At work we have worktops using generic postformed kitchen worktops. They have quickly become damaged, allowing water to damage the core material and causing the covering to peel off.
An ideal replacement would have the following characteristics: resistant to water damage, easy to obtain, easy to cut and of course inexpensive.
What choices of material and, if necessary, finishes do I have? Thanks in advance.
You can drastically improve water resistance of these things by doing a couple of minor tweaks. Take a dremel with a sanding drum, or a router, and run along the front edge, to create a slight channel. Now, paint with a few coats of penetrating wood sealant (NOT WATER BASED!)
This makes any water that runs over the edge just fall off, and not run underneath and soak in. Do the same at any cut-outs, providing ways out for any water, so it can't get trapped.
A choice would be wooden worktops. THese are nowadays manufactured from lots of blocks (normally finger-jointed) and glued together to form large flat panels cut to appropriate widths (= depth of cabinets) and lengths (normally available in half-meter increments).
Close grained wood such as Ash is (almost) impervious to water penetration in most domestic enviroments.
yes to those .. :)
Too inexact a term to use ... I found it to be 'competitive' and reasonable :)
Wooden worktops are available formed from most timbers - (the variations in colour and patternation are natural property of the product :).
Finishes ... ? A fair amount of rubbing down and application of oil based sealer/polisher produces a surface to your desire. I finished up with a slight lustre - we didn't want a high gloss.
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