Wood counter top?

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Good day all,

My wife and I are placing a bid on a historic home from 1836. We are going to redo the kitchen, and my wife wants me to make wood counter tops. I told her wood and sinks or stoves don't really have a friendly relationship. She is dead set on the idea of wood counter tops. The stove can be a separate unit and the sink can be one of those big basin sinks that are almost like a stand-alone sink with a skirt up front.

I think it would look cool, and may even be period correct for Dutch Colonial Caribbean home. I may do just an island in wood and the rest in granite. Anyway, the questions:

Have any of you done a wood counter top, and how did you like it?
Would it work to just do an oiled finish like a cutting board, with the understanding that I would have to keep it oiled?


By the way, here is the stove idea: http://www.elmirastoveworks.com/antique/ranges/



Thanks,

Malcolm

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Here is exactly what I am referring to for the sink:

http://www.houzz.com/photos/2180260/Captiva-Beach-Cottage-tropical-kitchen-other-metro

[Bill Huber]

I love that stove and that would look really good.

On the counter top I have no idea but when I think if Bars, a lot of them have wood bars on them and they hold up really well over time so maybe that would be a way to go.... just a thought.

[Jamie Buxton]

Here is exactly what I am referring to for the sink:

http://www.houzz.com/photos/2180260/Captiva-Beach-Cottage-tropical-kitchen-other-metro

That's a good way to install a wood counter near the sink. When the counter dies (and it will...), it will be easy to replace with something more water-resistant, like granite.

[Matt Meiser]

Lehmans Hardware in Kidron, OH has a whole line of modern appliances wrapped for a period look like that stove. You can even get a matching microwave.

[Rich Engelhardt]

I wouldn't be so quick as to dismiss wooden countertops.

Waterlox actually recommends their product for kitchen and bath wood countertops.
http://www.waterlox.com/assets/pdfs/counter-guide-FINAL.pdf

Since they've been around for over 100 years and their product has stayed largely the same, I'd feel pretty safe using it.

[Mel Fulks]

Malcolm, you might want to bring up the old thread on this subject which was fairly lengthy and detailed. As for Waterlox ,the guy who seemed to be the boss there told me in phone conservation that that it would take a long time for the smell to go away and could actually flavor the food. Shellac would be easiest to recoat ,safe for food,quick drying ,and mixed fresh ,much more water resistance than commonly thought.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Thanks to all. Great replies. Apologies that I did not consider searching for old threads before posting.

[Fred Perreault]

I am sure that many of us have used laminated maple "butcher block" countertops. I have 2 in my kitchen, one near the sink, both by John Boos (commercially made full 8/4 thick) and they are 28 years old. I use only mineral oil and scrape and sand them every 8 months or so and they always look good. That may not be the look you are after.

[Sam Murdoch]

I have built c-tops and bar tops for non sink sides, a few that are in good use 20 +years later. I would not hesitate to build a wooden top like you show in the photo for a sink cabinet using Waterlox top and bottom and saturating the end grain with epoxy prior to any finish. I would also add a drip kerf under the overhang to prevent water from passing between the sink top and the underside of the c-top.

As to Mel's comment about the smell - well yes the Waterlox will really take a few months to cure but the smell will be gone in a week. Ideally you would fit the c-top but finish it in the shop and wait a week or two (longer is better) before putting it to use. That is just the price you pay for using Waterlox - which will otherwise give years of service and can easily be recoated. In any case you would not use your wood c-tops as cutting boards and food prep would be done on a cutting board as you would with any other c-top. At least in our house we use cutting boards that can be thoroughly washed and don't put food directly on the counters for processing.

[Mel Fulks]

Just want to be clear that the guy I talked with was the boss of Waterlox, not a paint store manager. I looked at that link on the product and find it interesting ,this is not the first case of a proprietor having a different opinion than that of his advertising people. If the finish smell disappears in a week it's going to be a LONG week. And a pregnant wife is going to spend it somewhere else.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

The curing issue would not be a huge problem. The house has a kitchen downstairs which was at one time a separate apartment, so we can use it during the renovation. Also the kitchen has two porches and two big windows, and a door to seal it off from the rest of the house, so we can air it out.

[Sam Murdoch]

Just want to be clear that the guy I talked with was the boss of Waterlox, not a paint store manager. I looked at that link on the product and find it interesting ,this is not the first case of a proprietor having a different opinion than that of his advertising people. If the finish smell disappears in a week it's going to be a LONG week. And a pregnant wife is going to spend it somewhere else.

Not disputing with you Mel, I agree that the smell of Waterlox curing for a week in a living space is very unpleasant and likely not healthy, at the least. That's why I suggested that the finishing and curing be done elsewhere. I would not have it in my house and my wife would be even less tolerant. The smell permeates and seems to cling to everything. Great product otherwise.

[ron david]

the smell would come from it being in an enclosed area as if it was applied under the sink or the bottom of the top aseg. like applying any oiled based varnish or oil finish inside of a piece of furniture. the open to the air parts will be fine after 3 or 4 days with waterlox. it is yhe unexposed areas that will cause the smell problem; like old rotten varnish after a while
ron

[kevin nee]

That is a great stove. When I was looking I did a search of about 150 miles. I found A dealer that wanted to move one that had been sitting in the showroom for a while.
GOOD LUCK!

[Mark Blatter]

I a used a product several years ago called 'good stuff' on a butcher block counter top for big kitchen island that a customer wanted. I had some left over so did a couple of cutting boards with it as well for myself. That cutting board is still going strong and has survived many washings. Good Stuff is safe for food, so no worries there. Amazon and many others sell it. Search for 'emmets good stuff finish'.

[Mike Wilkins]

Go to the Fine Homebuilding site and do a search for wood counter tops. Sometime in the last 1-2 years they had an article on building wood counter tops and the finishing steps used in protecting them. It can be done with careful planning.

[Kevin Post]

Here are some pictures of my walnut countertop with an under-mount stainless steel sink. I've had good results using Waterlox finish and followed their finish schedule. Be sure to finish the underside of the countertop around the sink opening as well as the inside of the holes for the fixtures with Waterlox. After it's all finished, mount the sink and fixtures and seal them with clear silicone. It takes a while for the finish to completely cure to the desired hardness. Until that happens, treat the counters with TLC.

Waterlox polishes nicely with oil and rottenstone if you want a high-gloss finish. I used the satin finish because I didn't want it to show smudges and scratches. I think the beauty of the wood comes through more. The catch... Their satin finish is high in solids and quite thick. It doesn't flatten out as well as their Sealer/Finish which is somewhat glossy. It left brush marks. I called them... They told me I could thin the Satin product with mineral spirits (not low odor) and some of the regular Sealer/Finish (much runnier than the satin) so that it would flow and flatten out better. It worked beautifully.

Do not apply wax over the Waterlox finish. One of the nice things about Waterlox is you can repair damage by reapplying new finish over the old. However, if you use wax the finish won't adhere and there is not way to remove all of the wax once applied.

I hope all of this helps you. I've attached a couple of photos I posted of the bar top and my Scrap Pile Wall.

273671273672