Kitchen Worktops

Muryas

ok so I will have to sand it once year then ?

jennifernil

What colour are your cupboard doors?   I would say you need to consider how the worktop colour compliments or contrasts with the doors.

Iroko will be darker than oak and, from how our ones were, will have more different colouring in the staves than the oak will.  And as said in the description, it will go darker over time.   Oak is more uniform.

It is very important to oil the tops several times on both sides and all edges before installation, and any cut edges, for example a cut out for a sink or hob must also be treated similarly. You should oil one side then turn over and do the other, and so on.

We use  Rustins Danish Oil.

The tops should be left to acclimatise for a while before being treated and fitted.

We found that the Iroko is a naturally oily wood and it takes longer for the oil to penetrate and dry, and that too much oil applied at once is not good.  Oak seems to soak up the oil more quickly.

 Both are hardwearing.  

We found that there was more shrinkage in the width of the tops than in the length.   None of ours have expanded, but we do have a very "dry" house.

The amount of maintenance required will to a large extent depend on how well you look after them in use.   Do not let water sit on the wood for any length of time, do not let pots sit on a damp worktop, and do not put very hot pots directly on the wood.

We found that a light oiling after the first few months of use was beneficial, and that any damaged areas can easily be sanded  and refinished.  For our beech kitchen worktops we do not totally sand and refinish them very often, certainly not every year, more like every 5-10 years, but we are careful.

We have some friends who have oak tops,  which must be maybe 10 years old, and they have allowed water to sit on them, so they are quite black in places and look awful.