Should I make a wooden countertop?

The history of the use of wood for the arrangement of human dwellings and in particular kitchens has hundreds of years. For centuries, kitchens were equipped with wooden tables, at which they not only consumed food, but also prepared it. Wood was used as an affordable, durable and reliable material. Until the beginning of the twentieth century, a wooden countertop was a natural phenomenon in the kitchen. At that time there were no such concepts as built-in furniture, headsets, countertops. All objects in the interior were separate, by themselves they performed their function. And wooden worktops were the norm. But today the question of whether it is worth making a wooden countertop causes some surprise and misunderstanding, because there are so many much more modern and technologically advanced materials. Let’s see how such a solution is actually relevant.

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Wood for countertops - general concepts

The use of wood as a work plane gradually disappeared in the early twenties of the last century. Then, in the fight against microbes, tiles defeated, which became a widely used material for the kitchen. Then they invented plastic, and then all kinds of acrylic compositions. And today the market offers a lot of options - from cheap chipboard to artificial stone, which is not accessible to everyone. Woodworking technologies also did not stand still! Thanks to modern methods of splicing a wooden beam, new methods of processing, staining and impregnating a wooden worktop is again relevant

Most modern mass-produced products with a depth of 60 cm, less often 90, but to find 120 cm, you will have to run a lot.

Important! Deep countertops are made to order, which entails additional costs, but they can be perfectly tailored to the needs and characteristics of your kitchen.

A smooth warm tree with a beautiful natural surface pattern is an excellent material for making furniture. Easy to process, eco-friendly, always up-to-date and fashionable. Moreover, the countertop is not a monolithic, non-lifting wooden cabinet, which is difficult to move. It’s not necessary to make all the furniture out of wood; it would be a reasonable decision to make only clearly visible surfaces from this material - a horizontal working space and vertical facades.

But many are afraid of how wood will behave over time, they are afraid of fungus, cracked varnish and other things. To which the professionals will answer: “A wooden tabletop will not be a problem if adequate measures are taken to take care of it.

Important! Not so many materials that are used for desktops in professional kitchens are not afraid of harmful effects, do not require leaving at all. It should be noted that all materials age during operation, but the peculiarity of the tree is that this process can make it even more beautiful.

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Advantages and disadvantages

So, let's highlight the main advantages and disadvantages of wooden countertops.

Pros:

1. The beauty and variety of wood texture.
2. Environmentally friendly material.
3. Unlimited product parameters - any sizes, anything and any way.
4. It is easy to restore the original look.
5. Possibility of various processing of the edge of the tabletop

Minuses:

• More thorough care.
• After some time, an easy restoration is necessary.
• Relatively expensive materials and work with them.

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What are wooden countertops made of?

Wood materials today differ not only in species. Thanks to new technologies, ways have been discovered to enhance the initial qualities of natural material. Therefore, the question is quite logical when choosing: from which is the wooden countertop better - from solid wood or from glued wood?

1. Solid wood worktops stand out for their natural structure. It is great for classic kitchens, making them more comfortable.
2. The glued wood worktop is assembled from perfectly polished and fitted to each other, wooden blocks of the same size. Such a surface is much more practical than its analogue from a single piece of wood, does not crack, does not swell. For its manufacture, specially selected wood that has undergone preliminary processing is used.

Important! Also, the manufacturing method affects the durability of the product. A tabletop made of solid wood is much more likely to bend than glued, assembled from several layers. This method increases elasticity and flexibility.

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Which tree species is preferred?

When agreeing to a wooden work surface in the kitchen, forget about chipboard, MDF, veneer. Only natural wood! And it is not a question of harmfulness, but of the properties of the material. The kitchen surface is subjected to aggressive use every day: cutting, crumbling, sprinkling, whipping, spilling - all this is natural for the kitchen. The plane should be smooth, strong, resistant to cuts, temperatures, moisture.

Suitable wood options:

• The classic choice is oak or beech. These are strong, durable breeds.
• Some people like teak or merbau. Such options are similar in strength to oak, somewhat inferior to it only in impact resistance, but at the same time are moderately easy to process and look very solid in the interior.
• If the budget is limited, you should pay attention to pine, walnut, birch, ash. They are softer, but have a very pleasant color, they will successfully last several years.
• A great option would be larch. It is more expensive, but it will also last longer. Its peculiarity is that it has a very high fiber density, and annual rings are located at a small distance from each other. It tolerates mechanical damage, deformation, high pressure and compression loads.

Important! Also, the composition of larch includes gum - a natural antiseptic that will protect the tree from decay and fungus.

Pay attention to the following nuances:

1. Age of wood.
2. The method of its extraction.
3. The region where the material was brought from.
4. Storage conditions.

In general, the stronger and harder the wood species, the longer your countertop will serve you.

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Finishing and maintaining a wooden kitchen surface

Wood surfaces can be protected in two ways. You just need to make a choice in favor of varnish or oil. Both products do an excellent job of protecting wood from minor mechanical damage and moisture:

• Thanks to oil impregnation, wood copes better with high temperatures, but still gets a little darker.
• Varnish may provide good coverage, but may peel and crack over time. It also belongs to the group of flammable materials.

Important! To keep your working kitchen surface longer, do not let it overheat. A special protection should be installed above the dishwasher and oven, which protects against exposure to water vapor and hot air.

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Stock footage

Should I make a wooden countertop? Definitely “Yes”, if you strive to make the interior solid, beautiful, solid and natural. A wooden countertop is a wonderful solution for modern kitchens, and you should not be afraid to use such material at all.It takes only a little care for the tree, and your kitchen furniture will delight for a long time!