By: Jenny Cazares
You can order your wood kitchen countertops either treated or untreated.
You could have them stained or treated with a polyurethane or lacquer. Also, you can choose satin, semi-gloss, or a glossy finish. Satin is the most common finish; a glossy finish, however, offers the most protection.
If your tops come untreated, with no stain or finish, you will need to care for them. If you choose this option, they will require routine maintenance.
If you are using your butcher block to prepare food, you should not add any chemical stain or finish, even if it is water based. It would not be considered safe, due to the dried coating that could penetrate your food when using knives. It’s better to leave your butcher block untreated, and use a food safe treatment.
It would be ok to stain or polyurethane your countertops, if you’re not using any knives in that area. If you are using knives, it is recommended to use a water base stain or water based polyurethane. Once this is dried and cured, it is food safe.
When you first install your wood countertops, you can treat them a few different ways to ensure the longevity of your wood. I would recommend having a discussion with your countertop provider, and ask their recommendations for treating your new wood countertops, prior to using.
Here are a few ways to care for your untreated wood countertops:
Cleaning wood countertops is fairly easy; here are a few simple methods to use:
Clean them with a mild soap and water solution, or a diluted vinegar and water spray. Always ask your countertop professional what they recommend prior to using them; you would never want to spray anything on them that could void the warranty.
If you get a bad scratch or gouge in your countertops you can use a colored wax pencil and fill it in. Then buff it to blend with the rest of your countertops. You can also sand them down, then treat or refinish them.
I hope this blog has given you the tools to help you maintain your beautiful wood countertops. If you properly maintain them, they will last the lifetime of your home.
If you ever need to move your countertops, they might even be able to be reused in another location. This is one of the great features about wood; it is beautiful, sustainable, and renewable!