Wooden kitchen worktops are made from strips or staves of solid wood. These strips are selected, cut, graded and kiln dried to ensure a moisture level which is suitable for use in domestic kitchens. These strips or staves are then glued together to form one homogeneous panel wooden worktop.
This process, known as finger jointing, gives a stable and durable construction to the wood, it reduces the natural defects of the wood and ensures a more consistent colour and grain pattern. That said, there would always be some pattern, colour and grain differences over the timber surfaces because it is a natural product. This is a normal and valued characteristic of the appearance of wooden products.
To keep your solid wood worktops in tip-top condition it is important to maintain it well and from time to time to treat the wood.
Steps To Maintain Solid Wood Worktops?
1. When fitting and using your worktop take care. Wooden kitchen worktops are highly durable but you do need to treat them with care and avoid dragging heavy or sharp items across their surface.
2. If possible, fix dents when they happen. As soon as you notice your wooden kitchen worktop has suffered a dent, spray some water on the dent, place a damp cloth on top and iron the surface. A good quality wooden kitchen worktop will react well to this process and will rise back removing the dent.
3. Apply an oil coating from time to time. Good quality wooden worktops will have been well oiled before installation but will require ongoing oil top ups from time to time. To find the best oil for this purpose, contact your local kitchen supplier and buy timber worktop re-coating oil to apply every three months or so.
4. Mop up stains and spills as quickly as possible. When it comes to stains, liquid spills and food residue, the quicker you mop them up the less likely they are to cause stains or damage.
5. Use a well-insulated, good quality pan or pot stand. While good quality wooden worktops won’t normally suffer too much harm from the odd hot article being placed on them, it’s best to make sure that hot plates and pans are placed on a well-insulated, good quality pan or pot stands.