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Property/DIY

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Original poster

Is a real wood work surface in a kitchen a really bad idea?

43 replies

Aliasnumberone · 16/02/2017 14:07

We're doing an extension and will have our kitchen coming off an open plan living dining room. I was planning on matching a real wood floor to the worksurface and having down stands on the edges of the island and the cabinets to run the look of the floor up and over the kitchen to link the two spaces visually.

We've been to a few kitchen places and they're always quick to emphasise how much work a real wood worksurface is.

I don't mind oiling it regularly if that's what it takes but has anyone else looked after a wood surface like this and just felt like they were losing the battle despite being diligent?

If hate to spend a fortune on a beautiful matching floor and worksurface for the worksurface to just start looking dingy after a couple of years and then replace it with something else anyway!

OP posts:

NotCitrus · 16/02/2017 14:16

Are you the sort of person that mops up every spill or splash of water or liquid within a minute?

If not, don't.

Original poster

Aliasnumberone · 16/02/2017 15:48

I knew that would end the general line of advice. Honest truth is I am but dh not so much, although he's a tight wad so if he knew we'd spent money on it and didn't want us to have to replace it it's probably buck up his ideas.

I'm just not convinced though.....

I really want to have a clever way of tying the two spaces together. The kitchen won't have a huge amount of natural light, were knocking a new window in but it'll be on a north facing wall so I can't use strong colours t link the spaces. Maybe the back wall of units behind the island in a wood door the same as the floor would do it.

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Original poster

Aliasnumberone · 16/02/2017 15:48

be not end

OP posts:

museumum · 16/02/2017 15:51

I hated ours. As far as I can tell to avoid any staining you'd need to use coasters to put down glasses with condensation.
Coasters! On a kitchen worktop! Feck that.

Also never put down a damp cloth or splash the collander or.....

Skyrabbit · 16/02/2017 15:52

I've got a wooden work top and I'm a complete slattern when it comes to house work

To be honest, the work top isn't really much work - I oil it occasionally when I remember, and I've sanded it once a year - still looks pretty good. It does mark, but a bit of spot sanding sorts it quickly.

I think it's easier than laminatey type stuff - if you spill on that or burn it, the whole thing is knackered.

I do hanker after my granite top though - that was awesomely indestructible

Cantchooseaname · 16/02/2017 15:53

Ours is great- we oiled once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year, and now just once a year. It looks fab. I'm not the most careful. The only thing that cause a problem was a splash of oven cleaner, but light sanding and re oil and it was fine. I really love the variety and colours in it.

Shadowboy · 16/02/2017 15:53

We've got oak worktops and upstands. It's gorgeous and I would have it again! We had to oil it when it arrived top and underneath (to prevent warping) it's been down 13 months, we've re-oiled twice since. One at 3 months after fitting and again 6 months after that. It's still water repellant and there is NO blackening of the wood or staining. We were told not to have the draining grooves put on but to buy a wood drainer to sit on top as it's usually the draining grooves that go black first. It's so warm in colour and doesn't make as much noise as granite when my heavy handed husband dumps plates on it!

MaryHays · 16/02/2017 15:54

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MinesaLattecino · 16/02/2017 15:57

We have wood, and after 5 years of near total neglect it's bleached almost clean of varnish in places, has knife cuts and burn marks and all sorts. I don't really care - it needs a sand and oil back, and then it will be fine again.

Ilovewillow · 16/02/2017 15:57

We had American walnut in our last house and it was beautiful. We were careful but not to the point of hysteria. Once a year we wore wooled and re oiled the tops to maintain them and in the 6 yrs we lived there they stayed in good condition. Th work wouldn't put me off having them again!

loveisenough · 16/02/2017 15:57

We have had wooden worktops for about three years, we are definitely not that careful but they still look as good as new. We oil them from time to time, I wipe us any big spills but they also get splashed, particularly at the back of the sink, but doesn't seem to mark. I would absolutely get them again although people tried to put us off originally!!

MiladyThesaurus · 16/02/2017 15:59

I've had wooden worktops in two different houses and had no problems. I wasn't particularly precious about using it at all (certainly no coaster required).

I think I sanded and oiled the last one once after having it fitted (obviously I oiled it then too). We had it for 4 years.

It was nicer and easier to look after than the shitty laminate we have in this house, which really objects to water at the joins. And you have to scrub it to get it clean and then buff it up, otherwise it had a horrible dirty film on it at all times. And it looks crap.

That said, I'll be getting granite or quartz when we replace this kitchen. I couldn't afford that last time. But if money were an issue I'd definitely get wood over laminate every time.

newyorkgirl · 16/02/2017 16:00

I have wooden worktops, I've had them 3 years and they look fantastic still. We oil them once a year. I have never had any stains or issues, if you do get a stain you could sand the worktops and oil and they are good as new. We are not particularly careful though and have no problems at all.

Fozzleyplum · 16/02/2017 16:01

We've had a handmade oak surface for about a year. We proofed it with Danish oil about 3 times to start with and I've done it once since; it really doesn't take long. Any water sits on it as it would on granite, so all good so far.

I chose wood for the look, the fact that I was likely to chip granite when banging my Le Creuset pans around, and the fact that we live in a hard water area so it would have been hard to keep granite smear-free. It was £1000 to make and fit. Granite would have been at leat four times that.

loveisenough · 16/02/2017 16:01

We got ours from Worktop Express and the sales and delivery was really good. We have the Deluxe Prime Oak Worktop which is full stave oak.

Fozzleyplum · 16/02/2017 16:03

Ought to add that I have a large marble slab by the sink for food prep. I also don't have a wooden draining board. I bought a huge double Belfast sink and use one side for draining.

FinallyGotAnIPhone · 16/02/2017 16:13

I had a wooden work surface in a rented house I lived in. Never had one before. Thought it was ridiculous and impractical, especially by the sink.

Chippednailvarnishing · 16/02/2017 16:16

I've got oak worktops, they get oiled once a year and are pretty tough and look great.

Bloodybridget · 16/02/2017 16:20

We have a big wooden work surface and I love it, it's part of an old table and has been in the house well over 20 years. In our 15 years here I have only oiled it once, it doesn't look bad.

Original poster

Aliasnumberone · 16/02/2017 16:28

Ok you're all winning me back round now!!

museamum what type dos you have? I wonder why yours marked so easily?

maryhays how have you found the wood floor in the kitchen? One of the reasons I was thinking wood worktop was so avoid a wood floor. I have a horror of the wood swelling on the floor if we ever had a leak, I'm sure that's an irrational fear though as the washing machine will be out in the utility, but the dishwasher may leak?
I love parquet, we hav the original in the front of the house and I'd love to lay the floor in the extension in herringbone to echo it. Could I be cheeky and ask for a photo of your floor and worksurface if it's too outing don't worry just tell me to mind my own!

The sink worries me, how do you all have yours fitted?

OP posts:

TinkerbellSparkle · 16/02/2017 16:41

I've got American walnut work tops from Worktop Express and a half marble tiled/reclaimed parquet floor. I am careful, I'd never cut anything on the top or put anything hot down directly on it, but I wouldn't do that on a laminate top either, and I don't have kids. I've got an under hung sink and am a bit paranoid about wiping off the water marks. If it does mark, you just sand it off and re-oil.

Shadowboy · 16/02/2017 16:47

We have a ceramic Belfast sink that sits about an inch under the wood top. The tap is set into the wood but is a swan neck mixer. We put a moveable wood drainer to the right of the Belfast sink. I squeegee any excess into the sink if I drop water all over the place. We also have an integrated dishwasher so notish washing actually happens at the sink.

sycamore54321 · 16/02/2017 16:53

A relative had wooden tops and found them very high maintenance. But that was tolerable until the kitchen developed an unrelenting odour. After eliminating every other possibility over the course of months, they concluded it was the wood. Changed them for granite (they are real money-no-object people!) and the smell was gone. Mind you, I believe the polished granite is fairly high maintenance itself.

Original poster

Aliasnumberone · 16/02/2017 16:55

tinker sounds beautiful. I'm used to a laminate in the house were in and to be honest I'm so used to just setting everything on it, pans straight from the oven etc that if be terrified the first few months that is ruin it.

If you're sanding do you have to do the whole thing?

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Original poster

Aliasnumberone · 16/02/2017 16:56

Yikes sycamore the thought of a manly smell getting trapped in the wood is horrifying

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