Wooden worktops

[stevechase]

No, not the "biggest spotty dog you ever did see" show.

Hi all

I have a question about kitchens, quite obvioulsy aimed at women, which are the ones that should spend most of their day in there!

The good lady has managed to raid the local buiilding society and grab enough cash for us to re do the kitchen. It has been done for about 7 years and needs a bit of a freshen up, without spending a bomb (3 weeks at POR remember in 2007).

Anyway, I have tracked down some nice replacement doors and the floor was done about 6 months back, so other than tiles we just need the worktops. I dont want to go mad, but would really like Pukka wooden tops, we have a belfast sink and I think it would look the part. Couldnt afford them 6 odd years back but they have dropped dramtically in price. However, I laid (bear with me here) a solid oak floor about 3 years back in the whole down stairs, looked amazing, oiled oak planks. BUT, within about 6 months it was filthy, marked and stained (the wife decided to point out what a stupid idea it was and a waste of about 4 grand! bless them eh?). So what I need to know is, does anyone have a proper wooden worktop(s) and how practical are they?

Thanks ever so ladies!

Steve

 

[carolfoy]

I don't have any now but only because I hated them so much I've gone back to the beech effect kind! I used to have a small farmhouse style kitchen which had the main section of worktop in solid oak - I must have spent years of my life scrubbing that darn thing and of course anything dropped on it would make slight indentations, a real germ catcher! If I could afford it I'd go Corian through and through but unless you can just have a smaller piece of the kitchen fitted with wood and make sure all chopping/preparing/'real work' is done else where I'd avoid it like the plague!

 

[stevechase]

hi Carol

Thanks for that feedback, it is odd, cause I have a friend who works for a company called wilsonart and they sell all sorts of lamiante but in the trade proper wood is considered to be the best surface ever he says, and they dont even sell it.

I guessed you were going to say somthing like you have, I am tending to agree with you I think. It looks great in the brochures, but there are very rarely 3 kids spilling ribena on it in the adds!

Thanks

Steve

 

[carolfoy]

its a bit like having tiled worktops or a nice plastic coloured sink!! they look great (at first) but are so impractical

 

[Clare D]

I thought about a wood worktop but for the same reasons as Carol pointed out I am steering clear. I am going to opt for granite instead, a bit pricey but I have never heard a bad word said about it.

 

[UKDEB]

I thought about a wood worktop but for the same reasons as Carol pointed out I am steering clear. I am going to opt for granite instead, a bit pricey but I have never heard a bad word said about it.

My brother and sister-in-law have a granite worktop. It looks stunning and, needless to say, is almost indestructible. But, s-i-l spends her whole life wiping it down and, even with a special cloth, it still needs drying to buff it back to a shine, otherwise it dries streaky. I'm not saying I wouldn't have it if I could afford it, but it would drive me crazy. Stainless steel appliances, ditto.

 

[Frances999]

When we moved into our current house the kitchen had granite worktops, but when we re-designed it we chose to have DuPont Corian worktops installed, and I must say that they have been wonderful. Stains and even scratches can be removed just by light rubbing with a cloth or scouring pad and warm water. Compared to granite it is warmer to touch, the joints can be seamless and also the sink has been completely integrated into the worktop design. Granite is also more pourous and can quite easily stain unless you have an effective finish and sealing. We also received a 10-year DuPont guarantee for the worktop and it can be easily repaired if necessary.

 

[SammieG]

a number of my friends have wooden worksurfaces in their kitchens and every single one of them says "never again"

They need constant work, and if they do not get it they rot.. and look absolutely awful. They mark with just water on them, and its difficult to keep the area around the sink water free.. and then they get all mildew-y and look awful.

I think it depends how much work you are prepared to put in...
we have a beech effect work surface and to be honest it looks the same until close inspection...

 

[Cyrano]

Wow didn't realise there was such a lot to think about work surfaces
Have to agree about the comments on DuPont Corian ... perfect for the man in the kitchen

 

[Laurafoster]

We have a wooden work tops in the house we moved into and i would not get them again.

They mark really easy - burn marks etc if you put somethig hot on them as opposed to a granite or lamiate it wouldnt. We have to sand and restain ours every so often just to keep it looking nice.

Dont get me wrong they do look fabulous but they take a bit of work to maintain them! If you have the time to do this then fine if not i would go for something a little more easy maintanience!

 

[stevechase]

Apparently the granite are porus and if you do start to get water in it can start to break up, rare i grant you but it can happen. The wooden ones just seem too much trouble, our wooden floor looked great but after a while it was terrible dirty marks all over it the lot.

The corian ones I am not too keen, dont take offence the ones that have them but I cant help think they look like McDonalds counters, I know they are practical but too much like a comerical top. My mate works for this laminate company and he is always trying to flog them to me.

Looks like it will laminate again.

One other point, someone mentioned Stainless Steel, we got a Bosch double coker in Stainless, it marks if someone walks into the room, they are a pain in the But, but look nice when clean.

Thanks for all the feedback

Cheers

(Bugger! 2 - 0 to the Toffees)

Steve

 

[SammieG]

oh dont get me started on stainless steel Steve!

Good luck with whatever choice you make.. Im sure it will look fabulous!

 

[carolfoy]

For all you with stainless steel worktops/appliances, to keep them shiny get a cloth and rub them down with a bit of olive oil, it'll keep the sheen on them.