Are wooden worktops a good idea?
Last Updated on January 27, 2021
The wooden worktop has a long tradition in the kitchen, but many people worry about their suitability. Let’s try to dispel some myths about the wooden surface to help you on your journey of refurbishing your kitchen.
The top question we get at House of Worktops is, is wood hygienic? This has become all the more acute in people’s minds during these uncertain times.
Others ask, is there any special care or maintenance required and can I do it myself or do I need a carpenter? And what can I do if my tabletop gets burned or scarred? Is it environmentally sound to be using wood when there is such a great need to be taking action on climate change? We will address these so you know our stance and solutions.
Advantages of solid wood
Wood is a complex mixture of compounds with cellulose and lignin making up the majority by mass. Trees have to cope with pathogens like bacteria, viruses and fungal diseases that grow on them parasitically.
To help them survive, wood has integral bacterial growth inhibitors and antiseptic qualities; this is mostly for the monomers of lignin polyphenols.
Maintenance
A solid wooden worktop has some basic maintenance beyond the normal cleaning. Once every 6 weeks or so, they require oiling with a spare quantity of Danish oil (a mix of varnish and linseed) which gives a satin, protective layer to the wood, whilst slowly enhancing its grain depth and lustre.
When a solid wooden surface is significantly damaged by a deep scratch or scaled by hot cookware, there is always the option to resurface the table. This can be done in a DIY manner, with a heavy sanding followed by a re-varnishing. Alternatively, craftsmen can inexpensively resurface any wooden kitchen top.
This is not the case with marble, slate and granite which would require specialist grinding services with a mobile stone grinder.
With laminate work tops resurfacing is not an option, and you would have to replace it.
Appearance
Wood is far from homogenous; it is subtle and varied. Not only between the species of tree used, but all so within each tree, from the creamy oak wood to dark chocolate wood of maple or the tight grain of oak. This is only further enhanced with ageing and drying, where we have the capacity to straighten and work the wood.
Having a ‘tree to customer’ business model puts categorising the dried wood directly under our supervision. Allowing the selection of the best staves for our premium oak or the most flawless pale planks when working beech, doubling down on the natural character of the wood.
Sustainability
Our wooden worktop sourcing occurs out in the Baltic, from government licensed and managed groves ensuring long-term tree farming. We have vertically integrated the entire process of production for wooden work surfaces; from sourcing the living tees, logging them, ageing and crafting – to the showrooms, where you can get a glimpse of how they may look in your home. So we can guarantee the long-term sustainability of our wood sources.