I recently received my Handyman issue the other day as saw where Ikea of all places sells wooden countertops. Now I realize these may be hard to find and the link I'm posting will have access to other tops as well(there even 1 for $59 if you can find 1) , shippin is entirely cost prohibitive and even my Atl store has a limited availability on these tho I am now considering replacing our laminate countertops with these as an alternative to granite. My thought as well as the article suggest using these as a benchtop and I think for the money it may not be a bad idea although they are oak and come in beech as well,just though I would pass it along , http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40057396/ also in Birch , http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50086416/ notice these are 1 1/2 inches in thickness and 20+ inches wide and 2 lengths available.
-
Last edited by tommyt654; 09-08-2012, 12:36 PM. -
Not a bad idea. Reading info on the top...ran across this...
Product dimensions
Length: 96 7/8 "
Depth: 25 5/8 "
Thickness: 1 1/2 "
Length: 246 cm
Depth: 65 cm
Thickness: 3.8 cm
This product requires assembly
Got me thinkin' what a rush it would be to get in a box pieces of wood that had to be glued up.
See how it's constructed here, 1st page.
. -
After chattin with the wife we have elected to go with the oak for our countertops a savings over the granite and prolly as durable. As too whether it will add value to the home its very doubtful,but frankly who cares as I like the look and it can always take a light sanding and oiling every yr or so to refurb. I'll be ordering mine next week will post some pics after I drive down to Atl to p/u. Still think its a good idea for a workbench top as well. Interestingly there was a guy over at woodnet in the S&S section ,(link, http://www.forums.woodnet.net/ubbthr...lapsed&sb=5&o= ) that was selling some blanks like this for $250 in a butcherblock styled top in oak/maple etc.same thickness,but this seems to be a much better deal even at the $169 I'll only need 4 pieces and will have some scrap to make cutting boards with. Maybe some of ya'll will entertain the idea vs making your own
Comment
-
I don't buy the "granite ads value" idea, anyhow. Maybe it did at one point. it is pretty common these days. Certainly more value than laminate. But I wouldn't put a lot of value in granite over (for example) hardwood.After chattin with the wife we have elected to go with the oak for our countertops a savings over the granite and prolly as durable. As too whether it will add value to the home its very doubtful,but frankly who cares as I like the look and it can always take a light sanding and oiling every yr or so to refurb. I'll be ordering mine next week will post some pics after I drive down to Atl to p/u. Still think its a good idea for a workbench top as well. Interestingly there was a guy over at woodnet in the S&S section ,(link, http://www.forums.woodnet.net/ubbthr...lapsed&sb=5&o= ) that was selling some blanks like this for $250 in a butcherblock styled top in oak/maple etc.same thickness,but this seems to be a much better deal even at the $169 I'll only need 4 pieces and will have some scrap to make cutting boards with. Maybe some of ya'll will entertain the idea vs making your ownComment
-
We used the IKEA countertops in our kitchen, oak. Construction: 1.5" by 1.5" strips of random lengths (I found anything between 7" and 16" on a cursory check), finger-jointed together, then glued next to each other. Quite some sap wood used, though arranged such that the top, side and end surfaces do show little of it, but be prepared for more to show in cuts. Bottom can show a lot of the sap wood (bottom is marked).
The wood is barely dry when the tops are manufactured. One of the crosscuts I made I had to start many times over because the kerf kept closing binding the saw.
I had to exchange one of the tops because after cutting large voids became visible. And another top had to be exchanged because it was dropped from a good height and corners were crushed.
The narrow top shrunk in width by about 3/16" over time. In at least one case a finger-joint opened up at the side (easily felt) and one strip in the middle shrunk more so that a joint on the top became 'feelable'. The surface warped by about 1/32".
The wider top was much more stable. However after finishing upon very close inspection lines across the top became visible. I assume they used some kind of sprocketed transport wheel that lightly crushed fibers about every 3/4" across the surface.
The tops are about 2 years old now and have held up well. I did not want to use a film finish, and also did not want to have to deal with frequent mineral oil treatments. I also wanted to avoid nut oils in case we have guests with allergies. So I used "Tried and True" finish. It was a bit labor intensive, but I am happy with the result. The top is frequently wiped down with a damp rag. The wood texture feels through the finish, but the finish is good enough to not let the occasional spatter of tomato sauce soak in.Comment
-
Gerti, were you able to inspect the tops at the store before purchase or do they simply bring out a box and you go out with it and inspect later. Reason being I will want to take a look at what I'm purchasing as tho it was simply lumber I'm buying and feel the need to inspect before finalizing the purchase,Thanks for the info you provided so far. How do they hold up to heat and water btw? I do have the option of buying kiln dried oak in 16 inch widths in 1-2 inch thickness but its not cheap and while the idea of making them myself appeals to me as they would be more of a slab vs butcherblock I'm curious what others think regarding that idea as well.Comment
-
I checked the assembly intructions that C-Man linked. Thay come in 15 languages, but no Swahily or Icelandic
....Maybe I can request a special set
....
Don, aka Pappy,
Wise men talk because they have something to say,
Fools because they have to say something.
PlatoComment
-
-
I have used Ikea butcher block tops with good results. Ikea have 2 versions. Thin (cheap) version is 1-1/8" thick and comes only in beech, thick version is 1-1/2" and can be beech or oak or birch.
My mother-in-law asked me to replace a worn-out surface of her dinette table. I used thin version, cut a piece 24"x30", stained dark and applied several layers of urethane. It was several years ago and it still looks like I just made it.
Recently I installed a small piece of countertop in my own kitchen. In the long run I would like to make all the tops the same way, so this piece is my try-out to see how it wears. This is an oak, 1-1/2" thick. I applied waterlox since I want to be food safe, water resistant and maintainable. This piece does not have any water on it but I am hoping that waterlox provides sufficient protection to install a drop-in sink in a butcherblock countertop.Alex VComment
-
Due to lack of a suitable transport I had them delivered, and since they were damaged had to have them exchanged which cost me another delivery charge. They are wrapped in plastic and cardboard, and when you order for pickup they'll cart it from the warehouse. So there would be no easy way for you to inspect before purchase.
Note that they are HEAVY!!! No way of wrestling them by yourself.
We use hot pads under hot pots. And they are not in a wet area (we sprung for Corian around the sink). I frequently wipe them down with a damp rag, and while they are no longer as smooth as they were after finishing they do seem to hold up well.
The beech tops have a much finer grain than the oak tops and would hold up to water better. I grew up in a bakery, and all the tables were made from untreated and unfinished laminated beech strips. They are washed down daily, sometimes more than once. Still in use after 40 years.
BTW note that they come pre-oiled with some stuff IKEA also offers. Just a quick coat, but it may have bearing on hat finish they will take.Comment
Comment