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

[quote cosmo30]@NotMeNoNo I want a double Belfast. Can they be overmounted? As I know undermounted will cause more splash won't it [/quote]
If you look at my pictures, mine is a double Belfast under-mounted, and I have a ceramic sit-on drainer as I got sick of impossible to clean draining rack/drainers.

I do like the idea of undermounted as it just looks nicer!
Yes I think the sink we have seen has a big triangular space where a tap could fit.
I might skip draining grooves though.

Also to the poster who mentioned the varnish, I like the idea of that but I'd be too scared of completely messing it up

I don’t know; I’m of the view that kitchens are practical rooms and what looks nice is just influenced by what we get used to seeing. Under mount sinks don’t look nice when there is a scummy ring around the sealant under the worktop and the wood has got marked from being used as a drainer. An inset sink is a much better design. Draining grooves do nothing really. When we had a double sink I put a simple human drainer in the second bowl, you can get away with it if you have a dishwasher. But if you need a draining board, get a sink with one attached, believe me everyone will admire it.

@cosmo30
Our kitchen fitter did the varnish as part of the job.

I mean look at this, duck boards!(Thomas Denby ). I should shut up now.

@NotMeNoNo do you have a link for the duck board?

Erm it was Google images on ceramic inset sink. Hang on

eastcoastkitchens.co.uk/kitchen-sinks-taps/4488-thomas-denby-epicurean-double-tap-hole-15-bowl-ceramic-sink-white.html

Can't find it as a product, should not be hard to trim one down then you could Osmo that too.

Thanks . It's only the duckboard I'm interested in. I'm going to Carrara marble anyway around sink!

Slightly off topic now, what colour range cooker would go best with a white unit oak worktop kitchen? Stainless steel ??

@ErrolFinn

For people that have used osmo oil, did you use osmo wood protector first or just straight to the osmo oil?

I used both. If you spill any water on it, it shatters into little droplets. It's brilliant stuff.

Our sink is like this one.

A friend's got mushrooms growing on them when they were away for a month over the summer.
They are pretty gross imo.

I love ours! They’re Ikea ones. They’ve been in seven years and I’ve oiled them twice (although they do need doing again). We live on a farm with three dogs and two cats. We’re not remotely house proud or clean freaks. There’s not a mark on them. We were advised not to have a Belfast sink with wood, and I wanted a double sink anyway. We blur any spilt water with kitchen towel and use trivets for pans. We use clear glass mats near the kettle/microwave and quire often dish things up on the ceramic range. Not had the slightest issue or had to sand. These photos were taken right now when the place needs cleaning!

@MrBennsshop where did you get your sink?

Just to add to the other comments above about iroko worktops, I too had my heart set on oak but went for iroko in the end after lots of research. It's a naturally dense and oily wood so much better than oak at resisting water damage. I used Osmo Wood Wax Extra Thin, on the advice of Wood Finishes Direct, as it penetrates dense wood better than the standard variety. Was initially worried I wouldn't like the colour of the iroko as it's a rich, reddish brown, but I love it and it looks like new 2.5 years later. We got ours from Worktop Express and fitted ourselves. Very affordable.

I'm just about to replace my wooden worktop..looked lovely to start with but now very marked and is black and rotting around the sink where tap has slightly leaked ☹️

Have you tried oxalic acid for the water marks - I suspect they are just stains not actual rot.
www.agwoodcare.co.uk/products/oxalicacid/

We have oak on our fireplace and use oxalic acid too

I had oak tops with a Belfast sink at my last house. Never again. Honestly, you have to be sooooooo diligent. I found it really stressful.

Have Quartz tops here. Bomb proof. Look great. No stress!

@cosmo30 I’ve got a black range master encore with off white cabinets and oak worktop. I’ll try to attach a pic when I’ve tidied up

@SingingWaffleDoggy great, thank you!

[quote Sooverthemill]@MrBennsshop where did you get your sink?[/quote]
It was from ikea. We managed to get the very last one before they changed the model though. The new version doesn't have the same back any more, it's narrower and there's no tap hole. Not so keen on the new version tbh.

This one is the nearest I can find now, but it's £££:

www.tapwarehouse.com/p/villeroy-boch-6323-691-r1?gclsrc=aw.ds&&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI5cr77OOV6gIVmMmyCh3LFQxEEAQYCiABEgIOYvD_BwE

This is on an island so if I’m stood at the cooker I’m looking out at the room so not the first thing you see walking into the room iyswim. Note the sanded patches on the worktop and the lack of kick boards! On the plus side, my Osmo oil arrived today

And the floor is more like the worktop color, but the island lights make it look different

my grandpa would be laughing his head off...

they had oak in the kitchen because it was wood and it didn't matter what it looked like - it took the bashes and the scratches and the scrapes without denting your pots or breaking your plates. It was cleaned with a scrubbing brush.