What type of wood do you use to make a butcher block countertop?

Butcher blocks are typically made from assorted pieces of hard maple, teak, birch, or walnut wood, giving the block a striped appearance.

What type of wood is best for Butcher block countertops?

Maple is one of the best and most popular for butcher block counters because it's hard and has a clear grain. Cherry and red oak offer rich color. Butcher block can also be crafted from bamboo (it works best with end-grain construction) and sustainably farmed exotics such as wenge, zebrawood, and iroko.

Can I make my own butcher block countertops?

You can make up your own butcher-block countertop, or the same technique can be used to create cutting boards, or a top for a roll-around cart. The steps in creating the top are fairly easy, but the project does require some special tools, especially for the larger size tops.

Is Pine OK for butcher block?

For example, pine butcher blocks are less expensive but are not as durable as maple or other hardwoods and will need to be replaced sooner. Other considerations include the wood's ability to conceal knife marks, the available thickness, whether it is harvested in a sustainable manner and the appearance.

What wood is a butchers block made from?

The common hornbeam. As the common hornbeam is known for its fair wood, it is also called white beech or iron tree since it has particularly hard and heavy wood that is perfectly suitable for manufacturing chopping boards or butcher blocks.

How To Make A BUTCHER BLOCK COUNTER

How thick should a butcher block be?

Wood countertop thickness generally ranges from a three-quarter inch to six inches, and butcher block from two inches to 12 inches. A wide variety of edge options exist. Grain Types.

Can you use popular wood for cutting boards?

Poplar isn't good for cutting boards. Poplar is too soft and porous for heavy cutting uses. Because of being highly porous, poplar wood easily sucks up bacteria and is not good for cutting boards that contact with foods regularly. Cutting marks from the knife will be very deep and hard to clean.

Is oak good for butcher block?

There's More Than Maple

Maple is the most common wood species for butcher block because it's relatively inexpensive, durable, and widely available. But almost any hardwood can get the treatment: cherry, oak, beech, birch, tigerwood, and walnut are other great options.

How do you make butcher block waterproof?

Do you need to seal butcher block countertops?

If you used mineral oil to stain your butcher block, then you won't need to seal the wood. The oil forms a barrier to keep stains from soaking in the wood. Never apply a sealer over a countertop finished with mineral oil. If you chose an oil-based stain, you can finish your countertops with polyurethane.

How do you make butcher block countertops durable?

Butcher block needs routine maintenance to make it last. After installed and sealed, the butcher block needs to be sealed monthly to guard against stains, dings and nicks. Use a food-grade oil and apply it with a soft cloth to help prevent stains.

What do you seal butcher block with?

Sealing Butcher Block Countertops with Mineral Oil

To seal butcher block with mineral oil, you simply apply the mineral oil generously, let it soak in, and wipe off the excess. You need to do it fairly regularly at first but then only about once a month after you've gotten through several applications.

Is birch or maple better for butcher block?

Thanks to the wood's hardness, maple cabinets and furniture resist scratching better than birch. However, because of its tight grain pattern and glossy surface, even small dents or scratches on maple are visible. Birch, with its more complicated grain patterns, hides scratches better than maple.

How do you waterproof wood countertops?

The ideal waterproof protection is a food-safe natural wood oil or hardwax finish that adds no flavors, scents or toxins to your food. Pour a generous amount of linseed oil, mineral oil, tong oil or INTERBUILD Hardwax Wood Oil (natural wood oils) onto a clean, lint-free cotton cloth.

How much does it cost to build a butcher block countertop?

You can expect to pay anywhere from $40 to $100 per square foot or $3,500 on average for materials and installation of your wood butcher block countertop. Materials alone usually run around $20 to $70 per square foot. Butcher block countertops can cost between $2,000 and $5,000 for a 50-square- foot kitchen.

What wood is food safe?

For cutting boards that will be used daily, Jess, stick with tight-grained domestic hardwoods, especially maple, birch, and beech. The small pores on these dense hardwoods leave fewer hiding places for foodborne bacteria than an open-grained wood, such as red oak. (Bamboo, actually a grass, offers another safe option.)

Is Poplar OK for cutting boards?

However, there are some softwoods that can be used in a cutting boards and some hardwoods that should probably should not be used in cutting board construction. Poplar, for instance, is categorized as a hardwood but is typically considered too soft for heavy cutting use.

Can you cut raw meat on butcher block?

Using. Avoid cutting raw meat or poultry directly on a butcher block or wooden cutting board. Instead, place a plastic cutting board on the wooden surface and use the plastic board as the cutting surface. This will protect the wood and prevent it from becoming contaminated.

Can you put hot pans on butcher block?

It's not advised to put a hot pan on your butcher block countertops, but the same goes for any other kind of countertop. Despite common belief, butcher block countertops are actually more resistant to heat than granite, and hardwood surfaces take longer to burn or char than any other countertop material.

How wide should butcher block strips be?

The width of each strip typically measures 1-1/16”. Edge grain countertops can be produced in any thickness up to 4-1/2” thick. End Grain: End grain butcher block countertops are constructed with the end grain facing up.