Hard-wearing wood work-tops

[teta]

I don't want granite as it will cost 3-4000 pounds in my kitchen.What i'm thinking of having is barncrest wood worktops but in Iroko or Walnut or Oak possibly.I will get granite inserts and probably a granite sink surround .I have 4 dc's and am a self-confessed slob!.What wood would you get?.Will it last?

Have you thought about bamboo?

No i hadn't bitzer.Thank-you.Anyone else that has wood?.

my only experience of wood is the rented house I'm in at the moment... it's awful :(

I think wood needs to be oiled every 6 months? Basically this wood has not been looked after and is damp, mouldy and black.

Of course if it's yours you would look after it, but I have always heard "high maintenance" grumbles about wood. Can look gorgeous though...?

When we finally finish our house-moving and get our end destination, I would consider recycled glass? try here

It looks really cool Sameold... but it is the same price as granite.I can't afford that amount of money and i hate laminate worktop with a passion.I prefer natural materials if at all possible.

I was really anti-laminate too. BUT discovered when we did up our kitchen to sell last year that there is laminate and laminate? Some are much better in quality and appearance. these looked good. Actually in the end our kitchen fitter got us a really good deal from a contact he had at Paula Rosa and I have to concede it looked really good.

I have oak and have had it in 3 kitchens now.If you oil it and sand it really well initially and then wipe up heavy spills and oil about ttwice a year it is great.I like it to look goos so I do do the maintenance.When I can I also lightly go over any marks with wire wool and re oil it quite a nice job to do if you have time!

bamboo is soft, oak more hardwearing

We have bamboo and are very pleased with it - it hasn't seemed too soft. We've re-oiled it once since installation last Jan; it looks very good. Also good ecologically as it's so fast-growing & sustainable.

The thing is my dh grew up in asia so i think he will turn up his nose at bamboo.The iroko and oak from barncrest is coming in about a third of the price of granite.I reckon if it does get manky we can just replace it relatively cheaply.I am just concerned that my kitchen is like a cafe and drinks will be spilt and cups left on the draining board overnight [actually sometimes not even washed!].I don't want to be permanantly yelling at my dc's.Does anyone use a ceramic drainer next to their sink?.Am i better going for an overmounted sink rather than an undermounted double porcelain one[is it a butler or belfast?].

I did have to get a sink to suit.Undermount does equal lots of maintenance.

What sink did you get noddy?.

this but with a second mini sink in the middle.I had a no drainer one in the last house and it was a lot of maintenance around the sink

Thank-you ,i like the fact its ceramic not granite.I have found a brilliant belfast double sink in Franke but it is expensive [and lovely].It sits proud of the worksuface so no overhang!.[vbk771].

I have seen that one its lovely!

Just need to completely change my kitchen layout as i now really want this sink.So the amount of money i save by buying wood i now spend on sinks [ as i also need a little one for washing vegs - why are little ones so expensive?]

Anyone have Iroko and several dc's?