house came with it already installed - although here we have a horrid stainless steel sink with drainer, not an undermount - and IMHO both granite and wood look good, so it's really down to personal choice and deciding if you are happy to do a little maintenance to keep the wood looking good!

Otoh, a family member had beech worktops and these had plenty of issues with damp, black areas etc.....don't think they look as nice as the darker species either.

melanzana

What's wrong with an integrated sink and drainer?

Are they not aesthetically acceptable anymore or what?

tesuhoha

I have exactly the same situation. My solid wood worktop was installed last year and I have kept the draining grooves perfect. There is a very simple solution.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0014QPH16?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00

Just use it when you wash up and remove it afterwards. All the water drains into the sink and the wood stays perfectly dry. It is not a good idea to get the wood wet even with the oil coatings. Make sure that the area around the tap is wiped dry too. I am very careful but it is beginning to mark around the tap.