[kakapo]

Hi there. We're just getting to the countertop installation stage (pictures soon, I promise), so I've been searching the archives and boning up on what to do with wooden countertops (butcherblock maple, in my case).

There's a lot of accumulated wisdom out there. And quite a bit of contradiction too. It would be cool to pull it all together into one place, especially since the wooden counters are a crucial part of the Ikea range.

Anyone want to help assemble the information so it could be part of a FAQ? This is a start, but by no means complete:

1) Choosing, acquiring and assembling wooden counters:

http://www.ikeafans.com/forums/view_...058&forum_id=5
http://www.ikeafans.com/forums/view_...84&forum_id=13
http://www.ikeafans.com/forums/view_...242&forum_id=5
http://www.ikeafans.com/forums/view_...759&forum_id=1

2) Staining and finishing the wood... lots of useful threads, but these may be the definitive ones:

http://www.ikeafans.com/forums/view_...88&forum_id=11
http://www.ikeafans.com/forums/view_...180&forum_id=1

And on the question of stain in particular:

http://www.ikeafans.com/forums/view_...020&forum_id=1

Other threads:
http://www.ikeafans.com/forums/view_...98&forum_id=11
http://www.ikeafans.com/forums/view_...611&forum_id=1
http://www.ikeafans.com/forums/view_...33&forum_id=11

NB Food-safe finishes: mineral oil, linseed oil (once it's dry), tung oil (unless you are allergic to nuts). Marine varnish and Waterlox are also recommended if you're looking for a particularly hardy finish, and I imagine they are also food-safe once dry.

NB Above all, don't use polyurethane: if water gets in underneath it, it cannot get back out, and will compromise the wood *and* the polyurethane finish.

3) Waterproofing issues: use marine varnish around the sink cut-out, faucet holes, and over the dishwasher.

http://www.ikeafans.com/forums/view_...95&forum_id=11

[Q: I confess I am still confused by the notion of a "vapor barrier" around and above the dishwasher. Why? Where? How? Why hasn't my contractor heard of this? And what could go wrong if you don't do it?]

4) Ongoing care and maintenance. Useful thread here:

http://www.ikeafans.com/forums/view_...98&forum_id=11

5) Photos of gorgeous wooden countertops!
Lisa's kitchen: http://www.ikeafans.com/forums/view_...99&forum_id=21
Kristen (kisaac)'s kitchen: http://www.ikeafans.com/forums/forum10/623.html
SwedishChef's kitchen: http://www.ikeafans.com/forums/forum10/1913.html

[kmcg]

Great start! Here's some good text from kisaacs on putting an undermount sink in butcherblock:

To do the undermount sink, here's what I did -

1. Place sink template where you want the sink and trace.
2. Cut out hole. We used a jigsaw and went through several blades. The wood is so thick and hard that it's REALLY hard to cut well.
3. Cut out the faucet holes with a hole saw.
4. Due to my relatively poor cutting job, we had a lot of sanding ahead of us. We used a belt sander to take off large pieces of wood and make everything mostly even. Then used an orbital and hand sanding to finish it off, using successively finer grits of sand paper. The smoother you can make it, the better off it's going to be.
5. Finished it with 3 coats (probably more on the sink part) of Waterlox Marine Sealer (12 + hours to dry between coats)
6. Finished it with 2 coats of Waterlox Marine Finish(12+ hours to dry between coats)
7. Flip counter upside down to attach sink. Place sink and trace it so you know where it will go. We found it easiest to put the countertop upside down on two chairs so my husband could place the sink from the top while I layed down under it to make sure it was fitting right in the hole.
8. Our sink came with little plastic pieces that were supposed to be superglued to the underside of the counter. The clips screwed into these plastic pieces. We originally used them, but they popped off in no time. So, we cut little 1"x1" pieces of plywood and screwed them into the counter, screwing the clip part on top.
9. Run a bead of clear silicon caulk around the sink opening and place sink (more laying down under the countertop to make sure everything looks right).
10. Tighten up the clips so that they're very tight til the silicone dries. After the silicone has set, you can back them off a little to allow for expansion/contraction of the countertop.
11. Flip it all over and admire your handiwork and install countertop in sink.

[iamiwz82]

We used an self-rimming sink. To do it, I made a small bead of plumbers putty around the entire hole, then placed the sink, and then put a bead of clear caulk. I also used lots of caulk on the vertical edges created after I cut the hole.

Also, do not forget to support the ounter when you are cutting. You don't want it to split due to weight when the center falls out.

I used a jigsaw to cut it. I placed painters tape around the line to be cut to protect the wood from the saw bouncing up and down. I ate a TON of blades and it took forever to cut, I stopped every 6 inches or so because the wood had a tendancy to scorch.

For seams, I simply used a bead of clear caulk.

For vapor barrier, I stapled lawnscaping plastic around the entire cabinet/counter, starting at the bottom of one and going all the way around using a staple gun, except no staples in the counter, as I didn't want any holes in it. I had plastic long enough to cover the entire back at the same time. The plastic came within 3" or so of the endge of the counter. The protect the counter within 3", I spread adhesive caulk both over and under the vapor barrier and spread it all the way towards the edge. I used clear to make sure you wouldn't happen to see any oops or anything. I also used caulk on the cabinet sides. I did not use caulk on the counter/cabinet edges because I don't know how much the counter needs to "breathe."

My question: what the heck do you do with a cooktop? I've heard to use some sort of foil to protect the wood?

[GardenOfDarwin]

That's a great idea -- thanks for doing all that research kakapo! I've gotten behind on things like this, and it's nice to see initiative in gathering the information. I'd be happy to make a special forum just for FAQ's if anyone thinks it would be useful. Just let me know!

Susan

[DesignDiva]

That would be a great idea, Susan...I like the idea of a FAQ forum so they are right here as well as on the Fansite side.

[GardenOfDarwin]

Done. This is now the first post in a new forum, FAQ's - Frequently Asked Questions. Have at it! I'll be happy to post anything compiled into a comprehensive FAQ on the Fansite side of things, and I'll help work on them as soon as I catch up on the list of things that's been keeping me from doing stuff like this myself! Thanks again kakapo!

Susan

[kakapo]

Hey, no worries! I realised I was retracing my steps all the time as I tried to find out everything there is to know, so it made sense to try and get it all in one place. Thanks for the additions, kcmg and iamiwz82!

[iamiwz82]

At Home Depot today I was pointed to foil tape (in the ducting aisle) for insulating the wood when installing a cooktop. I'm also going to get some high-heat caulk to seal the hole in the wood. So, the edges will have spead caulk, then foil tape, then the cooktop

[Lisa]

I'm starting to feel a little guilty that I have no vapor barrier and in fact, I think 90% of my countertops aren't even screwed down.

But over a year and no problems...knock on wood.



(you knew that was coming, right?)

[kakapo]

Good one, Lisa! Woodn't have wanted to be the first to make that one... Punning goes against the grain, you see.

So what is the deal with vapor barriers above dishwashers anyway? Is it a new concept? My google searches come up blank. Am I using the wrong terms?

And wouldn't it be even more important to have waterproofing *below* the dishwasher if you have wooden floors, in case of sudden catastrophic hose failure?