Tue - July 19, 2005

nice wood edges for laminate



RE: Nicer laminate edges

* Posted by: Miss_Marble on Mon, Jul 11, 05 at 20:20

My favorite is the one marys1000 described. We had it in our house in Pennsylvania and loved it. Please note that in order for it to look beautiful, the formica has to come out to the edge, and the ogee-ed wood trim be a teensy bit below that. Otherwise the wood will get water-worn and grungy looking (if it comes up over the edge onto the countertop). But with this way, whatever you clean the countertops with does not touch it because it is completely on the edge. In my opinion, it is a most gorgeous treatment and not dated at all (and what is dated, is the one that comes up onto the countertop.) Also, it looks the best if you use a really pretty wood like birch, cherry, maple, and give it a rich stain.

* Posted by: Miss_Marble on Wed, Jul 13, 05 at 21:46

Imagine the piece of laminate itself coming all the way to the edge of the plywood, with nothing covering its thin little edge (which, in the color laminate I had, was kind of a brownish color). So, you can see the entire edge of the laminate, thin as it is. (I think maybe they did something to the edge, because it was very smooth and presentable.) Then picture immediately below that, nailed or glued to the edge of the plywood, a beautiful piece of solid wood with some routing, perhaps an ogee edge. It could even be something more decorative. Mine was birch stained a wonderful cinammon color.

The thinness of the laminate, and the brownness of its edge (which is now making me think the cabinetmaker definitely stained it or something because it matched the stain on my wood) makes the laminate edge look like it is part of the routing of the wood. It's truly gorgeous.

Posted at 10:51 AM     Read More  


Sun - June 5, 2005

tung oil for butcher block



I have been using tung oil to finish furniture for more than 25 years and have oiled wooden surfaces in my kitchen for that long.

Pure tung oil is an excellent finish to use, but you don't need to sand it between coats unless you didn't take the step of raising the grain before you started. To do this, you dampen the surface of the wood slightly. Then, once it dries, use fine sandpaper to sand off any little fibres of wood that stand up. Repeat this until no more fibres stand up.

Then dust it well, preferably with a tack cloth before starting to use the tung oil. Use your hand, a soft, lint free cloth or 000 steel wool to apply the tung oil. Sandpaper can deteriorate with oil, so it is best not to use it for application. Leave the oil on for about 15 minutes and then wipe off any excess. Let it dry thoroughly (1-2 days) between coats.

Put on at least 6 coats. When you feel that the wood is starting to look a bit dry or that the surface looks less fresh than when you first oiled it, you can add more tung oil to your well scrubbed counter without any other preparation.

You should coat the underside with at least 3 coats. This helps to slow the migration of humidity in and out of the wood. All end grain should get the full treatment whether exposed or not.

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Tung oil's renewable, food safe and has been used in marine applications in China forever. ;-) You'll want pure tung oil which, unless you have a woodworker's supply in town, you'll have to order online.

As far as the tung oil, the rule is that generally you apply it once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year and once a year thereafter.

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In storing tung oil, decant it into smaller containers and, for any containers that aren't filled to the top, drop marbles into the container to keep the surface as close to the lid as possible. Then store it upside down.

I later discovered IKEA's Behandla oil, a mixture of tung oil and linseed oil. It's both easier to use and much cheaper than the polymerized tung oil. I think we paid $130 for a gallon of tung oil (that may include shipping), while Behandla is $5 for 750 ml. Unlike the polymerized tung oil, it only needs to dry 2-4 hours between coats (12-24 to cure), it washes off easily before it's cured, and it takes months to gel in the can even without special precautions.

Posted at 02:03 AM     Read More  


Thu - January 27, 2005

some laminate preferences



Given the natural cherry cabinets and preferred linoleum (412, "Cool Green" from Forbo Marmoleum line), here are some laminate countertop options. They are mostly in the mid range of color, have some cream or tan that goes with the cherry and doesn't clash with the floor.

Pionite: (current leading favorites overall??)
AW871 Vanilla Fiber
MT400 Filleto Marble
AT991 Wheat Fiber
(also request: MT421 Eternal City, AV731 Celedon Impressions)
like the names of AT141 Mr. Sandman, PF127 Gin Joint in Casablanca, PFA51 Gridlock in LA

WilsonArt: (all seem vaguely wrong, but only have tiny samples)
1787-60 Oxide (kind of slate looking)
4816-60 Gold EV (is this imitation of some engineered stone product??)
4663-60 Tawny Legacy (too much grey?)
4826-60 Windswept Copper (probably not right at all, but it is allegedly copper!)

Formica:
663 Antique White Papercraft
3526 Travertine (have honed sample, it's kind of bumpy)
7265 Sand Stone
303 Antique White Oxide
300 Sail White Oxide
7693 Straw Terra
7022 Natural Canvas
7334 Frosted Leaves



Posted at 02:14 PM     Read More  


Sun - January 2, 2005

anti-granite points


not as though I needed them, but will save anyway!

The trouble with granite -
1. It costs a fortune.
2. It requires regular sealing. (coffee stains in about 2 hours even on sealed granite.
3. It is not child friendly. Everything smashes on it.
4. It is a very dominant look - great while it is in style, but pretty bad in a few years when it dates.
5. In designer circles, it already is dated. (note the switch from polished speckled granite to solid polished black granite, to solid "honed" granite, to light coloured honed limestone and marble, etc. etc.

Good things about laminate:
1. It is very inexpensive.
2. It comes in very up to date finishes and colours. (such as the very current honed granite look).
3. There is virtually no maintenance.
4. It is very child friendly.
5. When it dates in a few years, you will have no qualms about replacing it. (unlike your friends with their granite). Thus you will be able to update your kitchen very reasonably.


You can tell your friends you are choosing a kid friendly laminate until your children get a little older and responsbile enough to treat the granite with the care it requires.

Posted at 09:28 PM     Read More  


Fri - October 1, 2004

Butcher Block sources



Assorted butcher blocks links
John Boos at Industrial House
World Wide Kitchens - another Boos source
Michigan Maple Block
Ikea has some
Some people have used Lumber Liquidators, but others complained about the poor quality (it is seconds, after all)

Posted at 09:24 PM     Read More  


Fri - August 27, 2004

butcher block and kids



* Posted by: DAD81 on Fri, Aug 27, 04 at 13:54

Our experience w/ a butcher block kitchen table was not great once kids came into the mix, and in fact wasn't even that easy before that. The markers and art supplies got into the wood and the ink from the newspaper was also problematic. The table always looked dirty. It is possible to sand and re-oil but that is more labor intensive than we cared to deal with. We ended up putting polyurethane on the table top. It doesn't look as nice as a freshly sanded/oiled finish, but it is much easier to keep clean and looking presentable. We also had some butcher block on the counter (I think it had a factory applied polyurethane); this still got marked up to some extent with indelible marker, small puncture wounds and other unidentifiable marks. We are fairly meticulous, but not compulsive. Stone or equivalent would be much easier to care for especially in a household where kids will spend time.

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* Posted by: housewitch on Fri, Aug 27, 04 at 14:05

You might have better luck if you opt for a hard finish as opposed to a mineral oil finish in this case. It will mean you can't cut directly on the top, but it will also mean easier cleanup of markers, etc. We used Good Stuff, which gives a softer, matte, renewable, easy to clean finish without the plastic-y coating of polyurethane. This type of finish is still food-safe after it dries, but you wouldn't want to use it on a surface that you use as a cutting board. Everyithing wipes off easily and it only needs re-application about once a year (ours has gone longer and looks fine).

Posted at 09:31 PM     Read More  


Sun - August 1, 2004

Counter materials


The Motion-Minded Kitchen, p 9

"A good counter surface for baking or cleanup is smooth and nonporous, while oiled wood is good for chopping. At the stove a section of heat-proof counter might prove useful."

Posted at 05:33 PM     Read More  


Sat - July 31, 2004

butcher block



* Posted by: JulieO (My Page) on Fri, Jul 30, 04 at 20:01

I have a Boos block island...oiled finish. It's been installed for about 18 months.

We do everything on it, cut, smash garlic, pound meat, roll pie crust and pizza dough, place hot-from-the-oven cast iron pans and cookie sheets on it. It's wonderful!

For daily cleaning, I wash with warm soapy water and dry with a clean dry towel.

If something is particularly smelly, like garlic, I will rub a bit of lemon on it. After I cut meat, I scour it with baking soda and hot water or salt and hot water. The drying is key...bacteria don't thrive in a dry environment.

I oil it about every 2 months (less in summer, more in winter).

I just love it...the cut lines are not visible from across the room, only when you are standing above it. (So it doesn't look like a cheap old cutting board.)

The John Boos website has a lot of good information on butcherblock.

Posted at 10:54 PM     Read More  


Thu - June 17, 2004

wood counters



Posted by: housewitch on Thu, Jun 17, 04 at 8:30

I have 2" thick antique heart pine counters everywhere in my kitchen, including around the cooktop, around the undermount farm sink, and on the bar. We use cutting boards, and do not prep directly on the counters. They have an oil-based penetrating finish (called Good Stuff, from the Ballyblock Butcherblock company), so water beads up, they don't stain, and they wipe clean very easily. The initial finish was easy to apply, and we refresh the finish as needed or about once a year. It takes about 10 minutes to apply the finish to the entire kitchen, then 5 for it to penetrate and another 5 to buff it off, followed by about 30 to let it dry thoroughly. The counters do show dings and general marks from use in a busy kitchen with a 4 year old assistant chef. We knew they would develop patina, and really like the way they look and perform.

The only thing I would do differently is that I would probably use a small stone slab for the faucet deck behind the farm sink. Not because the wood is looking bad or rotting (it's not) but because other people who use my kitchen always leave puddles of water there and I find my self constantly wiping up after them. I also have to refresh the finish in just that 20" x 4" area about every 3-4 months.

Our counters were made from reclaimed beams, and were fabricated and installed by a local craftsman. I would really suggest looking for someone who does high-grade finish woodwork. Try asking custom cabinetmakers, kitchen designers, stone dealers, etc. if they know of someone local. And make very, very sure your installer knows what he or she is doing. There is no faster way to ruin wooden countertops than with a bad installation.

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* Posted by: corgilvr on Thu, Jun 17, 04 at 5:13

We have had cherry countertops, constructed by our cabinetmaker, for about a year in our kitchen and pantry. They are finished with tung oil and paste wax. My cooktop island and sink area have soapstone as their counter material. I'm sure many others with more "wood" experience can add to this, but a finish which is absorbed, such as an oil finish, can easily be renewed as the surface shows wear.

Any softer type of counter material is going to be enhanced by daily use and will gain a patina from general wear. The cherry under my coffee pot looks better than when it was installed. I haven't noticed any problems with heat or moisture in that heavily used area. I do periodically reapply paste wax to the counters. I wash my counters with soap and water and dry them with a soft cloth or paper towels.
I have used old work tables in my too many kitchens for years. They all had an oil finish applied by me after the removal of the old finish. Oil finishes are easy to do and give a great result. Cherry looks very warm with an oil finish. Walnut can get really dark if linseed oil products are used. Wood can get dark marks or rings if liquids are left on the surface and they penetrate the finish.

Our window sills are made from figured maple and finished the same way. They have suffered no ill effects from moisture after an unexpected rain storm. I'm not a wood expert, but it seems the waxing does a good job of creating a moisture barrier. Liquids bead up and are wiped away. Heavily used areas probably require more frequent applications of wax to maintain the barrier.

Posted at 10:33 PM     Read More  


Sat - May 8, 2004

Correct Height


from Kitchens for Cooks, p 76

Experts suggest that your own personal "ideal" countertop height can be determined by measuring the distance between your bent elbow and the floor. The average bent-elbow height for a woman is 35 inches, and for a man it is 39 inches.)
In general, 3 inches below the bent-elbow distance is the best height for most of your countertops. This would make 32 inches the best counter height for an average woman, and 36 inches the best for an average man.
Note, too, that some tasks -- such as kneading and rolling out dough -- demand even lower countertop areas. These tasks, which are made immeasurably easier by being able to lean into the job, are best done on counters tat are 3 to 4 inches below a 'normal' counter height, or 6 to 7 inches below bent-elbow level. For an average woman, around 28 to 29 inches off the floor. Interestingly, this is exactly dining table height.

Posted at 12:47 AM     Read More  

Linear Counter Space


from Kitchens for Cooks, p 66-67

WET: need at least 24 inches on one side of sink for stacking dirty sdishes, and at least 18 inches on the other side for draining dishes. Add these minimum figures to the width of your sink to determine the smallest size of your wet zone.

DRY: For food prep, a min of 3 ft of counter space is necessary for one person. Add an add'l 2 ft for each other cook working at the same time. This is a minimum and can easily be expanded if space permits.

HOT: requires at least 30 to 36 inches on one side of the cooktop or range (for food prep) and a min of 18 inches on the other side to allow for clearance of pan handles, parking of hot pots, and serving.

COLD: A refrigerator requires about 18 inches of counter space next to the opening door (if it is a side-by-side model, allow this clearance on both sides) as a place to set food prior to loading or after unloading the refrigerator.

Posted at 12:30 AM     Read More  


Fri - May 7, 2004

Countertops for the four work zones


from Kitchens for Cooks, pp 27-30, 40, 53,

Wet zone, best countertops: unbroken expanses of laminates; solid surfacing; stone (slate least expensive?) (durable but hard); or stainless steel (impervious to water damage and easy to clean, but extremely sound-conducting).

Dry zone: can be constructed out of many diverse materials, so it makes sense to think about the different kinds of food prep. For example, need place to cut bread and chop vegetables - either a pullout (or take-out) cutting board, a cutting board recessed into a countertop of another material, or a butcher-block countertop area. Separate board(s) for meats. Pastry-making and bread-kneading operations profit from as smooth (and cold) surface as possible, such as stone or solid surfacing. Mixing, blending, stirring, and folding can be messy; spills are most rapidly cleaned up on an easy-to-wipe surface such as laminate or stainless steel. Finally, as DRY often functions as prep area for foods en route to HOT, or plating area for food on way to table, consider incorporating a heat-safe surface on which to rest hot pots while spooning their contents onto serving dishes.

Hot zone: want something heat resistant. Ceramic tile, stone, or metal are all not damaged by hot pots. (Is that true for all stone?) Other options include solid laminates rated for heat resistance (such as Corian), and wooden, cork, or ceramic heatproof tiles inserted into non-heatproof countertops. These HOT zone counter areas should be located on both sides of a cooktop or range, as well as be conveniently located for use in resting hot dishes removed from a wall oven and microwave. Remember, too, to provide nearby storage for pot holders.

Cold zone, want a cool material (such as marble in a pastry counter).

When considering laminates, bear in mind that a matte finish always wears better than a gloss one, and that lighter colors are easier to keep clean.

Posted at 11:41 PM     Read More  


Tue - April 27, 2004

Bathroom Sink Idea


from Kitchen and Bath Ideas, Summer 2000

They used a sheet of thick turquoise glass on top of a birch cabinet. It's an interesting effect, very neat color and look.

Posted at 11:32 PM     Read More  

Butcher Block cutting boards


but maybe one of these sites also does counters...

* Posted by: MEM9 (My Page) on Thu, Apr 22, 04 at 16:23

Generally speaking, end grain is considered the best (stronger yet easier on your knives). Maple is classic. But other woods will work too (Oak, cherry, walnut).

Often, end grain boards are more like chopping blocks -- very thick (3" or, often, more), which may not be the look you're after (or, it may). But you can find end grain cutting boards that are a little more manageable -- more in the 1-1/2" to 2" thick range. Here are some sites for both ready-made and custom-made boards (look for those in end-grain):

• Timber Nation
• Many Cutting Board Mfgs .
• Knighten [I had one of their rectangular end grain boards; very nice]
• Grothouse Lumber (This place make really beautiful custom cutting boards -- that are really expensive. I confess, I got one. But aside from that, there is some good discussion of various types of wood, end-grain vs. edge-grain, etc.)

And, no, don't put hot pots on your butcher block cutting board -- unless you want that branded-look.

Posted at 11:39 AM     Read More  


Thu - April 1, 2004

Butcher Block



* Posted by: sharon_sd on Tue, Mar 30, 04 at 6:09

I have used an antique maple butcher block for 23 years and also have a one year old section of Ikea birch counter. Before we lived in this house, I had a 2 foot by 2 foot maple cutting board section of counter. All were sealed with Tung oil and kept their good colour with only recoating about every 3-5 years.

The secret to keeping good looking wood counters is to have an oiled surface, where the finish penetrates the top layers of wood, rather than sitting on top of the wood, like polyurethane or shellac. Surface treatments are brittle and can wear or chip off. Then the wood becomes greyed by water.

An oil treatment can be easily refreshed. Tung oil hardens somewhat, but still remains flexible enough to not be damaged like varnish. It is more permanent than mineral oil which needs to be renewed several times a year to look its best.


* Posted by: JulieO (My Page) on Thu, Apr 22, 04 at 18:20

I have a butcherblock (Boos Block) for my island, and I just love it.

Be aware that many butcherblocks are available in both an oiled and a varnished or poly finish.

The varnished or poly finish are not to be used like a cutting board. They essentially are like a wooden tabletop in function.

For the oiled variety, (which is what I have) I was instructed by John Boos to wash with warm soapy water, and then dry with a clean dry towel. I will use baking soda and lemon juice to remove strong odors from herbs or garlic. And I cut raw meat on it all the time. It's basically like having a seven foot cutting board.

I re-oil about every 6 weeks with Boos Mystery Oil, which is a food safe oil. I wipe it on with a paper towel, let set about 5 minutes, and then wipe off. By the next day, no oil comes off on anything.

The wood is great for hot pans. I put cast iron skillets right on it straight from the broiler.

Rolling out dough is super, and chopping and prep work is wonderful.

Julie O

Posted at 09:39 AM     Read More  
different surfaces in different zones
Ceratec - ceramic tile
opinionated comment
laminate opinion
Corian variations
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