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Thread: Wooden Kitchen Countertop

  1. #1
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    Wooden Kitchen Countertop

    I have a client, who wants a wooden countertop in their kitchen. So the question is anybody have experience doing this? Also it's a "L" shaped kitchen so I'm trying to figure how to deal with the corner..... I know that a 2' top is going to have some movement and I'm not sure how to deal with that. Thanks for any advice! Jess
    Only one life will soon be past
    Only whats done for Christ will last

  2. #2
    At the L intersection, you can treat one side like the breadboard end of the other.

    If there will be a back splash, you can allow a gap between the rear edges and the wall to allow for movement in that direction.

    If you select quartersawn wood or if you orient many flatsawn, narrow boards edge-grain-up, you can minimize the expansion in either direction.

    Last, you can use any number of table-to-apron attachment methods to the cabinet. My favorite is turn buttons that ride loose in an elongated slot in the cabinet side and screw tight to the top.
    Last edited by Prashun Patel; 09-02-2014 at 9:15 AM.

  3. #3
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    It seems to me that the problem with allowing for movement in a wooden counter top is liquids. Seepage into the gap meant for movement, especially if it's more than just water, could easily lead to problems.

    I am one who is leery of wooden counter tops. It's better if it's plywood, so you can seal the seams, but even then it makes me uncomfortable. Wood is comparatively soft with a relatively low burn temperature .. plus it's susceptible to damage by moisture (think white rings, like on a table, as a matter of course). I forsee dents, scratches, discoloration and stains short of vigilant protection efforts. Strictly my 2¢.

  4. #4
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    Wood countertops can be problematic. I usually advise clients against them, especially if there is a sink involved, but I do them when they insist. Just installed one about a week ago.

    Good advice above regarding treating one leg as the breadboard end of the other, and allowing expansion to the rear, and using QS material.

    I also warn clients about moisture damage potential and the requirement for continued maintenance (I soak with mineral oil and give a bottle with instructions to the client)--- the end grain at any sink cutout is especially vulnerable.

  5. #5
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    Thanks guys for all the suggestions. I personally am not in favor of using wood, but the client is set on it.....going to be using a marine grade poly to finish. I guess they used it on there kitchen table and have been impressed how it held up so we'll see what happens.
    I'm thinking of mounting it solid to the back of the cabinets and then using some sliding anchors on the front because they're just using tile for the backsplash and I"m afraid thats not going to give me any room for movement back there. I also thought about just keep gluing the short side of the L parallel with everything else as it's only 24" long?
    Only one life will soon be past
    Only whats done for Christ will last

  6. #6
    "I also thought about just keep gluing the short side of the L parallel with everything else as it's only 24" long"

    I am unclear what this means. If you mean you intend to permanently glue the short side of the L to the long side of the L , I wouldn't do that. I would use a breadboard method of attachment which keeps the two halves tight together, and in the same vertical plane, but allows them to shift freely.

  7. #7
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    This is my counter top. 1 1/2'' Mahogany. I've made two of these with no connection fail or shrinking problem. Used epoxy to join boards. Used biscuits for the alinement of the sections with under mount connectors & epoxied it together. I coated back of the section that has the sink with epoxy to keep moisture out. It's 10yrs old & I have refinished it once. Someone stayed in the house for a few weeks & they weren't nice to the wood. So I refinished it...IMG_9381.jpg

  8. #8
    Jay,guests do seem to be a problem for wood tops. I notice the compass rose is not parallel with grain and might actually
    be correctly oriented. A nice touch. I have a mirror noon mark with line drawn on ceiling.

  9. #9
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    The compass rose points north with an abalone shell star at north....

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by Jay Jolliffe View Post
    The compass rose points north with an abalone shell star at north....
    I can see the star now ,thanks. A most pleasing room.

  11. #11
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    Thanks Mel.....Built the house my wife & self in the middle of the woods...It was fun & hard at the same time....

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Prashun Patel View Post
    "I also thought about just keep gluing the short side of the L parallel with everything else as it's only 24" long"

    I am unclear what this means. If you mean you intend to permanently glue the short side of the L to the long side of the L , I wouldn't do that. I would use a breadboard method of attachment which keeps the two halves tight together, and in the same vertical plane, but allows them to shift freely.

    The countertop is basically a straight run with a 24" x 24" piece to make it a "L" and I was thinking of orienting the boards all running in the same direction. So I'd basically have a 4' wide board on the bottom of the L....

    Jay what did you use for under mount connectors? Btw I love the inlay, look fabulous! Jess
    Only one life will soon be past
    Only whats done for Christ will last

  13. #13
    That will definitely work and has the benefit of giving you a 'seamless' corner. However, you'll have end-grain oriented out on the short span. This is an aesthetic choice that may not be for everyone. It could be thinly edge-banded, though, if it's an issue.

  14. #14
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    I am no expert and I have concrete counters in my kitchen but I would be leery of the polyurethane for the finish. Poly and something that will get wet and hot will, I think, be problematic.
    I have a wood tub-surround that we finished with WATERLOX - it has about 6 coats on it (applied once or twice a day for several days) and it has done beautifully. It resists the water and has not stained at all. Obviously, it does not deal with heat in that location but it is recommended by many folks for kitchen counters. I would not hesitate to use it if I had wood counters.
    T'ain't cheap - but heck, nothing is. It also gives a beautiful luster to the wood and brings out the grain (the tub surround is cherry) rather than the plastic feel that I dislike with poly...
    my $.0175 (still working on building it up to a full $.02)
    john

  15. #15
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    I used 8 coats of poly on mine & has held up great. What I finished it first was good stuff forget where I got it. Same Idea as waterlox but made for wood counters. Didn't hold up that well (not after guests used the house for a few weeks) so I stripped it & used poly....holding up a lot better....The connectors I used were from Woodcraft Jesse.27C01.jpg
    Last edited by Jay Jolliffe; 09-04-2014 at 6:02 PM.

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