Wood Counter Tops Are Back In Vogue

Posted by john on Nov 11, 2011 in Uncategorized | 0 comments

In recent years, modern kitchen owners gravitated toward installing stone counter tops. But the additional cost of material and installation of stone counter tops can be prohibitive for some homeowners.

The good news is that there’s resurgence lately toward installing more economical wood countertops with very little—if any—loss of function. Wooden countertops, when properly cared for, are both long lasting and sanitary, and the modern adhesives are strong enough to keep the wood staves bonded together even when submerged into water.  Also, the finishing oils are safe in contact with food products and preserve the wood surfaces.

Solid wood counter tops exhibit many advantages such as:

Aesthetics — The wooden top is the natural complement of any solid wood or veneered cabinetry, and imparts a warm, relaxing feeling. The wooden tops will wonderfully go together with hardwood floorings, moldings, cornices and mantels, conferring a genuine sense of balance to your kitchen space.

Functionality — A hardwood top is very easy to cut to templates and even easier to install. Unlike the solid surface or laminate, wood tops have a minimum of chemical components, which make them extremely safe in contact with foods. Unlike other counter top materials, any occurring scratch can be easily removed by sanding the area without employing special tools or requiring special skills. Hardwood surfaces can be used as kitchen-island tops, inserted sink covers, sections of counter top, or as butcher block hidden under the countertop that can be pulled as drawer or cart.

Durability — If properly sealed and installed, a wooden top can literally last a lifetime. Unlike marble, granite or tile, the wooden tops have a great shock absorbing capacity that further assures considerable life span.

Hygiene — For many years, plastic and laminate surfaces, due to their non-porous structure, were considered much safer than wood for applications such as chopping meat. However, a study undertaken by the microbiologists of Wisconsin Food Research Institute and another one carried out at the University of Florida discovered the strong antibacterial properties that wood surfaces exhibit, properties that no other cutting surface appears to possess. According to these studies and to others that followed them bacterial populations on wood surfaces disappear quite fast, without external intervention, while on plastic surfaces they persist and actually multiply. Although these properties vary among wood species, the wooden cutting surfaces are increasingly accepted as the first choice of health-conscious individuals.

For more information on wood or stone counter tops, or any home improvement questions, contact the experts at Crowley Construction today!

The construction professionals at Crowley Construction can handle your Vermont home improvement project big or small. If you’d like to have a private consultation, call 802-893-2603 or email gary@crowleyconstructionvt.com.  For more great home improvement tips, connect with us on Facebook!

Photo credit: Simon Howden