Countertops

[Casper]

Ran across these great looking cherry countertops and was wondering how well they will hold up to daily abuse.

[Leon]

Cherry is a relatively soft wood. I think it might be my last choice for a kitchen counter top.

Cherry is about 10% harder than "Longleaf" Pine. About 80% harder than "yellow" Poplar which is really soft.

[dadiOH]

Not well. Not so much because it is cherry but because the top finish is going to get scratched, worn, etc. Being cherry, it will also get dented (in all probability) and that is also going to mess up the top coats.

[krw]

They look beautiful but I'd never have them in a family kitchen. They'd never last and there are far better materials for countertops.

[BenignBodger]

Very pretty but I doubt the beauty would last much beyond the photo shoot if the kitchen was actually used for its intended purpose. I've only seen one working kitchen with wooden countertops that I'd want to emulate. That was in a kitchen at a B&B in the Scottish highlands where I stayed; they had 5cm beech strip countertops which were sourced somewhere in the old Soviet bloc and which had no shiny finish to show the wear. After several years of relatively heavy usage they still looked presentable.

[bnwelch]

What if wood hardener, such as

was used prior to final finish? Would this be a food-safe no-no?

[bnwelch]

or penetrating epoxy, such as

?

[Swingman]

Although they are not unheard (Butcher block counter tops come into and out of vogue), there is a good reason you don't often see wooden counter tops in a residential kitchen.

Even with the thickest of finishes (the type you see in bars) the environment just isn't conducive to longevity.

As long as you are prepared to refinish them about ever 10 years or so, like the look, and consider the inevitable dings and gouges as attractive "character", they are certainly doable.

The other considerations is future sale value. Having built and sold a number of houses, and unless things change drastically in the future, I can pretty well say they would not be adding value after moderate use, simply because of the continuing maintenance required.

Then again, for every home for sale, there is someone for whom it is ideal.

While I think the photo was absolutely gorgeous, IMO it is an impractical solution for the task.

YMMV...