Wooden worktops - quality question

Is it normal for wooden worktops to have one side which is considerably worse quality than the other - i.e. a face side and an underside, where the underside has various knot holes etc?

Reply to
Ben Blaukopf
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makes sense from a profit making worktop manufacturer...

Jim K

Reply to
Jim K

makes sense from a profit making worktop manufacturer...

If it is of solid wood, any decent woodworker would choose the 'better' as face. Underside doesn't matter quite so much. Unless you have the worktop (U&O) inspectorate visiting on a frequent basis. Wood grows, this process can/may/will reveal knots and other imperfections in the worked board. Surely this is one of the delights of using a natural, and somewhat sustainable, substance.

Reply to
Nick

That would be normal for ALL furniture. Where a surface is not going to be exposed the better side will be used as the 'show' side.

Just make sure both surfaces are finished.

As an aside. Number 1 son is in the process of buying a (pre-owned) house. Every, and I mean every, wooden kitchen worktop he has seen in his viewings has been damaged, scuffed or is generally grotty looking. If you intend t o actually use the kitchen be aware of this pit fall.They would appear to b e non-functional

And don't get me started on 'Butcher Block worktops' Any I've seen are actu ally strip laminations. Genuine butcher block is made up from square blocks bonded together with the the grain faced upwards.

Reply to
fred

Interesting. We're quite happy with the look of the solid rubberwood worktops we installed five or six years ago. There are *some* marks, but they look OK to me - maybe you or your son wouldn't find them acceptable.

Reply to
Martin Bonner

e exposed the better side will be used as the 'show' side.

. Every, and I mean every, wooden kitchen worktop he has seen in his viewin gs has been damaged, scuffed or is  generally grotty looking. If you inte nd to actually use the kitchen be aware of this pit fall.They would appear to be non-functional

You could of course argue that both ways: If not maintained, they certainly look pretty shabby after a while. On the other hand, most minor damage can be rectified pretty easily compared with many other materials. A quick run over with a random orbital sander and a coat of oil can have a dramatic effect. The astounding thing (to me at least) is that people don't go to the effort of getting their house looking its best before they go on the market, but they certainly don't seem to and often fail even to tidy up.

tually strip laminations. Genuine butcher block is made up from square bloc ks bonded together with the the grain faced upwards.

Reply to
GMM

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