Wooden worktops in real homes

[cosmo30]

Hi, I've posted this in chat hoping to get more replies but didn't get one!

I was wondering if anyone Would share a picture of their solid oak worktop from DIY kitchens please? Or if anyone can tell me if they are of a decent quality?
My samples haven't turned up, I can't get to the showroom and am desperate to see the wood in real life before ordering.

Also, I'm going to use osmo oil but there is a few different ones and I'm not sure which one to get first? I want to make them as water repellent as possible too.

Would be grateful if anyone could advise

The one's from Worktop Express came ready oiled - on both sides.

Plus then the fitters spent ages oiling them even more before fitting them.

Am also doing the Osmo Oil. Plus Worktop Express recommends cleaning with a spray of vinegar + Fairy liquid which has the bonus of being cheap as chips and very easy to do. I just made it up in my own spray bottle.

What about bamboo? Anyone used that?

About 12 years ago we had a company come and measure our kitchen in great detail. They then send the measurements off to China who send granite worktops at a fraction of the price that the first company then installs. Takes longer as you have to wait for the boat but a lot cheaper and great quality.

The house we have moved into has them and they looked great for a while but soon deteriorated. I hate them and would love to get them replaced.

I have a wooden worktop and a lazy DH.
DO NOT GET A WOODEN WORKTOP.

Totally agree with pp. the idea is good, it looks beautiful for a few months.

Maintaining it is a pain. It marks, burns, scratches, needs oiling to keep its condition. It leaves tannins on anything damp and made of cloth. Totally impractical for a busy family.

But, as a natural product, compared to granite it's a beautifully cheap alternative.

Our oak ones have been in 4 years now and I love them. Had them in our old house as well when we redid that kitchen. I honestly don’t find them a faff. Yes they do need oiling every 6 months but it isn’t a horrendous job and if I’m being honest we only do ours once a year now! Piling them before you put them in helps. We have no black marks around the sink (or mushrooms!) and find you just have to be careful with tins as they leave black marks. I’m also not saying this as a houseproud person who spends ages cleaning - we are a busy family of four (two young kids) so the kitchen gets a hammering every day and they still look good.

Don't do it unless you're really clean and tidy and can commit to oiling them.

I begged DH not to get a wood worktop - I told him we'd never look after it because we have kids and TBH I am not someone who keeps my kitchen spotless and neither is he, I didn't want it so he'd have to oil it (and I knew he would never oil it enough) but he was totally determined.

He didn't oil it enough the first few months, I got so desperate I oiled it myself once but it was really hard to get it even and stressful that I'd messed it up, so I didn't do it again. He's not oiled it even half as much as it needed since and after 2.5 years there's marks around the hob and the sink, and a few scratches on it too.

DH finally admitted earlier this year that it was a bad idea for us and not one to be repeated!

But other, tidier people have had better experiences.

Don't do it. They look amazing for about three minutes. The oiling is a pain and if you don't do it right makes them look shiny and weird. And then they mark easily and go black around the sink.

Don’t! Unless you live on your own and are fastidious about cleaning.

Wood is fabulous on an island but not anywhere near taps.

We’ve got wood on the island and on one long run of worktop, and then in the section where the sink is we’ve got granite. It’s a simliar tone to the oak and looks fab. The two different surfaces are separated by an oven, so they don’t “meet”.

An option?

Really Osmo Polyx oil is streets ahead of other products, it's fully waterproof and only needs occasional topping up. I may be wrong but I've never heard of someone having a problem with it. You don't have to be precious with it. Don't let your supplier /fitter touch your worktop with Danish oil or any other cheap product and you should be off to a good start. It's staggering the waste of perfectly good timber thats not been properly protected.

You will help things by having traditional sink with a draining board, not an undermount one, as that cuts down the water dripping by 90%.

I have an elm worktop which is varnished not oiled. It’s a very hard wearing varnish used in commercial premises like bars.

It’s not been treated since it was fitted 11 years ago and it still looks good as new. Except for some small scratches and dents of course. No problems around the sink .

I love wooden work surfaces. We had cherry in our last house and that was beautiful. We have had an oak surface for about 22 years. There's no black around the sink. There are some marks but that's just life. We did oil it a lot when it was first in, I think every day for a week then every week for a month and now do it twice a year. It came from Barncrest and has quite long staves.

@MrBennsshop
@NotMeNoNo

Which osmo oil do you use exactly? The polyx seems to be for floors and top oil for worktops?
Our cheap plates haven’t been fired correctly and leave black rings on the wood so looking to invest in new crockery but would also like to have a better protected worktop. We bought ours from Wickes who claim to pre-soak them in vats of oil but they have needed quite a lot of treatment so far and we’ve only had them 7 months

I've had mine in (from a local independent kitchen co.) about 8 years, used Osmo hard top but haven't oiled them for about 5 years. I don't have a dishwasher so the sink is used several times a day, the only marking around the sink is from before using Osmo (and being too lazy to sand it back further).

I understand Polyx oil and Top oil are the same but they packaged a product for worktops as people associated Polyx with floors. I have a tin of Polyx oil at home and use it on any and every wood surface doors, floors, skirtings, furniture etc. Theres also a thinner version for iroko/teak. I really recommend AG woodcare and Wood finishes Direct, they are very knowledgeable about the products.

Thanks for everyone's replies! Lots of great feedback but still very much confused as lots for and lots against!
I think it boils down to if I can be arsed to keep on top of spills etc. Which I don't see that being a problem. Just more worried about other people not being as careful, luckily don't have any teens In The house for a good few years and I suppose dp could be trained 🤔

I did toy with the idea of a separate area of worktop for the sink ! It might still be something to look into
And the osmo oil range sounds amazing !

explanation of hardwax oil. Fiddes is another brand. It even smells nice.

www.wood-finishes-direct.com/product/osmo-polyx-oil-raw-3044?gclid=CjwKCAjw57b3BRBlEiwA1ImytpHuL_ioOS5eRwnrYCEjWYOaqDaEgb9ECnGnyJdTUIKX_WBessBlPBoC6dwQAvD_BwE

This one

Regarding the osmo range.
If I was to go for one what should it be? The polyx furniture wax? Or the one especially for worktops. I want the most water resistant. And also what finish would look better, Matt or satin?

@GuyFawkesDay ahhh, thanks !

I had oak worktop in my last house and loved it. It added a lovely warmth to the kitchen. I've got white corian now and, whilst I do really like it (and it suits the kitchen - wood really wouldn't work with what we've got), I definitely spend much more time cleaning and getting marks off it than my previous wood one.

My DP is a carpenter and is often fitting kitchens and he always advises against butler/Belfast sinks. Especially with wood, I think, because the tops are too exposed to water.

Beech worktop here.

DO NOT GET ONE!

No matter how diligent you are it will stay nice

We have a wooden worktop, but opted for corian around the Belfast sink as wood and water is not a good combination !

Just asked DP and he recommends using a 2 part varnish called 'plastic coat' - you can get lots of different finishes from super matt to gloss. Lasts much longer than oil and is better at protecting the wood from stains, spillages, water etc