“I’m planning on ordering my real wood workbenches a few weeks before the rest of my kitchen is installed – is there anything special to consider when storing them?”

Answer

If incorrectly stored, a wooden worktop can bow – this is unlikely, but proper care should be taken to ensure that the wood is stored in a suitable condition prior to installation.

Firstly make sure you have an area that is spacious enough for our delivery team to easily access. The floor must be level and it must be a cool, dry area. If it is not the room they are being installed in, it should ideally be the same temperature to ensure that they can acclimatise to similar conditions.

If temperatures do vary, move the real wood workbenches into the room they’re being installed in a couple of days prior to installation to allow them to adjust. Keep the worktops away from direct sources of heat such as radiators, boilers, AGAs and regular direct sunlight.

Worktops should always be stored flat – never upright. Leaning them against a wall or storing them vertically will often cause the worktop to bend.

Do not store the worktop directly on a floor as they need sufficient ventilation, and extremes of temperature from modern under floor heating or cold concrete can also cause the wood to move. Ideally use wooden battens to raise the worktop off the floor.

If storing multiple worktops, stack them one on top of each other with battens separating each worktop. The wood used should be clean, flat and free from any oils or other chemicals that could leach out and tarnish the worktops.

Ensure that all ‘wet’ trades such as plastering are fully completed and have been allowed time to dry naturally before installing (or storing) worktops in the same room.

If warping does occur, then the conditions the worktops are being stored in are not suitable. To rectify it, either move it to a more suitable location and allow further time to dry, or if you are careful it can still be screwed down to your base units and it should correct itself naturally after 1 – 2 weeks. Do note that if too much pressure is applied to a worktop it may crack, so take great care.

If you have any further queries, please don’t hesitate to contact us.