Hardwood Worktops - Is this a really stupid idea?

[GMM]

I'm (gradually) doing up the kitchen and the only issue remaining is worktops. Despite the obvious reasons not to, it looks like we'll be having hardwood. Now, hardwood tops are expensive and, like any others, unwieldy to fit so it occurred to me that there might be an alternative solution, using hardwood flooring. What I picture is a base of plywood covered with T & G hardwood flooring strips, glued together then planed / sanded to a smooth finish.

I know this has the problem of a lot of seams but then again ready made worktops are made up of a series of staves glued to each other and they seem to hold together. The advantages of this might be a) cost, (good T&G hardwood flooring is a fraction of the square metre cost of worktops) b) fit (being built up in situ, it should be an accurate fit and any errors will only apply to a single piece so can be corrected easily on the fly) and c) seamless corner joints (I will have a 3m run that turns right to cover a 0.4m cabinet before stopping). The disadvantages? Well...that's why I'm posting this group. Any views gratefully received......

Thanks

[tinnews]

They're not really expensive if you shop around. They're expensive from the 'obvious' places because they're marketed as 'luxury' worktops.

We have rubberwood worktops, if you do a Google search you will find quite a few suppliers and prices are not too bad at all. We've had them for many years now and they have proved very durable and practical.

[DIY]

I would expect kitchen worktops to feel solid, heavy and dead flat. Plywood covered with T & G hardwood flooring strips sounds the opposite to me. If you are expecting a solid feel then you might be disappointed. Would planing and sanding, presumably by hand, result in a perfect flat finish?