We had our kitchen redone in 1981 IIRC. On the side of the kitchen where the sink and dishwasher are we installed something called corian, which has held up very well. On the opposite side we have butcher block. I have never oiled it, but we don’t cut on it either. It looks great and is very nice for kneading on. I would certainly do it again.
I have considered a different surface for the stove countertop area, trying to picture what two different tops would look like. What is the color/style of your Corian? Is it a solid color, marbled, or speckled?
You haven’t oiled it and it still looks great? Wow. So it’s still smooth and not cracking anywhere?
I am 99% sure I am going with butcher block. A few more questions if I may:
[ul]
[li] Did you stain your block prior to oiling it? What food-safe stain did you use? How well did the oil go over it once stained?[/li][li] Did you use wood conditioner before applying the oil?[/li][li] Do you use mineral oil or tung oil to condition it? As I understand it, mineral oil goes on clear but the wood develops a patina over time. Tung oil has pure and dark options, either one will deepen the wood color immediately. [/li][li] With mineral oil, after the first deep conditioning of [/li][QUOTE=elbows]
“Apply once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year, and yearly ever after.”
[/QUOTE]
did you ever skip a month, or more, and did you notice any ill effects from lack of due diligence?
[li] Tung oil enthusiasts claim that once properly oiled, you rarely have to oil again, that the wood is more sealed than with mineral oil. elbows, I see that you use tung oil, how often do you reseal?[/li][li] Has anyone used Waterlox, and how satisfied are you with that choice?[/li][/ul]
I stuck to the letter of it, and was pretty diligent the first few years. After that it’s probably every third year or less if I remember. No ill effects whatsoever. There was no stain or prep before the tung oil, and it wasn’t tinted. (It’s important to use food grade.)
I got them so I could be hard on them, so there is no babying at my place. I cut everywhere and I put hot pots or wet things anywhere, without a second thought. Because that’s what I’m looking for in a countertop!
My only disappointment was it took sooo long before they began to show the slightest wear. The whole looking pristine thing was unsettling to me, I didn’t care for it. But now, 15yrs on, they look wonderful and warm. Still show very little wear.
I’m looking for that too!
I will be getting the BB at the beginning of the project and will have at least a week to work on them before installation. I plan to oil them everyday so there will already be several coats on them before putting them in place.
The cut out for the sink will be made into a cutting board. I’ll do the same process with that and use it for cutting and for a heat plate. If it doesn’t show signs of wear after a while, that would be fantastic, I won’t fear having to baby my countertop.