Worktop Express Information Guides

What are butt joints?

Butt joints allow two of your worktops to be fitted together in order to accommodate the size and shape of your kitchen – something our worktop fabrication team are pleased to offer. The two worktops are fixed at a 90 degree angle using three bolt apertures.

Benefits of butt joints:

• If you are having more than one of our solid wood worktops installed into your kitchen, a butt joint is the easiest and smoothest way to fit them together. The bolts and sealant offer further strength and reinforcement.
• Butt joints do not disrupt the timber’s natural qualities by cutting across its grain – utilising a butt joint means the risk of your worktop splitting, bowing or warping is reduced.
• The apertures used to screw the two joints are placed underneath the timber so that even after they have been secured, there is no evidence of the connecting materials. This allows minimal visual disruption to your finished worktop.

Our fantastic fabrication service

During the fabrication process, our team measure, plan and cut your butt joint to size and rout three holes to the underside of both worktops. We supply you with three connector bolts – all you have to do is tighten these bolts to fix them firmly together. We also recommend that a sealant is used between the joint to allow for a water resistant seal.

A note on mitre joints

We do take requests for mitre joints but, as this involves cutting against the natural grain, we do not recommend it for our timbers. A mitre joint cut on any of our worktops may cause damage such as warping and splitting, so we prefer to utilise a butt joint if required. Our fabrication team can also accommodate fewer bolt holes if you require; however, we feel that extra support in this area is essential.

What do you need to do?

If you are interested in purchasing a butt joint through our fabrication service, all you need do is send us the width of the worktops that are being fitted and we will do the rest! Please note that you must ensure that there is a 150mm clearance between the butt joint and any apertures required in the rest of the timber.

We offer this fabulous fabrication service at just £35.00 per butt joint. If you’d like to see some previous examples of our work, please visit the Worktop Express® wood worktop fabrication gallery.

This cutting service is also available at a discount when ordered via our online worktop cutting service. For more information on using this tool, please consult our Bespoke Worktop Tool User Guide.

A moisture barrier is a fairly simple bit of equipment but can be vital when it comes to protecting your solid wood worktop. We love the natural qualities of solid wood but in order to maintain the material’s intrinsic excellence, some simple measures need to be taken.

Why are moisture barriers important?

Appliances such as fridges, dishwashers and tumble dryers – anything that releases moisture during usage – can cause damage to your worktop. A moisture barrier will help provide the necessary protection. If you install such an appliance, placing a moisture barrier between the two will prevent the moisture released from being absorbed, which will reduce the risk of any unnecessary damage to your timber.

How does moisture affect solid wood?

As wood is a natural material, it is designed to adapt to the environment. This means that its moisture content is continuously changing to suit the humidity found in the surrounding air; for example, wood gains moisture when the relative humidity increases, which can cause the timber to expand. Without the correct protection from a moisture barrier, your worktop will absorb moisture released by your appliances, making it prone to bowing or warping.

Some tips for installation:

It is easy to install a moisture barrier incorrectly if you’re not absolutely certain of its purpose. Here are some top tips to consider:

• Moisture barriers are not needed near to ovens, hobs or sinks, but should be fitted where any other appliance may be installed (such as a fridge, dishwasher, tumble dryer, or a microwave).
• Barriers should be installed after the worktop has been oiled by using any strong adhesive (such as superglue, No More Nails or double sided sticky tape) and then sealed with a strip of moisture barrier tape (this is included when one of our moisture barriers is purchased).
• The black side should be glued to the worktop, with the shiny side facing down towards the appliance.
• For a complete moisture barrier installation guide, click here.

Small initial cost for long-term benefits:

Our moisture barriers are supplied in 1M X 750mm X 3mm sections and are vital and important additions to your kitchen. Not only will such a barrier protect your timber, it will also allow the worktop to function harmoniously in conjunction with your appliances. We are pleased to supply these at only £10: an affordable price which can lead to real savings in the long term. Please visit our bespoke cutting page if you would like to place an order.

Introducing ellipse ends:

If you are wondering about our fantastic fabrication options and search ‘ellipse end’ on the internet you may well feel alarmed at the number of complicated maths equations that appear! However there is no need to worry – our nutshell guide should make things a little clearer for you to understand.

Ellipse ends are a thing of beauty rather than a cause for confusion: simply put, the ellipse end is a cut out semi-circle shape at the end of your worktop. They are simple yet elegant alterations, and can be designed to achieve a particular shape or just a more generally rounded finish.

What is it made of?

An ellipse end consists of a major and a minor radius measurement. The major is the longest axis (usually the width) and the minor is the smaller axis. The ellipse for your worktop, therefore, will be made up of these two radii. We can specify these and work from a standard template or you can send us in a specific ellipse measurement that you would like your solid wood worktops to be fabricated to.

Measuring an ellipse end:

If you are unsure of the best way to produce the necessary measurement, we would advise making the calculation utilising three points of origin. These are the starting points of the curve on either side of the worktop and the centre of its peak, as demonstrated in the following diagram. Our fabrication service can cut an ellipse to any size radius, with the maximum achievable end being the distance from the end of the cabinet to the end of the worktop.

Cost

An ellipse end can make a huge difference to your worktop; not only can the shape be radically altered according to your own design, but it can create a new space for you (a breakfast bar, for example, or a storage area). We are pleased to offer this wonderful service for just £30 per ellipse.

Benefits

An ellipse end offers a more general and rounded edge to your worktop. Many people opt for this to remove any sharp edges – there is no straight side in between the two curved corners. The ellipse end is a popular choice if you are keen to create a breakfast bar or an island surface in the middle of your kitchen; this curved worktop end can be used for informal dining, functional use or entertainment. We can cut any ellipse end to accommodate your needs – simply put, the service could not be easier or more flexible!

For more insight into the appearance of our ellipse ends or if you would like some inspiration, please view our ellipse end gallery.

Ellipse ends can be requested when you place an order with a member of our sales team by telephone or email. They can also be added to worktops purchased via our innovative bespoke worktop tool. For more information on ordering customised worktops online, please read our Bespoke Worktop Tool User Guide.

The quality and density of the superior timbers used by Worktop Express® facilitate many possibilities for customisation.

Drainage grooves are one such possibility – and the fact that grooves can be routed into the top surface of our worktops with such precision evidences both the quality of our craftsmanship and that of the solid material. Non-solid worktop materials – such as laminate – could not support this addition. Drainer grooves also have the benefit of adding another dimension to a solid wood surface, showing off the natural grain pattern in an unprecedented manner.

Good news, then: amongst the many benefits of owning solid wooden worktops is a real freedom of choice. Just what to choose is another question, however – with so many fabrication choices available through our bespoke cutting service, you may well wonder what drainage grooves have to offer.

To answer this question, in this article we take a look at some of the reasons you might consider incorporating drainer grooves into your kitchen worktop.

Benefits of Drainage Grooves

Money Saving:

• The primary advantage of a drainage groove is its cost-effectiveness. By fashioning your wood worktop to fulfil the drainage role, you remove the need for a separate and expensive drainer unit. Our grooves are extremely effective due to their tapered design, which allows for natural drainage.

Perfect for Belfast/Undermounted Sinks:

• Another advantage of inset drainage grooves is that these accommodate the option of an undermounted or Belfast sink. With these sinks, a drainage device of some sort is required: routing drainage grooves eliminates the need to purchase a separate unit.

Fashionable:

• Belfast and undermounted sinks are currently extremely popular; our drainage grooves meld seamlessly with the timber surface to accentuate the sleek, clean lines of these sinks that are set snugly into your solid wood worktop. The overall effect is pristine and slick – perfect for the on-trend kitchen.

Available in a Variety of Decorative Options…

• Indeed, as we appreciate that drainage grooves are not only a functional addition but an eye-catching feature, we have recently expanded our range to include fan and fountain drainage grooves.
• Both new designs are a stylish twist on the drainer groove feature: the fan, as its name suggests, is a set of six drainage grooves which unfurl subtly from a central point; whereas the six grooves of the fountain curl delicately in a fluid motion.
• We have a drainage groove to suit any kitchen. For a quirky, statement groove, select the fan; for a charming ornament, we recommend the fan; and for a timeless, classic addition, our standard straight option.

…and Sizes:

• Please note that there is no difference in the breadth that the three different designs cover; any dissimilarities are merely stylistic.
• However, we can offer flexibility in terms of length. Our standard length is 400mm but we can work to longer/shorter lengths according to your preference.

We hope that this discussion will have answered some of the questions you might have about this valuable addition. If you have any other queries or would like some advice on which drainage grooves might be most suitable for you, please don’t hesitate to contact us!

If you would like to order drainage grooves via our online worktop customisation tool, please read our Bespoke Worktop Tool User Guide for more information.

Here at Worktop Express®, we’re dedicated to both providing fine quality, sustainable timbers and instilling confidence in our loyal customers. We want you to feel free to enjoy the products you have purchased; confident that you are purchasing responsibly and in adherence to the latest guidelines.

The EU Timber Regulation – banning illegal timber in the EU – was effected in March 2013. What does this actually mean, though (and not just for the suppliers of timber products, but also our customers)? Read on to find out more…

What is the EUTR?

The EUTR is a legislation that requires companies marketing wood products to ‘assess the risk that those products may have come from an illegal source and act to mitigate any identified risks’. This means that:

Owners and suppliers must take responsibility – it’s not enough for parties trading in timber to simply shrug and say, ‘oh, well, I thought this wood was sustainably sourced – that’s what I was told’ and leave it at that. The EUTR demands that those who first place timber on the market (businesses or individuals known as ‘operators’) exercise due diligence to ensure that their products do not contain timber that has been illegally harvested. This need for responsibility continues down the chain, too: suppliers – like Worktop Express® are required to retain records of the operators they have bought timber from for a five year period.

Illegal timber can be easily identified – a perk of keeping such stringent records means that the enforcing agent can trace illegal products down the supply chain and remove them from the market.

The importance of lawful harvesting can be reinforced – lawful harvesting means more than simply having permission to fell timber. There are many considerations at play and many guidelines to adhere to – such as those concerning replanting requirements involved and employment practices to uphold (some operators would not pay employees fairly, for example, or pay tax on the timber products they sell).

However, the customer must still be mindful – the EUTR is legislature but not a licensing system. Businesses do not need to prove that they adhere to these guidelines in order to trade – only if challenged – meaning that the customer must be more certain than ever that he/she is purchasing from a legal and responsible source.

Worktop Express: A Safe Choice

Fortunately for our customers, there are no gaps in our knowledge – EUTR or no EUTR, we have demanded a clear chain of custody from our suppliers since we began trading. We also maintain close and honest relationships with our suppliers, regularly conducting site visits in the UK and abroad.

The EUTR demands only that the trader keep records of who timber products have been bought from and timber products sold to; it does not necessitate that a trader should be able to trace individual consignment back to the forest it was purchased from – but we can.

Worktop Express® are committed to the protection of timber not out of necessity but conviction: we truly believe that these are wonderful, natural materials that deserve safeguarding. Only then can commercial logging be both sustainable and economically beneficial.

We encourage customers to enjoy the benefits of responsibly sourced wood, safe in the knowledge that there are plenty of reputable suppliers out there – Worktop Express® is proud to be counted among them – and thanks to the EUTR there will soon be more. Please do give yourself peace of mind by checking the environmental policy of your chosen supplier, and if you are ever in any doubt, be sure to ask the tricky questions: a reputable supplier will be only to happy to help. To that end, please do not hesitate to contact us for more information on any aspect of the Worktop Express® service.