Are wood worktops a bad idea?

[Marylou2]

I'm planning a new kitchen as part of an open plan extension. I love the whole ivory shaker look, i know it's not to everyone's taste but I have my heart set on it. Would oak worktops be a huge mistake?I think they look so beautiful and DH is willing to oil and sand as necessary. We're pretty careful with hot pans but I'm concerned about the area around the sink. Any advice would be much appreciated .

It's fine, with Osmo. As long as you use the right product, it's fine. Osmo!

Here you go - from both sides of sink. We are not remotely careful, DH cares even less than I do, it is our home, we live in it, spill red wine drips on them, leave water on them. Not a mark.

Lived in a rental with these once, they looked awful, especially around the sink, and only a few years old. They were probably the cheap Ikea ones as the rest of the kitchen was Ikea. Also, probably not well looked after. I don't have time for worktops that need special treatment, but maybe if you get good quality and you love them ... there are woods like iroko that are better suited than oak. Bamboo also more environmentally friendly.

Our last house had them. We hated them. Every wet cup left a ring. We've moved to a place with granite work tops and are slowly weaning ourselves off the habit of putting coasters under anything hot or wet!

My OH made pine worktops two years ago. Like PPs they do look used, but clean up fine.

Love my Iroko ones. We have granite around the sink though. They look amazing and get loads of compliments.

I'm a hater too. Could you have a combination?
Mine were not stained but I didn't like the look. Bamboo looks interesting

We have them in a flat we own. The developer put them in and they looked great to begin with. I dont think they were sealed properly and they now need sanding down, 2 years later. They stain with anything! Water, oil, anything wet. I think the sealed ones, from new, might last a bit longer. I am not sure what these were sealed with - not a lot I think! Also, who wants all this work to keep them looking good?

My granite ones at home look immaculate and you can get lots of different colours to suit any look. I have shaker style units in cream and grey and I have a light grey flecked granite. I have a wood circular breakfast bar which breaks up the expanse of granite.

I am just about to get a quote and get them out of the flat! Granite or similar stone composite is a no-brainer. Keep wood on the floor.

We have an Ikea Oak one. Fitted in November. To begin with we panicked as just putting the bread bin down or a damp saucer caused a cloudy mark. Then we lightly sanded it and coated it with Danish Oil a couple of times. It went darker in colour but looks lovely. You have to treat the raw wood otherwise it will mark.
We also clear varnished the area behind the sink (which you can't see but could be prone to black mould due to pooling water) and just above the dishwasher and oven (where we were told could get damaged due to hot steam from appliances).
All good so far. We are very pleased with it. It looks smart and gives the kitchen a much warmer feel than stone/granite would have.

A good friend of mine has a mixture of both - a composite stone in the same ivory as her units around the sink and either side of the cooker (for hot pans) then oak elsewhere. It looks lovely. If you keep the stone worktops the same colour as the units I think it can look stunning.

We used this

www.osmouk.com/sitechaptern.cfm?bookid=Products&chapter=82&page=255

Have used it on beech and black walnut - nothing stains them, curry, wine, water, rusty brillo pads (thanks DH).

I don't mind a quick rub down every third year (sounds a bit carry on) with fine sandpaper and a re-coat at all but at the minute I can't imagine when it will need doing.

Thankyou so much for the pics lavendersun. They look great, exactly what i'd like. I'm determined to go for it now. Thanks for the link to the oil too .

I have always had them and if you look after them they are beautiful I hate when I see them all black there is no need! Osmo oil is very good as is matt yacht varnish applied pre fitting by spray if you can get someone to do it

I had forgotten that you don't have to sand when re-applying. We used their floor stuff throughout the house on oak floorboards too which is fab, you don't have to sand that either (did remember that was one of the reasons we were drawn to it.

The thought of never having to sand a floor again makes me very happy!

I am in exactly this dilemma. I would LOVE wood dearly - but I also fear the maintenance.

I don't know who to believe!

So I am proposing a test.

What I am going to do is this: I already have one of the cheap Ikea chopping boards in blocky wood. It is untreated. I am going to buy some of this Osmo stuff, and I am going to treat the board exactly as it says on the tin. And then I am going to abuse it with curry, water and rusting cans that have been washed up for recycling for the next 3 months. If it works, I will get wood worktops.

I have one of those boards too shovetheholly. What a fabulous idea! I've just ordered the oil from Amazon. I love a good experiment.

Osmo is a brand name of hardwax oil. The specific product is called "Osmo Polyx Oil". hardwax oil is kind of the waterproof mascara of worktops. Unlike all other worktop oils it is low/no maintenance. Apart from maybe Fiddes Hardwax oil I think its the only brand widely available in UK.

"hardwax oil is kind of the waterproof mascara of worktops"

I love this!

And high fives with Marylou - the evidence-based approach to worktops?!?!

Polyx was what we used on our floors - Top oil is for worktops - ime.

One of the distributors told me Top Oil and Polyx oil are practically the same, they just repackaged as people were getting confused by the photo of a floor on the tin. But maybe not.

Installed them in our first kitchen. Lived there six years, oiled them at start then every 2 years. Just moved and installed the same ones in new kitchen

We have just fitted a new kitchen. I was totally anti wood having heard all the negatives from friends. Then we saw a beautiful curved oak wood worktop in the kitchen showroom and DH was smitten. So a compromise was reached and we have silestone on one side of the kitchen where the sink and hob are and an oak worktop on the island. We have oiled the wood and followed all instructions and I have to say it looks great. However, I am just terrified of putting anything hot or wet on it just in case gets marked so I am very glad not to have this all over the kitchen or my nerves couldn't take it.