Choosing Solid Wood Worktop Thickness

When you are searching for a solid wood worktop, one of the questions you’re likely to face is what thickness of worktop would work best for your kitchen. While the length and width of your worktop is likely to be determined by basic things like the size of your kitchen together with whether or not you want to overhang standard size appliances, or if you have super-sized appliances, how you’re going to cater for those.

That said, choosing the right thickness of worktop isn’t always determined for you, so how do you choose? While there’s no right or wrong answer that works for everyone, in this blog post, we’d like to explore the things that are likely to impact most on which thickness you choose.

Generally speaking, unless you opt for a bespoke option, solid wood worktops come in anything from 20mm to 40mm thicknesses. So, what do you need to think about to make the right choice?

Your budget

There’s no getting away from the fact that a thicker solid wood worktop costs more than a thinner one. What this means is that if you’re on a really tight budget, your choice may already be made for you. If you take a 20mm thick premium oak worktop that’s 3m in length and compare it with a 40mm thick version of the same thing (albeit a wider option), you’re looking at investing about 4 times the price in the thicker option than you’ll need to pay for the thinner one, so it’s clear that budget is a deciding factor in some cases.

How long do you want the worktop to last?

While even a budget priced solid wood worktop will last for a very long time and will look great for years with the right care, it’s reasonable to expect that a thicker worktop option will last pretty much a lifetime. With the opportunity to sand and refinish a thicker worktop several times, you need worry less about little spills and stains that you don’t get to in time.

What sort of look are you hoping to create?

Another thing that will impact on the thickness of solid wood worktop you choose is the look you’re hoping to create. If, for example, you’re fitting it in a buy to let apartment where you want a great looking kitchen that you can put together on a shoestring, not only will a 25mm thick wood worktop tick your budget boxes, it’ll also help your kitchen stand out in the rental crowd. However, if you’re investing in a top of the range kitchen and want to top off your cabinets with top of the range worktops, then you’re probably best to plump for a 50mm thick worktop.

Another situation when choosing a thicker worktop makes great sense is if you want to take your existing kitchen to a whole new level without changing the cabinets. If your kitchen is looking a bit tired and dated, but you have good quality cabinets, you might decide to change or re-look the cupboard doors and replace the worktops. In this instance, if your budget allows, a great idea is choosing a thicker 38mm solid worktop option to add a real feel of quality and solidity to your new kitchen.

Top Tips for cheating

If your budget is driving your choice and you’re feeling a tiny bit frustrated, here are a few of Top Tips for cheating:

• If you’re really good at DIY you could add an edge to a thinner worktop to make it look thicker. However, if you’re not a top DIY-er this isn’t a job you should take on alone. Adding an edge to a worktop can be really effective, but if badly done, it can become a harbour of dust, dirt and germs. If you fancy doing this and you’re not confident about doing it yourself, it’s well worth getting a professional in. However, before doing so, weigh up the additional investment required, because it may be that you’ll end up spending more than you would on a thicker worktop!
• Make your thinner worktop stand out with some jazzy bespoke features, such as curved edges, inbuilt draining boards or hot rods.
• Take the attention away from the thickness of your worktop by adding a few well-chosen pieces on the surface eg. a stylish coffee machine or food mixer that will raise even the most basic of solid wood worktops to a whole new level.

If you’d like help to choose the right solid wood worktop for your kitchen project, why not get in touch? At Wood and Beyond we have a team made up of wood fanatics at your disposal so you can be sure to make the right decisions.