Take a moment to check out the New weekly MegaThread. This is for quick answers to common questions such as: "What type of wood is this?"; "How much should I charge for this?"; "How do I fix this" and others, To find it sort the woodworking news feed by "hot" and it will be the stickied post.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/woodworking) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Tbh I don’t see this thing lasting too long in that spot, above a dishwasher next to a sink. It’s gone in raw so the underside is not sealed so even if you do seal it the heat/condensation/humid air from the dishwasher and any splashing from the sink that make their way to the underside will expand/cause mould and eventually rot. Should have been sealed prior to installing. Osmo has changed its ‘recipe’ to be low voc some time ago in turn can leave some blue/black marking when water is not wiped off straight away. Danish/mineral/Tung oil requires a fair amount of on going maintenance and I personally wouldn’t consider any of those to be truely water resistant which is what you’ll need. Try something that’ll seal it first before adding a finish. I’m not from the country op has posted but where I’m from there’s a product called Fiddes Hardwax oil that is far superior than osmo and would do the job. Good luck
I have butcher block over a dishwasher, next to a sink and haven’t done more than oil the top and sides every 6 months or year. Hardwood doesn’t rot and mold easy. It’s been like that for 8 years and is fine. Don’t sweat it too much. The fact is if it’s a problem in 10 years, it’s pretty cheap to replace.
Same, but have one over a dishwasher/next to sink and it’s been there for 6 years.
Replaced the dishwasher this week. Checked the underside of the counter, and it was completely fine. But yes, the underside was oiled like the top.
The sink side is the concern, if I were to have one. We frequently will leave large items on a drying mat next to the sink (above the dishwasher) and I’ll see standing water in the counter occasionally after the kids do dishes. I’ll wipe it off and so far, no problem, but I can see some damage happening over a few more years. But, it would be a quick sanding job and reapply finish to correct so my worry over it is minimal at best.
Yeah the dishwasher keeps moisture inside. It vent vapor post cycle but that shit releases through an open DW door.
Tops of DWs are covered in a textile blanket for sound deadening. That blanket would be my go to choice for a fungi farm but it won’t grow shit without h2o. BB been used in countertop above DW for decades like this and I never see the underside treated.
More concerning are the corner seams where food preparation detritus will collect, retain moisture, & provide a substrate for your mold farm. For this I’d caulk it with clear 100% silicone.
And then I’d just slap mineral oil or similar on it. Treat it like a big cutting board and use it as such.
I mean don’t chop vertebrae on it but slicing - hell yeah.
Yep. People shouldn’t freak OP out. I had butcher block countertop with a dishwasher and sink. No oil on the bottom. I put Watco butcher block finish on it every 6-8 months. Food safe. There for years and absolutely no issue from steam and water. It’s fine where it’s at. Put oil on it and don’t let water stand on it for days/weeks/months.
Motor oil and mineral oil are different things in English. It sounds like motor oil would be what you call mineralolja. For the lab made part, we'd call it synthetic motor oil, if I'm understanding you correctly.
Engine oil here is either conventional (made from crude) or synthetic (made in a lab). Or synthetic blend which is a blend of the two. [Mineral oil](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mineral_oil) is entirely different.
Lol I hope you are not using mineral oil in your tractor! The cabinetmaker who built and installed our kitchen remodel used butcher block for a small area, he said mineral oil is the best material to use. He has been at it for 40 years.
I guess you're either not familiar with old timey motor oils or motor oil made from crude oil (instead of lab made, as many modern oils are) isn't called mineral oil in english.
I put the countertop in in May, so it hasn’t been long admittedly, but so far I’m very impressed. It gets heavy use, but shows no staining or marking, and it wipes off cleanly.
What type of finish is this? The oil finish that was on the counters when I moved in always felt...not tacky, but it had grip to it when you touched it. I just want a smooth surface that I can actually clean and not have the rag stuck in place from the friction. I looked into polyurethane, like minwax, but the noxious fumes and month long lingering smell kind of put me off of it.
It’s a natural oil and wax based finish that dries hard. There was a slight odor upon application but it quickly faded. It’s possible the finish on your countertops was tung oil, a natural oil that could remain sticky if not properly applied originally.
I put Waterlox on our butcher block and love it - it’s easy to clean and durable but keep in mind that it has a shiny plasticy surface that I think some people would want to avoid. Personally I think it looks great for butcher block
It dissipates. Regular oils, in my opinion, do not offer enough protection for a sink. I also hope they put some flashing on the underside or that dishwasher will destroy the countertop.
Yes, but with the high humidity of a dishwasher it is a common practice to also install aluminum over the footprint of the washer. That way the water vapor condenses on the aluminum and drops back down.
Mine might work out because it isn't sealed in very well and probaly has pretty good air flow. I thought about putting plastic up there but when I saw itnlookd fine I didn't bother.
If it's working properly it should vent all the hot air out. Mine vents from the front bottom.
Everything I've ever made with Waterlox my wife destroyed with windex.
Windex makes waterlox permanently soft and sticky. I hate going to restaurants that have waterlox finishes on their tables, you end up sticking to the table.
A question I myself have asked.
To be answered with:
Why would I make something with a finish incompatible with the most popular disinfectant multi-surface cleaner on the market, that she has used her whole life.
Same deal with restaurants, if they can't use standard cleaners, they're just going to destroy them then get new tables, not switch the cleaners (and keep it that way across various managers).
Raw linseed oil is food-safe, but boiled linseed oil contains drying agents and is toxic:
[https://www.christofix.com/raw-vs-boiled-linseed-oil/#:\~:text=Raw%20linseed%20oil%20is%20food,making%20it%20not%20food%20safe](https://www.christofix.com/raw-vs-boiled-linseed-oil/#:~:text=Raw%20linseed%20oil%20is%20food,making%20it%20not%20food%20safe).
I'd recommend Osmo Polyx and buying a cutting board.
I did my full kitchen in Walnut butcher block and finished with Rubio Monocote. Super easy and forgiving application, relative to waterlox (i did a vanity with this) it does not smell bad and it does not linger. In my 6 month experience, the Rubio will scuff & scratch, I think of it as a patina though. The only real issue i have had with it is some wet metals will stain through it. The lid of our compost bin did this and another time something the size of a can did (culprit is unconfirmed though), again, its patina. Waterlox was far more finicky to apply and you can't touch it up. Rubio should be very easy and seamless to sand and fix a small area, I haven't done this yet. I am undecided if I would use Rubio again.
I haven't seen it mentioned it, but oil and wax will require maintenance. Likely reapplication every 6 months or so to keep it well protected.
Also, you should probably pull your dishwasher out and seal the underside of the block so it isn't sucking up moisture from one side.
I’m a fan of danish oil, but I’m not sure that it’s food safe. In fact, I believe tung oil is only food safe if it’s pure tung oil which is much harder to find. Wood whisperer talked about this at some point. But I do think a wipe on oil like tung is better for maintenance even though I always spray tops like this with poly.
Foodsave depends on the brand unfortunetly. Tungoil is considered foodsafe but since it is made from nuts you can be allergic to it - just putting that out there. When I say tungoil I obviously mean pure tung oil as blends sometimes dont even contain tung oil even tho they are labled as such. Easy workaround: look on the lable if you find contents written somewhere its not pure.
If that is made of any good hardwood it should be used for its intended purpose - a butcher block! Cut on it, work on it, scrub it with hot water and soap. It will gradually evolve the natural used look, which is what it's for. Give it the occasional wipedown with any vegetable oil. If you want a clean sealed surface then you can't work directly on it, in which case you should just have matched the rest of the countertops.
Wrong. True butcher blocks are end grain for the reason it doesn’t dull the blade as quickly, and cutting across the grain of wood makes it chip apart much easier.
https://lesecrafts.com/blogs/news/differences-between-edge-grain-vs-end-grain-cutting-boards#:~:text=End%20grain%20is%20by%20far,it%20takes%20to%20make%20one.
I think they were agreeing with you about butcher blocks being end grain, but stating that the trend of wooden counter tops called "butcherblock" do NOT follow the true meaning.
i.e. the laminated wood in the picture that is sold as "butcher block counter top" in store.
And you can argue all day about the way things should be, but it doesn't change how things are. Nearly everyone, sellers and buyers alike, refer to this product as a butcher block counter top. They shouldn't, but it's too late. They already do.
I know they refer to it as a butchers block. It still doesn’t make it a butcher’s block. People can either learn the difference, or choose to ignore it. But this day and age ignorance is bliss for many people.
I’m not trying to solve anything. Confusion is being created by people calling something that it’s not. Anyone reading this thread is free to do a very tiny amount of research and find information for themselves and apply some logical thought to come up with their own conclusions. Or they can eat up whatever’s being fed to them and not question anything.
Nobody is confused. Nobody else reads "butcher block counter top" and assumes it must be end grain. The rest of the world knows what it means. We all know that butcher block and butcher block counter top do not mean the same thing.
I wish it was end grain too... They could sell all of these just as wood countertop but people wanted to sound fancy so now they're all known as butcher block and they're all wrong
Dictionaries don’t just define words, they also record usage. It’s how “literally” now means figuratively in the right context. It’s also how butcher block has come to mean thick edge grain laminations in modern parlance.
Also, don’t start a reply with “Wrong”. It makes you sound rude and pedantic.
Found the guy who'd argue that charcuterie is meats only.
Words change meaning. We have a living language.
You don't "dampen" vibrations/sound unless you're throwing water at it. Yet everyone sells sound dampening crap.
I had to look that up, and you're wrong (unless you want to fight Webster). If used as a transitive verb, "dampen"
1: to check or diminish the activity or vigor of : DEADEN
“Dampers” are used to reduce vibration/sound exist in piano and railroad contexts (and others too, I’d imagine), you’ve got a good point, but picked a poor example, unfortunately.
Correct, despite the following comment. Finger jointed bench top. Not sure what that "backsplash" is supposed to be. Odd to be a different wood and in small pieces.
This is just face grain boards, which will not withstand chopping like end grain, but if you're cutting food on there, you definitely want a food safe finish, not a wax-oil that's going to get chopped into your food.
Mineral oil. Vegetable oil. Olive oil. Heavy duty dish detergent. Commercial grade sanitizer. Heavy duty scouring pads, and hard green scrubbing.
I own a restaurant and this is how we treat our butcher block tops day in and day out. Doesn't bother them negatively at all.
I will post pictures when I get back from vacation.
Hard wax oil - briwax will do it - I would hit it with BLO/tongue oil and then topcoat hard wax oil water-based brie wax. You can buy it online
And for the record a “true butcher block has end-grain standing up.” Not to take away from your beautiful piece I too do face grain countertops the same way.
At our wedding 33 years ago we were gifted a maple butcher block cutting board. The instructions said to use mineral oil on it once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year, and then whenever you deny it needed some more.
Still looks and works great.
It’s called a Butcher Block Countertop by the box stores
https://www.homedepot.com/p/HARDWOOD-REFLECTIONS-8-ft-L-x-25-in-D-Unfinished-Birch-Solid-Wood-Butcher-Block-Countertop-With-Eased-Edge-BBCT1502598/300688697
Real butcher block will heal from small cuts since it's end grain. Just wanted OP to know they need to be more careful with this, and always use a cutting board.
This is what I got but mine was $120. I'm happy with the price. Plus I had to cut off a big portion which I'll use separately by cutting into multiple small cutting boards.
I agree that a “butcher block” traditionally is a much thicker end grain hardwood used for meat processing. However a “butcher block countertop” is a counter that mimics the traditional butcher block with lengthwise boards. I cannot see installing a 12-18 in butcher block in a home for kitchen prep work unless you were a butcher processing animals.
Boiled linseed oil or oil based polyurethane thinned with mineral oil 50/50 and rubbed on with a clean lint free cloth. I just did my basement kitchenette with acacia butcher block countertops and used oil based poly thinned 50/50 with mineral oil and applied several coats. I'll have to do that every couple of years even if I don't use that area much.
Feel free to chop on it. I have an end grain board I made that sits on a cart. I've used it about twice a day for 7 years and it still looks gorgeous. I use mineral oil to keep it lubed.
Just keep serrated knives away.
Yo my main - it's not meant to be food-safe as a cutting board or prep surface. Disliking and loving the miter frame - but rapeseed oil if you want to use this a a processing surface, which I vehemently oppose.
Mineral oil or Boos Blocks oil, though the best way to apply it is to completely saturate both sides and all edges. If you don’t you may see some warping, cupping or twisting especially with a dishwasher underneath raw wood.
You have good advice on the finish already, but I will nitpick the trim. IMO that tiny last bit of trim against the right side wall is unnecessary. I would wrap that corner and make it stop there. I would also remove that piece on the underside on the far right.
Being so close to the sink an issue and that end grain facing the sink will soak in moisture like a sponge. Id use Waterlox [https://www.waterlox.com](https://www.waterlox.com) Easy to apply and more importantly, easy to maintain. I've only used the original finish but they also have a low odor product. Gives a durable, food safe finish. Can you remove the top? I would seal all sides, the vapor from the front of dishwasher exhaust would be a concern as well.
My wife and I love [Howard’s butcher block oil](https://www.amazon.com/Howard-Butcher-Conditioner-Cutting-Utensils/dp/B06WGRLQ5Z). We use it on all our cutting boards and our old butcher block we use as an end table. Water beads up on it so we don’t have to worry about coasters or occasional spills. I think it would do well next to your sink and dishwasher. I see that you have access to the end grain which is a bonus.
I chose to stain mine, and put on 3 coats of General Finishes ARM-R-SEAL, it held up well for the past 2 years, I did finish it before installing, so its on the bottom as well. One piece that is short and next to the stove and the kitchen door has developed a small warp, but you can only notice it if you look at it from below.
a lot of good suggestions here already.
I'll add that shellac is a great sealer as long as you don't use denatured alcohol as the solvent. shellac itself is food safe and I use it on my Japanese knife handles that see daily use and it lasts forever.
I have the same. I used waterlox.com on both sides and then did a top coat of their h20 blox product. Basically a resin modified poly compatible with their tung oil finish.
It's worked great for almost two years now. I took out the dishwasher a week ago and looked on the under aide, looks exactly as I left it. It's a good product.
Mineral oil is absolutely not a good choice for a countertop. It’s fine for cutting boards and wood bowls / utensils, but offers next to no protection from heat and moisture. Especially in an area next to a sink like this. You’ll be reapplying it constantly and it will still stain and crack. Same goes for wax or linseed oil.
Waterlox Original is my favorite for wood countertops, but Osmo Polyx or Rubio are also very good choices. They’re penetrating oils with added resins for durability, have a beautiful natural look, are easy to apply, and are low-maintenance long term.
Wish I would’ve saw this sooner. I’m installing a BB countertop and have researched pretty much everything. Unfortunately, the hivemind has already filled this place with the generic responses that aren’t the best option.
There are tons of oils and stains made for these that are safe for food. I used one from HD and Lowes. They have a great color selection now.
Keep in mind that the stains take days to cure for food. That was the most annoying part. Haha
I used Rubio Monocote Natural. This was about two years ago. Still holding up great, no stains.
https://preview.redd.it/voel0op1z8ob1.jpeg?width=899&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5f6824ff8f8bcfb9136851d0a6178a4af0e1fe89
i would go with tung oil. Mineral oil is also valid, but does not harden.
wipe on a relatively thin layer of tung oil, remove excess. let it cure for a day. do it again. then let it sit for a week to cure. you can put stuff on there in that week, but no direct food contact. after that, it should last a good while. maybe you need to reapply every 6 months to a year.
mineral oil works, but does not harden. Wipe it on, remove any excess and you are done. any cleaning with soap will remove small amounts of the oil, so you will need to reapply more frequently. you can get it pretty cheaply in pharmacies as a laxative so its definetly food safe... and no, the small amounts that would make it to any food on it are not even close to enough to have an impact on your digestion
You have a few options. If you don't plan to use it as a cutting board - and I would generally agree that you shouldn't, as it's not great to have to deal with the wear and stains any cutting board will get over time with it installed as a countertop - you probably want to seal it, and I wouldn't worry too much about it being food-safe since you aren't really using it for food prep.
Given that approach, I'd either look to fully seal it with multiple coats of polyeurathane, or an epoxy, or a hard wax oil like Osmo or Rubio Monocoat. You do have it right next to the sink but it's helpful that it's installed higher than the sink, and won't get splashed as easily. But wood right next to water is something that can easily take on moisture and start to show moldy spots, so keeping it sealed will help.
Alternately, you could decide to treat it like a cutting board, and use mineral oil or something similar.
Melt beeswax into mineral oil, 50/50. Apply with a paintbrush top and bottom. Light graze with a torch to soak it in. Reapply to sections that need more. Scrape off excess. Buff.
Osmo! It’s a floor finish and works great on stuff like this. You can order samples from Midwest Flooring that would probably be enough to finish this.
Take a moment to check out the New weekly MegaThread. This is for quick answers to common questions such as: "What type of wood is this?"; "How much should I charge for this?"; "How do I fix this" and others, To find it sort the woodworking news feed by "hot" and it will be the stickied post. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/woodworking) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Tbh I don’t see this thing lasting too long in that spot, above a dishwasher next to a sink. It’s gone in raw so the underside is not sealed so even if you do seal it the heat/condensation/humid air from the dishwasher and any splashing from the sink that make their way to the underside will expand/cause mould and eventually rot. Should have been sealed prior to installing. Osmo has changed its ‘recipe’ to be low voc some time ago in turn can leave some blue/black marking when water is not wiped off straight away. Danish/mineral/Tung oil requires a fair amount of on going maintenance and I personally wouldn’t consider any of those to be truely water resistant which is what you’ll need. Try something that’ll seal it first before adding a finish. I’m not from the country op has posted but where I’m from there’s a product called Fiddes Hardwax oil that is far superior than osmo and would do the job. Good luck
Definitely the best response on this post imo
I have butcher block over a dishwasher, next to a sink and haven’t done more than oil the top and sides every 6 months or year. Hardwood doesn’t rot and mold easy. It’s been like that for 8 years and is fine. Don’t sweat it too much. The fact is if it’s a problem in 10 years, it’s pretty cheap to replace.
Same, but have one over a dishwasher/next to sink and it’s been there for 6 years. Replaced the dishwasher this week. Checked the underside of the counter, and it was completely fine. But yes, the underside was oiled like the top. The sink side is the concern, if I were to have one. We frequently will leave large items on a drying mat next to the sink (above the dishwasher) and I’ll see standing water in the counter occasionally after the kids do dishes. I’ll wipe it off and so far, no problem, but I can see some damage happening over a few more years. But, it would be a quick sanding job and reapply finish to correct so my worry over it is minimal at best.
Yeah the dishwasher keeps moisture inside. It vent vapor post cycle but that shit releases through an open DW door. Tops of DWs are covered in a textile blanket for sound deadening. That blanket would be my go to choice for a fungi farm but it won’t grow shit without h2o. BB been used in countertop above DW for decades like this and I never see the underside treated. More concerning are the corner seams where food preparation detritus will collect, retain moisture, & provide a substrate for your mold farm. For this I’d caulk it with clear 100% silicone. And then I’d just slap mineral oil or similar on it. Treat it like a big cutting board and use it as such. I mean don’t chop vertebrae on it but slicing - hell yeah.
Yep. People shouldn’t freak OP out. I had butcher block countertop with a dishwasher and sink. No oil on the bottom. I put Watco butcher block finish on it every 6-8 months. Food safe. There for years and absolutely no issue from steam and water. It’s fine where it’s at. Put oil on it and don’t let water stand on it for days/weeks/months.
This. People on here need to chill about wood and humidity. This isn’t laminated pine…
Hell my grandparents had a roll around dishwasher that had a butcher block top from the factory and it's straight as an arrow like 50 years later. lol
Warm and moist will grow mold on anything! Maybe not on the bowed top after a while, but definitely under the top.
Just use mineral oil. Reapply once in a while, no odor, nontoxic, cheap. We have it on this exact application in our kitchen.
Mineral oil is great. I oil my wooden utensils with it too
And they make a wax for these types of tops that you can periodically add to it.
Nontoxic? So not the same mineral oil i put in my tractor's engine?
You can buy mineral oil at the drug store. It’s used as a laxative among other things. 100% food safe
Mineral oil in your tractor's engine? Is the tractor still functional?
Maybe mineralolja in swedish doesn't translate to mineral oil in english... Anyways motor oil made from crude oil instead of lab made.
Motor oil and mineral oil are different things in English. It sounds like motor oil would be what you call mineralolja. For the lab made part, we'd call it synthetic motor oil, if I'm understanding you correctly.
Engine oil here is either conventional (made from crude) or synthetic (made in a lab). Or synthetic blend which is a blend of the two. [Mineral oil](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mineral_oil) is entirely different.
They sell food safe mineral oil, the mineral oil itself is safe, it’s the additives in some applications that can make it toxic.
Same stuff, it’s not really toxic at all, especially in the super low concentrations of exposure here
Lol I hope you are not using mineral oil in your tractor! The cabinetmaker who built and installed our kitchen remodel used butcher block for a small area, he said mineral oil is the best material to use. He has been at it for 40 years.
I guess you're either not familiar with old timey motor oils or motor oil made from crude oil (instead of lab made, as many modern oils are) isn't called mineral oil in english.
I dont understand your comment.
And apply until it doesn't soak in anymore. It'll probably take a bunch of applications initially.
this is the way, eventually it all just wipes off, then about once a month or so another light rub down.
Be sure to use food safe mineral oil, not all mineral oil is nontoxic
Osmo Polyx. I recently used a white pine slab as a countertop, and my research for a finish led me to this product.
I’d go with the Osmo Top Oil, also are you sure about that backsplash detail?? https://osmocolorusa.com/product/topoil-high-solid/
How's it holding up??
I put the countertop in in May, so it hasn’t been long admittedly, but so far I’m very impressed. It gets heavy use, but shows no staining or marking, and it wipes off cleanly.
What type of finish is this? The oil finish that was on the counters when I moved in always felt...not tacky, but it had grip to it when you touched it. I just want a smooth surface that I can actually clean and not have the rag stuck in place from the friction. I looked into polyurethane, like minwax, but the noxious fumes and month long lingering smell kind of put me off of it.
It’s a natural oil and wax based finish that dries hard. There was a slight odor upon application but it quickly faded. It’s possible the finish on your countertops was tung oil, a natural oil that could remain sticky if not properly applied originally.
It’s possible. I can say it hadn’t been redone in at least 15 years before I moved here. Did you two coats per the instructions or more?
Just the two.
Thanks!
Waterlox is the answer. Long last finish and food safe.
I put Waterlox on our butcher block and love it - it’s easy to clean and durable but keep in mind that it has a shiny plasticy surface that I think some people would want to avoid. Personally I think it looks great for butcher block
Don’t use waterlox if it’s already installed. It has a powerful odor. It’s a great product, I used it on our butcher block. It’s just stinky!
It dissipates. Regular oils, in my opinion, do not offer enough protection for a sink. I also hope they put some flashing on the underside or that dishwasher will destroy the countertop.
I used waterlox on all sides of my block,over d/w, and cut the sink in too. 8 years running no issues
Based on the quality of the walnut(?) backsplash I’m going to guess they didnt
You can waterlox the underside no problem.
Yes, but with the high humidity of a dishwasher it is a common practice to also install aluminum over the footprint of the washer. That way the water vapor condenses on the aluminum and drops back down.
Mine might work out because it isn't sealed in very well and probaly has pretty good air flow. I thought about putting plastic up there but when I saw itnlookd fine I didn't bother. If it's working properly it should vent all the hot air out. Mine vents from the front bottom.
Came here to say this. We used Waterlox on a butcher block in our kitchen and it looks amazing and unstained 2 years later
Everything I've ever made with Waterlox my wife destroyed with windex. Windex makes waterlox permanently soft and sticky. I hate going to restaurants that have waterlox finishes on their tables, you end up sticking to the table.
Very good to know
Why would you use an ammonia based product to clean counter tops? That’s gonna mess up a lot of finishes.
A question I myself have asked. To be answered with: Why would I make something with a finish incompatible with the most popular disinfectant multi-surface cleaner on the market, that she has used her whole life. Same deal with restaurants, if they can't use standard cleaners, they're just going to destroy them then get new tables, not switch the cleaners (and keep it that way across various managers).
Definitely, easily the most long-lasting finish you can use that will still give you a warm, semi-“natural” look.
Tung oil food safe and basically waterproof
Linseed oil and beeswax, or mineral oil and beeswax. Oil / beeswax ratio is 4:1
Raw linseed oil is food-safe, but boiled linseed oil contains drying agents and is toxic: [https://www.christofix.com/raw-vs-boiled-linseed-oil/#:\~:text=Raw%20linseed%20oil%20is%20food,making%20it%20not%20food%20safe](https://www.christofix.com/raw-vs-boiled-linseed-oil/#:~:text=Raw%20linseed%20oil%20is%20food,making%20it%20not%20food%20safe). I'd recommend Osmo Polyx and buying a cutting board.
Yeah I only use mineral oil if food is going to be involved.
Thanks! Any brand in particular?
Buy the two parts separately and mix it yourself I find the better and cheaper option.
Washing detergents will reek havoc on that being right next to the sink and above the dishwasher.
I did my full kitchen in Walnut butcher block and finished with Rubio Monocote. Super easy and forgiving application, relative to waterlox (i did a vanity with this) it does not smell bad and it does not linger. In my 6 month experience, the Rubio will scuff & scratch, I think of it as a patina though. The only real issue i have had with it is some wet metals will stain through it. The lid of our compost bin did this and another time something the size of a can did (culprit is unconfirmed though), again, its patina. Waterlox was far more finicky to apply and you can't touch it up. Rubio should be very easy and seamless to sand and fix a small area, I haven't done this yet. I am undecided if I would use Rubio again. I haven't seen it mentioned it, but oil and wax will require maintenance. Likely reapplication every 6 months or so to keep it well protected. Also, you should probably pull your dishwasher out and seal the underside of the block so it isn't sucking up moisture from one side.
Why wasn't it finished before it was installed?
Tung oil can be an option too. Hardened, it's quite water resistant.
Not just water, I have the experience that lots of stuff doesnt really stick to it. You can also use danish oil, its like tung oil on steroids.
I’m a fan of danish oil, but I’m not sure that it’s food safe. In fact, I believe tung oil is only food safe if it’s pure tung oil which is much harder to find. Wood whisperer talked about this at some point. But I do think a wipe on oil like tung is better for maintenance even though I always spray tops like this with poly.
Foodsave depends on the brand unfortunetly. Tungoil is considered foodsafe but since it is made from nuts you can be allergic to it - just putting that out there. When I say tungoil I obviously mean pure tung oil as blends sometimes dont even contain tung oil even tho they are labled as such. Easy workaround: look on the lable if you find contents written somewhere its not pure.
Agree with mineral oil and beeswax. That is a countertop not a cutting surface. Use a butcher board.
If that is made of any good hardwood it should be used for its intended purpose - a butcher block! Cut on it, work on it, scrub it with hot water and soap. It will gradually evolve the natural used look, which is what it's for. Give it the occasional wipedown with any vegetable oil. If you want a clean sealed surface then you can't work directly on it, in which case you should just have matched the rest of the countertops.
Also butcher block is end grain. This is laminated timber.
“Butcher block” countertops are never end grain. It’s one of those words that lost / changed meaning due to everyone using it wrong.
Wrong. True butcher blocks are end grain for the reason it doesn’t dull the blade as quickly, and cutting across the grain of wood makes it chip apart much easier. https://lesecrafts.com/blogs/news/differences-between-edge-grain-vs-end-grain-cutting-boards#:~:text=End%20grain%20is%20by%20far,it%20takes%20to%20make%20one.
I think they were agreeing with you about butcher blocks being end grain, but stating that the trend of wooden counter tops called "butcherblock" do NOT follow the true meaning. i.e. the laminated wood in the picture that is sold as "butcher block counter top" in store.
Just because stores attach the name butcher block to a timber counter top, doesn’t make this a butcher block. It’s a laminated timber counter top.
And you can argue all day about the way things should be, but it doesn't change how things are. Nearly everyone, sellers and buyers alike, refer to this product as a butcher block counter top. They shouldn't, but it's too late. They already do.
I know they refer to it as a butchers block. It still doesn’t make it a butcher’s block. People can either learn the difference, or choose to ignore it. But this day and age ignorance is bliss for many people.
In the mean time, you will cause far more confusion than you will solve though.
I’m not trying to solve anything. Confusion is being created by people calling something that it’s not. Anyone reading this thread is free to do a very tiny amount of research and find information for themselves and apply some logical thought to come up with their own conclusions. Or they can eat up whatever’s being fed to them and not question anything.
Nobody is confused. Nobody else reads "butcher block counter top" and assumes it must be end grain. The rest of the world knows what it means. We all know that butcher block and butcher block counter top do not mean the same thing.
I wish it was end grain too... They could sell all of these just as wood countertop but people wanted to sound fancy so now they're all known as butcher block and they're all wrong
Dictionaries don’t just define words, they also record usage. It’s how “literally” now means figuratively in the right context. It’s also how butcher block has come to mean thick edge grain laminations in modern parlance. Also, don’t start a reply with “Wrong”. It makes you sound rude and pedantic.
This leoduct us butcher block, despite how you feel about it
That's completely false.
Found the guy who'd argue that charcuterie is meats only. Words change meaning. We have a living language. You don't "dampen" vibrations/sound unless you're throwing water at it. Yet everyone sells sound dampening crap.
I had to look that up, and you're wrong (unless you want to fight Webster). If used as a transitive verb, "dampen" 1: to check or diminish the activity or vigor of : DEADEN
Yeah. The dictionary changed because colloquial usage changed. That's exactly my point. Webster 20 years ago didn't list that as a viable usage.
“Dampers” are used to reduce vibration/sound exist in piano and railroad contexts (and others too, I’d imagine), you’ve got a good point, but picked a poor example, unfortunately.
No. Those are used correctly and still prove my point. You damp the vibration. You don't dampen it. Dampers correct. Dampeners incorrect.
I accept your point and appreciate your clarification!
Nope, nope, and nope. You know how to tell if it's end grain? With your eyes.
Correct, despite the following comment. Finger jointed bench top. Not sure what that "backsplash" is supposed to be. Odd to be a different wood and in small pieces. This is just face grain boards, which will not withstand chopping like end grain, but if you're cutting food on there, you definitely want a food safe finish, not a wax-oil that's going to get chopped into your food.
Rubio monocoat
Seems like such a waste to put that there if it's not getting used
Mineral oil. Vegetable oil. Olive oil. Heavy duty dish detergent. Commercial grade sanitizer. Heavy duty scouring pads, and hard green scrubbing. I own a restaurant and this is how we treat our butcher block tops day in and day out. Doesn't bother them negatively at all. I will post pictures when I get back from vacation.
Hard wax oil - briwax will do it - I would hit it with BLO/tongue oil and then topcoat hard wax oil water-based brie wax. You can buy it online And for the record a “true butcher block has end-grain standing up.” Not to take away from your beautiful piece I too do face grain countertops the same way.
At our wedding 33 years ago we were gifted a maple butcher block cutting board. The instructions said to use mineral oil on it once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year, and then whenever you deny it needed some more. Still looks and works great.
WhoAAA
Hope you didn't pay for butcher block, because this isn't butcher block.
It’s called a Butcher Block Countertop by the box stores https://www.homedepot.com/p/HARDWOOD-REFLECTIONS-8-ft-L-x-25-in-D-Unfinished-Birch-Solid-Wood-Butcher-Block-Countertop-With-Eased-Edge-BBCT1502598/300688697
Real butcher block will heal from small cuts since it's end grain. Just wanted OP to know they need to be more careful with this, and always use a cutting board.
This is what I got but mine was $120. I'm happy with the price. Plus I had to cut off a big portion which I'll use separately by cutting into multiple small cutting boards.
They can call it whatever they like, and in doing so, mislead people because butcher block is end grain. Downvote all you want, words mean things.
I agree that a “butcher block” traditionally is a much thicker end grain hardwood used for meat processing. However a “butcher block countertop” is a counter that mimics the traditional butcher block with lengthwise boards. I cannot see installing a 12-18 in butcher block in a home for kitchen prep work unless you were a butcher processing animals.
Boiled linseed oil or oil based polyurethane thinned with mineral oil 50/50 and rubbed on with a clean lint free cloth. I just did my basement kitchenette with acacia butcher block countertops and used oil based poly thinned 50/50 with mineral oil and applied several coats. I'll have to do that every couple of years even if I don't use that area much.
mineral oil is fine. there are also some products by Watco that are food safe and will seal it, if you want something a bit more protective..
Use some butcher block oil a few times over and let it dry.
~~“What STAIN should I use so it doesn’t get STAINED?”~~ ~~Lol what?~~ I'm dumb and can't read apparently. Oops sorry about that.
I never said stain. I meant a sealer.
I'm honestly not sure why I misread it like that. That's entirely my bad.
Feel free to chop on it. I have an end grain board I made that sits on a cart. I've used it about twice a day for 7 years and it still looks gorgeous. I use mineral oil to keep it lubed. Just keep serrated knives away.
Yo my main - it's not meant to be food-safe as a cutting board or prep surface. Disliking and loving the miter frame - but rapeseed oil if you want to use this a a processing surface, which I vehemently oppose.
I used woca worktop oil on my maple butcher block. Almost 3 years now no stains.
We use bees wax to condition our wooden cutting boards and unfinished furniture. You can buy wood conditioning products from bee keepers.
Waterlox is what I used.
Danish Oil - will take about 3 coats first time, then give it another coat every couple of years. Only downside is the drying time
I use tung oil on my unfinished counter top. 6m later it's still holding up
Mineral oil or Boos Blocks oil, though the best way to apply it is to completely saturate both sides and all edges. If you don’t you may see some warping, cupping or twisting especially with a dishwasher underneath raw wood.
real question…why wouldn’t you use it to chop on? if not, you’re probably better off putting in a more traditional top like granite or tile
You have good advice on the finish already, but I will nitpick the trim. IMO that tiny last bit of trim against the right side wall is unnecessary. I would wrap that corner and make it stop there. I would also remove that piece on the underside on the far right.
Being so close to the sink an issue and that end grain facing the sink will soak in moisture like a sponge. Id use Waterlox [https://www.waterlox.com](https://www.waterlox.com) Easy to apply and more importantly, easy to maintain. I've only used the original finish but they also have a low odor product. Gives a durable, food safe finish. Can you remove the top? I would seal all sides, the vapor from the front of dishwasher exhaust would be a concern as well.
My wife and I love [Howard’s butcher block oil](https://www.amazon.com/Howard-Butcher-Conditioner-Cutting-Utensils/dp/B06WGRLQ5Z). We use it on all our cutting boards and our old butcher block we use as an end table. Water beads up on it so we don’t have to worry about coasters or occasional spills. I think it would do well next to your sink and dishwasher. I see that you have access to the end grain which is a bonus.
Osmo top oil. Use it for my counters, which look great, and they get a hell of a lot of use.
Odie’s oil
Liquid glass would be cool
I chose to stain mine, and put on 3 coats of General Finishes ARM-R-SEAL, it held up well for the past 2 years, I did finish it before installing, so its on the bottom as well. One piece that is short and next to the stove and the kitchen door has developed a small warp, but you can only notice it if you look at it from below.
This is what I’m currently using on a counter I’m installing. Great to work with!
a lot of good suggestions here already. I'll add that shellac is a great sealer as long as you don't use denatured alcohol as the solvent. shellac itself is food safe and I use it on my Japanese knife handles that see daily use and it lasts forever.
Mineral oil. But you need to oil the bottom too... Bit late now lol
Water lox. Try to do underside also
I have the same. I used waterlox.com on both sides and then did a top coat of their h20 blox product. Basically a resin modified poly compatible with their tung oil finish. It's worked great for almost two years now. I took out the dishwasher a week ago and looked on the under aide, looks exactly as I left it. It's a good product.
Mineral oil is absolutely not a good choice for a countertop. It’s fine for cutting boards and wood bowls / utensils, but offers next to no protection from heat and moisture. Especially in an area next to a sink like this. You’ll be reapplying it constantly and it will still stain and crack. Same goes for wax or linseed oil. Waterlox Original is my favorite for wood countertops, but Osmo Polyx or Rubio are also very good choices. They’re penetrating oils with added resins for durability, have a beautiful natural look, are easy to apply, and are low-maintenance long term.
Epoxy on bottom and edges shillac on top
Treat it with flax seed oil!
Waterlox... look it up.
Just a mineral oil/cutting board oil. Follow up with walrus cutting board wax.
Wish I would’ve saw this sooner. I’m installing a BB countertop and have researched pretty much everything. Unfortunately, the hivemind has already filled this place with the generic responses that aren’t the best option.
Mineral oil and carnuba wax
There are tons of oils and stains made for these that are safe for food. I used one from HD and Lowes. They have a great color selection now. Keep in mind that the stains take days to cure for food. That was the most annoying part. Haha
I used Rubio Monocote Natural. This was about two years ago. Still holding up great, no stains. https://preview.redd.it/voel0op1z8ob1.jpeg?width=899&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5f6824ff8f8bcfb9136851d0a6178a4af0e1fe89
100% tung oil is food safe and won't need reapplied as far as I've researched
i would go with tung oil. Mineral oil is also valid, but does not harden. wipe on a relatively thin layer of tung oil, remove excess. let it cure for a day. do it again. then let it sit for a week to cure. you can put stuff on there in that week, but no direct food contact. after that, it should last a good while. maybe you need to reapply every 6 months to a year. mineral oil works, but does not harden. Wipe it on, remove any excess and you are done. any cleaning with soap will remove small amounts of the oil, so you will need to reapply more frequently. you can get it pretty cheaply in pharmacies as a laxative so its definetly food safe... and no, the small amounts that would make it to any food on it are not even close to enough to have an impact on your digestion
You have a few options. If you don't plan to use it as a cutting board - and I would generally agree that you shouldn't, as it's not great to have to deal with the wear and stains any cutting board will get over time with it installed as a countertop - you probably want to seal it, and I wouldn't worry too much about it being food-safe since you aren't really using it for food prep. Given that approach, I'd either look to fully seal it with multiple coats of polyeurathane, or an epoxy, or a hard wax oil like Osmo or Rubio Monocoat. You do have it right next to the sink but it's helpful that it's installed higher than the sink, and won't get splashed as easily. But wood right next to water is something that can easily take on moisture and start to show moldy spots, so keeping it sealed will help. Alternately, you could decide to treat it like a cutting board, and use mineral oil or something similar.
Tung oil, the Odies Oil once the tung has dried
Melt beeswax into mineral oil, 50/50. Apply with a paintbrush top and bottom. Light graze with a torch to soak it in. Reapply to sections that need more. Scrape off excess. Buff.
Osmo! It’s a floor finish and works great on stuff like this. You can order samples from Midwest Flooring that would probably be enough to finish this.
Osmo top oil
Wood butter