Everyone is telling me that we're making a big mistake getting a wooden worktop in the kitchen, WWYD?

[navyeyelasH]

We have just bought our first home which needed a new kitchen which will be delivered in a week. All our friends and family members are saying that we will regret having wooden worktops?

I'm totally confused by this as I have done a lot of research and yes I know it will need oiling about every 2-3 months and you can't put hot pans down etc. But people keep saying that it will need oiling every week? That the area around the undermount sink will rot etc. It?s making me really nervy and I don?t know what to do!
We went with wood as I love it and DP can fit it. I don?t like laminate and I don?t like the sort of multicoloured-ness of granite et al.

So will I regret getting a wooden worktop? If we do get wood it will either be American oak which apparently is quite tough or American Black Walnut which is not as strong but does have strong antiseptic properties meaning it?s quite rot resistant.

Also if wood is going to get ruined what other one colour worktops can you get that don?t cost the earth? We have white gloss units, a £1500 budget and 8 meters of worktop to buy.

I?m becoming such a house bore it?s doing my brain in! I thought it would be fun

I believe the wood, treatment of it etc has improved a great deal since 'butcher's block' was first introduced.

Oiling it is actually a pleasure (so my bezzie friend tells me - she has a new wooden top), so bugger that for an argument.

Rotting around sinks etc has all been improved.

Leaving wet stuff on it can mark it but it can be sanded down and smartened up if you need to.

With laminate, you can't put hot stuff down wither, so what's the difference - none-argument in my opinion.

My friend's (as mentioned above) kitchen looks just to gorgeous for words. You go for it!

wither? I meant either and yes, I've just spotted it should be a too in the last sentence - tsk....typing and grammar gone to pot again - soz!

Agree with Doodle. Go for it, it is beautiful to look at and not a pain at all if you are a little careful with it. When we get round to refitting our kitchen I will definitely go for wood again like we did in our last house. Have granite now and must admit am just disappointed with it. It's sort of nothingy iykwim.

Wooden worktops are fine - the oiling is quite relaxing, and ours have lasted well. If it goes horribly wrong your friends can say "I told you so" - until then ignore them. It's your kitchen.

Doodle don't worry about grammar etc I am so thankful for reassurance that I'm happy to read your post, typos and all!

The other kitchen surfaces I can think of I think would make the kitchen quite sterile, corian and glass are the only other worktops that spring to mind and I?m sure they have their drawbacks too? It?s so tricky when you?re not a bloody expert or can?t afford to pay for one.

Let?s see if anyone else posts any negatives of wood, I do agree that it?s all about the wood you buy and how knowledge has improved over the years though doodle and my relatives are all a bit traditional ? I?ve taken a beating for not having a normal sink with a drainer!

I'd love to have wooden worktops. I would do it like a shot if I could. Ignore your mates and get what you want, 'tis your kitchen.

Owls and hassled thanks again for the reassurance - am thnking I might just stick to my guns.

If you could pick any worktop material would you always go for wood? I quite like glass having just had a quick look, but I think wood appeals to more people?

I think that wood isn't that durable.
We looked into this, and the only wood that would last well enough for the price was rainforest-harvested type very very hard teak like wood (Iroquois, I think?). Beech and oak and the like just don't take the abuse well enough to justify their cost over laminate (we found, maybe prices have changed).

My dad has a giant slab of granite as his worktop, which he is in love with; honestly, I have never heard him gush about anything else so domestic. He's had it about 6 year; he has even managed to persuade my grandma to get something similar.

I have oiled aok and they look great and are easy to maintain esp if you have a dishwasher and don't get them soaked that often.I bought them from ikea and have been v surprised at the quality.I rub them down and re oil every month as I like them to look good and its therapeutic.Also give tehm a wipe over with a well rung out cloth.They look good

I had exactly your feelings in my previous house and put in a very similar kitchen.

And I regret the wooden worktops despite saying 'nah, it will be fine'.

It is a hassle oiling every 6 months (you have to pack everything away and clear kids out actually). And yes, the splashback areas do go black easily, as do other bits that get wet or steamy regularly. And they are easy to scorch though you can sand them down again.

I guess it depends on how handy and neat your family are: we are lazy and it was too much effort...

Looked beautiful though.

i ruined mine -moved in to them and ruined them...

i am getting granite - boring but safe

You can buy a lovely product for daily cleaning/oiling from Method which smells of almonds (perhaps because it is almond oil? ) and that helped a lot.

But the proper oil treatment stuff does need doing properly every 6 months.

I would save up and have something like granite or glass or corian if I can ever afford to replace the shite kitchen in my new house

The lady who had our haouse before us had it - the minging dirty horrible bacteria laden cracks around the sink meant that it went when we moved in and was replaced by sensible granite.

I don't actually know anyone who has got on with it that well and doesn't swear each time they try and find something to stamd the hot pan on - whereas we just plonk anything on the granite and it won't mark!

it is black properly black where the tap drips round our sink...

We have it and I hate it. Can't wait until we can afford to change it (but then we're lazy and not very good at doing what we're told! maybe if you're very disciplined it'll be ok).

we're lazy and don't oil ours, and although they don't look fantastic, they look ok - after 2 years! We will sand ours again this summer I think.

Yes, there are a few marks on them where we have put hot things, but they haven't rotted away yet. (we do try to keep wet puddles etc to a minimum though).

We've had wooden worktops twice now and I'd have them again.

The first lot was in our previous house and they needed to be oiled. It really wasn't that much of a hassle but you do need to do it. The advantage is that if you've marked the top you can just sand it out and it will look like new. Generally, we did it just before going away for the weekend and then it didn't matter that we couldn't use the worktops for a while.

The second lot is in our present house, and it is a much higher quality kitchen. This worktop needs to be varnished, not oiled, but it is pretty much the same process: clean, sand, varnish and leave to set. The previous owners put the thing in and re-did the varnish just before they put the house on the market. We've now had it for three years and it is only now needing to be re-done.

Get the drip fixed!If you don't want to maintain them go for something else but they look great esp with white units.I spray the area around the sink with wood silk every few days and not one mark so far but is only 9 months old

noddy - it is on the way out!

the island unit has just gone to the garage and the sink units days are numbered!

we have oiled oak. We oil it about every 6 months - and it is surprisingly easy to do. I am fairly hot on wiping up any water left standing on it - around the sink particularly - but it is fine.

Having said that - I think they are easy to damage - by not wiping up spills straight away etc - so maybe not ideal if you have kids who are likely to mess them up (or in my case a mum !).

Does it help that I don't have children? And that I'm quite an anal person by nature? I think I'm still going to go for wood, those that say it sucks also seem to be the ones that don't oil.

I take everything (only have kettle, toaster and a spoon rest) of my (currently laminate) kitchen side every other evening and give it a good clean with sopay water.

I also intend to have hot rods put in either side of the hob and a stack of worktop protectors lying around.

Also have a dishwasher and will not use drainer that often but when we do will be using one of those ones that drain into the sink IYSWIM.

I think so long as I'm aware of the risks and take steps to minimise the risks all will be well. Am I being niave??

Thanks for all the great responses. We are thinking we might be able to stretch to glass but I am not sure if I prefer it to wood and surely it has it's bad points too?

We had them (just IKEA ones, nothing fancy) and they looked lovely but were a bit of a PITA as, despite oiling, they did get marked by spilt liquid if it wasn't wiped up quickly. (Bot you sound as though you would wipe up more quickly than me anyway )
Looked nice though.

Go for it It is gorgeous when in good nick.take no notice of these lazy moos and the ikea block ones aren't great but the extra thick factory oiled oak are quite a bargain.