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Original poster

Solid wood worktops-are they practical???

23 replies

SandyChick · 21/10/2008 20:58

Hi, we're planning our new kitchen at the moment and would like solid wood work tops in oak/walnut.

We know they need oiling and looking after more than granite or laminate but are they practical in a b usy family kitchen.

Im concerned that they are going to end up stained and cratched in 12 months and look naff?

Does anyone have solid wood worktops...would you reccommend???

OP posts:

LadyOfRoffle · 21/10/2008 20:59

I am putting them in this or next Saturday, am worried about staining too...

RubyShivers · 21/10/2008 21:00

i have them (inherited)

you need to look after them - linseed oil and buffed

i wouldn't have chosen them but they look v nice

EBenes · 21/10/2008 21:02

The stains are sort-of-easily(!) removed with buffing and linseed, as Ruby says. DH is always making black marks on them by putting incredibly hot pans straight from the oven onto them, or leaving tins to be recycled on them that leave black rust rings. All come off and they will look as good as new. But all are easily avoidable!

MrsMattie · 21/10/2008 21:02

We've had them for about 2 months now and they are holding up well. You need to put on many layers of the waxing stuff they come with, and top it up every now and then. Ours have a few small scratches already from careless manouevres with pots and pans, but nothing major, and they haven't stained at all - not even red wine or curry have stained them. In fact, they're very easy to keep clean. Just make sure you protect them from heat.

yousaidit · 21/10/2008 21:04

No, they are a bloody nightmare: we've got them and i wish we'd just got some stainless steel worktops! We should have sanded and oiled them every 6m but didn't and they are warpedto buggery even though they are really thick, they stain easily, we sill have to use chopping oards for everything so the wood doesn't get scratched too quickly.

They do look nice though

skewputt · 21/10/2008 21:10

I started a thread like this a while back before I got my kitchen put in and people had differing opinions on how practical they are. FWIW I absolutely LOVE mine, they look so fab compared to laminate, it really made the kitchen.

They do take a bit of extra effort eg making sure to oil regularly, especially round the sink, but well worth it. I kept a couple of offcuts and screwed handles on them so they go next to the hob and sink where most of the wet or dirty things will be put down.

As has been said, any serious marks can be sanded out and as it's natural a few marks and scratches further down the line can just look a bit "weathered" rather than naff.

One thing though - I have heard horror stories about ikea wood worktops warping so might be worth spending a bit more.

ilovemydog · 21/10/2008 21:12

we have oak. use danish oil regularly.

booge · 21/10/2008 21:15

I'm rubbish at looking after things but never had any problems with our oak worktops, we are just about to fit a new kitchen in a different house and would have them again.

tissy · 21/10/2008 21:15

we have mahogany, rarely bother oiling, and they're fine!

we did get some large metal trivets from Ikea for next to the cooker, and have avoided any hot-pan incidents!

DoubleBluff · 21/10/2008 21:17

I have bamboo, it looks lovely and is no worse than any other woksurface.
I have a few of thos glass worktop protectors either side of the hob, for pans.
I love mine they really make the kitchen.

NotAnOtter · 21/10/2008 21:22

i would say no

i inherited them and am very house proud

i have RUINED them in several places

FattipuffsandThinnifers · 21/10/2008 21:23

It might depend what kind of wood, whether it's sealed or not, and how much it needs oiling. My sister has a lovely dark wood (possibly mahogany?) worktop which is great, but in our old place we used to have a beech worktop which was fine except for around the sink - despite regularly oiling it, after a few years the wood started rotting and was irredeemable.

HeadFairy · 21/10/2008 21:25

I have oak worktops and they're brilliant. They're 18 months old and I've oiled them three times in that time and they're holding up well. Any stains can be sanded out and re oiled, which you can't do with granite or laminate. The oiling really only takes a second, the oil is pretty runny, no buffing required, just a quick rub down with the oil making sure it's evenly spread, then a couple of hours to let it dry. Bob's your uncle. One word of warning, it might be worth thinking about having stainless steel (or something else similarly waterproof) around your sink area as mine has got water stains on despite me being absolutely obssessed about cleaning up water around the taps and draining board. It's not terrible, and like any other stains it can be sanded out, but it's a bit of a pain. We've got a tiny kitchen so stainless steel around the sink would have looked odd, but if you've got more space I'd definitely consider it.

Oh and I've taken pans straight off the hob and oven and put them straight on the wood and so far no marks.

TheBlonde · 23/10/2008 08:35

It's a no from me
Ours look a state
No time for reoiling and sanding here

chocolatedot · 23/10/2008 09:22

I have a small section of oak worktop and I would never have it again. DH left a damp ceramic bowl on the surface and it left a mark which cannot be removed (despite sanding and oiling). In contrast we have stainless steel and granite work tops which look as pristine as the day they were installed 10 years ago. I've yet to find anything which will leave a mark on granite.

mumblechum · 23/10/2008 09:36

I've only had them in holiday homes, which I suppose may not have been exactly treasured, and they do often look quite manky.

As others have said, if you can be faffed to invest q. a lot of time on them they can look nice.

mppaw · 23/10/2008 09:58

No from me aswell.
No time in chez paw to sand and oil, so when had kitchen done 18 months ago, went for black granite, OMG it is superb.
Pans can go on it straight from the oven/hob, no marks what so ever.
Hot soapy water and an E-Cloth and it comes up like a mirror......LOVE IT.

deepinlaundry · 23/10/2008 10:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Raindog · 23/10/2008 10:14

I adore our wooden worktop. We went for a thick oak and it looks beautiful. A nice worktop means you can get away with a cheaper kitchen (the shiny white one from Ikea is what we went for). We also have a breakfast bar made from it and although there are a few tiny specks of felt tip pen from the DDs it's looking fine. I think a few dents don't matter in a family kithen. It's not so much hot things that we find make a mark on it, as water. You really need to oil it around the sink area and make sure the sink is well sealed. You can end up with horrible black water marks.

If you are worried about hot things then you could try some of these hot rods

We've got some next to our hob and they are brilliant as well as being quite funky.

DoubleBluff · 24/10/2008 15:07

I like thoe hot rods, wil get some for mine!

ledodgy · 24/10/2008 15:12

I love our oak worktop. I've had it a year now and recently sanded and oiled it and it's like new again. It even looks good when it's a bit worn too though it gives it a bit of character iyswim.

hannahsaunt · 24/10/2008 15:15

We have very thick beech worktops and I LOVE them. I've only oiled them twice in 5 years but they're fine and unstained. We have granite at our sink area so no warping issues.

hanaflower · 24/10/2008 15:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

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