Are Wood Counter-tops Practical?

Question

I was watching a cooking show the other day, and the kitchen in the show was (of course) absolutely beautiful. One thing that stuck out to me was that there were wood counter-tops. They look so nice, but how practical are they?

How do they hold up? I've considered them in the past, because they are quite lovely from a design standpoint. From what I've read though, they can require quite a bit of precaution and maintenance, but they can also last a long time if properly cared for.

If you have experience with wood/butcher block counter-tops, I'd love to hear about it. How do they compare to quartz, granite, laminate? Would you recommend them?

Jaysen Medhurst · Answer

Bad, bad idea, Account Closed. Especially, in a rental. They require a lot of maintenance, will hold bacteria, wick water, expand / contract with the the seasons, wear unevenly, and you're basically asking your tenant to cut and chop all over it.

In fact, I would bet that the TV show doesn't have real wood on the set. It just looks that way on camera. Oldest trick in the book.

They won't hold up nearly as well as the other materials you mentioned, unless they are lovingly cared for.

Account Closed · Answer

Hi @Jaysen Medhurst and @Alex Ankudovich thank you, I really appreciate your input! I definitely don't want more maintenance or things to have to worry about, and I didn't even think about the wood expanding and contracting with the seasons. That sounds pretty close to a nightmare. It sounds like wood is probably is pretty bad idea.

Alex Ankudovich · Answer

I agree with Jaysen Medhurst, If this is a rental there is a  lot of meintenance that needs to be done, and no one will do it. We work with many investors and contractors, for a flip we almost always do Granite and in higher ARV we do quartz. Sometimes we would do a butcher block as an accent top in the island but thats pretty rare.

If this is your home sounds like you already have a pretty good idea about the upkeep