kitchen worktop-solid wood or not?

[ange2008]

I'm planning on a new shaker style kitchen and would love solid wood worktops.
I've heard, however, that they are a bit of a nightmare to maintain etc.
Is this true?
I dont mind maintaining them 2-3 times a year, but anything more may put me off!
Any advice, tips, previous experience would be greatly received, as would alternative suggestions to solid wood!

Thanks

 

[oilman]

(Jamie Oliver has one (so what )) Have a solid wood one. Maintenance is not a great problem. I'd just use tung oil which will protect against fruit juices going deep into the wood, and give an easy to maintain surface.. Wipe up spills immediately, you should be doing this whatever surface you have. Don't use it as a chopping board. A separate sacrificial piece of wood does this job. A wipe of oil is so easy, that you probably won't mind doing it more often than 3 times a year, after all, you'd wipe it down anyway, just wipe with an oiled cloth after to finish.

 

[andy2306]

I have had them installed in my kitchen, and they are relativly easy to maintain.

the main problem is that they expand and contract with changes in hunidity and temperature fluctuations, the joints keep cracking open, they have pushed the wall, which wont be a problem for me, but might be a problem for future occupants and when you need to oil them, you have to remove everything from the surface for a day and rub oil in. I love the effect and love them in my current house, but wouldnt have them again now i have had them once.

Better than laminate worktops but.................

Next time reconstituted stone or granite all the way.

 

[glock339]

Ive got one in my house that I bought about a year and a half ago. I must admit I never even thought about needing to maintain it until reading this post. So far I seem to have gotten away with it, but I reckon I'll get some of that tung oil and start looking after it from now on.

 

[LindsayO]

I had one in my last house and wouldn't have one again.
Having said that it was a small kitchen and there really was only counter top on either side of the sink. I needed to maintain it with tung oil about every few weeks.

I wonder if maybe it wasn't treated with enough oil before it was installed.
Anytime I left any even slightly damp metal on it it left an ugly black stain
So if I grated some carrots (on a board) and put the grater down on the worktop, by the time I'd finished cooking I had a mark that I had to sand back and re-oil

The taps were fitted through the worktop and the area around them and around the sink got very blackened (right into the wood) and I had to sand it back quite hard. To prevent this I had to dry the area with a towel and oil it.

I dont think it was because I neglected it. I did oil it regularly. Its just the oil didn't seem to sink in and stay in the wood, it got dried out very quickly, so I would say more of constant vigilance rather than an occasional wipe down

 

[DIYerHELP]

The good thing with solid wood worktops is that if you do get a ding, dent or scratch you can sand them down and re-oil.

The effect is nice with a cream Shaker door, better than a piece of plastic (laminate), not so expensive as granite (which I'm told still needs treating).

Oiling takes a few minutes to do with a brush or cloth per length, leave for a while and wipe off. Then wipe off any oil that resurfaces then next day.

 

[oilman]

So if I grated some carrots (on a board) and put the grater down on the worktop, by the time I'd finished cooking I had a mark that I had to sand back and re-oil

Sound as though the original oiling might have been suspect.