Worktop Express Information Guides

If you’ve made it to this page then you’re clearly looking for further wisdom regarding Prime Oak worktops. This page has all the information you’d ever need about these wooden worktops, including the science, manufacture and sourcing of this tremendous timber.

AESTHETICS

Not only is oak a truly resilient and hardwearing hardwood, but it also looks wonderful in your kitchen; a truly delightful wood, oak makes for an excellent worktop material, thanks to its golden colour and characterful grain patterns.

Prime Oak differs from our standard oak worktops in that it boasts very few natural imperfections and an incredibly even finish. If you’d like to see an example of some of the fine pieces of Prime Oak that have passed through our hands then take a look at the Prime Oak worktop gallery.

TYPE OF WOOD AND GRAIN STRUCTURE

Apart from Bamboo (which is a perennial grass), all the worktops available from Worktop Express® are made from hardwood. Conversely you’d expect all softwoods to be significantly less resilient than hardwoods, but in fact this isn’t always the case – some softwoods are just as hard.

What really sets hardwoods apart is the distinctive cell structure, which has a big part to play in the creation of oak’s fantastic grain pattern. All hardwoods possess an important type of cell known as a vessel element, which isn’t present in softwoods. These longitudinal cells are considerably larger than neighbouring cells and leave slight caveats in the wood called pores that show up when quartersawn.

The existence of these pores – where they arise and what size they are – is what gives Prime Oak such a distinctive grain, coupled with a refined, attractive appearance. Standard Oak has a coarser grain and larger pores, creating a more ‘rustic’ look, whilst Prime Oak is hand-picked for its tight, linear and more ‘closed’ grain. This gives it smooth appearance with a uniquely even colour tone.

The exquisite grain of our Prime Oak worktops creates a lustrous and unblemished surface that fits perfectly within both modern and more traditional kitchen designs.

SOURCING AND MANUFACTURE

Here at Worktop Express® we make great efforts to ensure that we source only the hardiest and most attractive timbers; and extensive research has led us to deduce that certain species are more suited to worktop materials (and manufacture) than others. This is why we insist that all the oak used to construct our Prime Oak worktops is sourced in Europe. Oak’s American counterpart has a sparser grain pattern and a significantly higher sap content.

We ensure the oak we use for our Prime Oak worktops is manufactured solely from FSC-certified timber and in its place of origin (Europe. By doing so, we are proudly confident that all the timber we use has the environmental benefits of encouraging sustainability and reducing our carbon footprint through reduced airmiles, whilst being both robust and attractive – perfect for our Prime Oak worktops. Do peruse our Environmental page for more information on our policies.

We are highly skilled in the sourcing and manufacture of timber worktops. Indeed, since the inception of Worktop Express® we have been proud to sell over 200,000 solid wood worktops – and have made it our policy to deal directly with the manufacturers to ensure that tight controls are in place and our high standards are met. We only obtain timber of the highest quality and have developed efficient and accurate processes to ensure minimal wastage. More details regarding this process can be found in our ’Sourcing and Manufacture’ information guide.

CONSTRUCTION

When choosing timber for our Prime Oak worktops, we make sure that time is spent in order to select staves that are aesthetically consistent, prioritising uniformity of grain pattern and colouring. These 40mm staves are the timber sections that are joined together to create a larger wooden plank suitable for worktop construction.

Each stave is high-pressure bonded and finger jointed in such a way as to create a beautifully unblemished surface that is more uniform than our standard oak worktops, without losing any of its character.

Finger joints are made by cutting a set of corresponding cut-outs into two pieces of wood so that the two staves fit together like interlocking fingers – hence the name. These joints are used in place of more basic, less aesthetically-pleasing joins, but also provide maximum durability and economy (stronger than a butt or lap joint). Glue is added to ensure the join remains solid, stable and visually appealing.

For more information, please visit our ‘Construction Types Explained’ information guide.

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

• Tree Size: 24-35 m tall, 1-1.5 m trunk diameter
• Density: 720 kg/m3
• Average Dried Weight: 680 kg/m3
• Janka Hardness: (4,980 N)
• Modulus of Rupture (bending strength): 97.1 MPa
• Elastic Modulus (‘stiffness’ of wood): 110.60 GPa

HISTORY

Over time, oak has gained notoriety for its natural beauty and resilience against both age and the elements, becoming one of the most well-known tree species worldwide. It’s been recorded in British history since the interglacial periods, hundreds of thousands of years ago, and was the most common tree in our forests around 5,000 years ago (and is second only to pine today).

Carpenters and other woodworkers have used oak as the staple timber of their work since medieval times due to its hardness and durability. Even its Latin name, ‘Quercus robur’, means strength. It has been a prized hardwood timber for thousands of years and was the primary boat building material until the mid-19th century, though today it still remains popular for architecture as well as a wide range of wooden furnishings – including our Prime Oak worktops.

If you look at the curved beams of medieval barns and hammerbeam roofs of churches and cathedrals throughout Europe, you’ll notice that oak can be shaped to fit a wide array of shapes and angles. This is possible through working with the fresh timber (known as ‘green’ oak) immediately after felling.

After the Great Fire of London in 1666, bylaws were established that prohibited the use of wood for the construction of inner-city buildings, which led carpenters and joiners to adapt their woodworking skills to meet other demands, including solid oak flooring and furniture.

According to current records, the largest oak currently standing in the British Isles is estimated at between 800 and 1000 years old and is known as the ‘Major Oak’. This resident of the infamous Sherwood Forest is estimated at 23 tonnes with a girth of nearly 13m.

Today, in our world of plastics and metals, oak stands out as the perfect statement of inimitability, with every single one of our oak worktops having its own unique characteristics. Superior manufacturing standards and a dedication to sustainable sourcing ensure that Worktop Express® customers will always get the most out of their chosen timbers, so there’s never been a better time to be able to fully appreciate oak and its innate beauty.

PRICE

Worktop Express® has made great strides in reducing the price of oak and other hardwood worktops through high-volume purchasing and efficient processes. At any one time we hold over 5,000 worktops in stock at our various depots throughout the UK, enabling us to deliver directly to the public and trade, through our own in-house delivery service.

Advanced online stock ordering systems minimise the amount of dead stock and wastage, which in the long-run reduces costs. With these efficient processes and our ‘direct-to-the-public’ e-commerce model, we have been able to drastically reduce overheads to allow us to market up-to-date products at lower rates than any other solid wood e-tailer.

It’s with great pride that we are considered leaders in our field of solid wood specialists. By cutting out the middleman and building a network of expert internal support at every level of the business, we are able to deliver high-quality timber to our customers at a highly competitive price. We visit all suppliers at least every three months ourselves to ensure our high standards are maintained – we don’t use agents. This level of expertise enables us to be the largest importer of solid wood worktops to the UK, and we will be expanding further in to European markets throughout 2014.

With such competitive prices, the quality of our Prime Oak has to be seen to be believed – don’t just take our word for it. We offer a full sample service to allow you to test our products in a manageable quantity before committing to a large order. Alternatively you can visit our showroom to see a comprehensive range of our beautiful solid wood worktops in the ‘flesh’.

Prime Oak prices: available from £110 for a 2m worktop.

PERFECT FOR…

As one of the most versatile materials around, our Prime Oak worktops offer a sleek, uniform appearance that is full of innate charm. The lightness of oak pairs beautifully with cream or off-white accessories, though can also stand up to a bright accent colour: try emerald or cobalt walls or doors for some natural vibrancy. Visit our prime oak worktops page for further information on how to purchase one of these stunning work surfaces.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

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Deluxe Prime
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Full Stave Prime
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Back in November Worktop Express® proudly took delivery of our latest piece of manufacturing equipment – a CNC machine. Unlike some of the other advanced machinery we’ve got in our fabrication facility, the CNC machine is actually a very exciting machine for us to have introduced. Not only does it allow us to offer a more precise bespoke cutting service, but it also helps speed up the time taken to fabricate unique worktops to your required specifications.

Before taking delivery of the ‘Homag Venture 316L’ CNC machine that takes up a substantial corner of our fabrication facility, we previously used manual routers to make bespoke alterations to worktops. Although we were still able to make all sorts of cuts with this manual method, we can offer more precise and consistent alterations resulting in a far more consistent finish at a far greater speed, meaning you’ll now have your custom worktop sooner rather than later.

Why CNC?

So what exactly is a CNC machine, and how does it work? Well, CNC stands for ‘computer numerical control’, referring to the way in which the machine is operated. Our fabrication experts can load up CAD (Computer Aided Design) fabrication diagrams which are converted in to a set of specifications for the machine to follow.

Our particular machine has a 5-axis spindle that gives it huge flexibility of movement, so virtually no matter what fabrication requirements you may have, this machine can do it. Whether it’s specific dimensions for sink or hob cut-outs, routing inlays for hotrods or sink drainage grooves, this amazing machine can adjust wooden worktops to even the most intricate requirements.

Like a normal router, the drilling head can use a whole host of different cutting tools. Whereas a fabricator would have to change the cutting tool manually on our old machinery, up to 18 tools are kept in a special interchangeable holder, so the unit can automatically pick out the tool best suited for the task.

What cuts can it perform?

And finally…

As you can see, there’s a wide range of bespoke fabrication options available, and with our CNC machine, there’s plenty of other worktop customisations we can carry out that we don’t list here. If you have an idea for your worktop and are interested in finding out more about our fabrication service, feel free to contact us.

Welcome to our oak guide. On this page there will be information about our oak worktops – a bit about the science, sourcing, and manufacture of this kitchen worktop – plus a brief history of this glorious timber.

AESTHETICS

First things first. Now, I’m sure we’re all aware that oak is remarkably resilient and hardwearing, but one of the most important reasons for introducing this timber into your kitchen is how it looks. The delicate, golden colour and natural features make this an eyecatching, innately attractive worktop material. Please take a look at our oak worktop gallery for further insight.

And best of all, each of our worktops is truly unique, with a distinctive grain pattern that sets it apart from the rest…

TYPE OF WOOD AND GRAIN STRUCTURE

All Worktop Express timber worktops (i.e. all worktops except for the bamboo and caramel bamboo, as bamboo is an evergreen perennial plant, not a tree) are made from hardwood. Contrary to the name, some softwoods are just as ‘hard’ as hardwoods; however, what really sets many hardwoods apart from the softwood category is the unique cell structure, which plays a huge part in creating a fantastic grain pattern. For example, hardwoods possess a type of cell known as vessel elements (which are absent from softwoods). These longitudinal cells are larger than the other surrounding cells and when cut leave little cavities in the wood called pores. The dispersion of these pores is what gives hardwoods their distinctive look and characterful grain pattern.

Size of pore also has a bearing on the appearance of the grain. Our standard oak has large pores and an open, coarse grain (as opposed to our Prime Oak, which favours a tight, closed, linear grain). Open grain patterns are more visible to the naked eye and give the surface a textural quality, adding to the rustic charm of the worktop.

Though worktops in both oak and its ‘prime’ variant share much of the timber’s ‘innate’ appeal, there are important differences to consider when it comes to grain structure and pattern – and as such we felt it was only fair to offer both worktop types. Suppliers that only offer one grade of wood are not giving their consumers a choice. We offer a specific selection for customers looking for a welcoming, pastoral look (oak), or a more sophisticated, uniform look (prime oak). The characterful grain of an oak worktop, its multitude of natural features, and the naturally occurring colour variation, creates that great ‘country’ finish that is highly sought-after in both traditional and modern design schemes.

SOURCING AND MANUFACTURE

As with all genera of timber-bearing trees, some species are more adept at being used for construction than others. Here at Worktop Express®, we source only the hardiest and most beautiful timbers for our oak block worktops.

European Oak is widely held to have a richer grain pattern than its American counterpart and also has the distinct advantage of lesser quantities of sap.

Our oak is sustainably sourced and is manufactured solely in its place of origin (Europe). This has the distinct environmental advantages of promoting sustainability and saving airmiles (thus reducing carbon footprint), while allowing us to use a truly robust, attractive timber for our rustic oak worktops.

Our expertise in sourcing and manufacture also allows us to keep our prices at a highly affordable level. We are extremely experienced in this field – having sold over 200,000 worktops since inception – and deal directly with manufacturers so that there is no middleman. Furthermore, we only purchase the highest quality lumber and have devised efficient, accurate process to reduce wastage and ensure minimal loss. For a more detailed discussion of our sourcing expertise and manufacturing processes, please visit our Sourcing and Manufacture information guide.

To learn more about the affordable prices of our cheap oak kitchen worktops, please visit the pricing section of this guide. For more information on our environmental policies, please visit our environmental page.

Oak Worktop

Deluxe Oak Worktop

Full stave Oak Worktop

CONSTRUCTION

The wood for these oak kitchen worktops is specifically chosen for its verdant charm and natural colour variation, allowing customers to benefit from oak’s innate qualities alongside the characteristic strength and hardiness of the timber.

All standard worktops are constructed from individual staves which are 40mm wide. Staves – or timber sections – are high-pressure bonded and fingerjointed in a pleasing formation so that each individual timber section is clearly visible.

The finger-jointing process is important for aesthetic charm, economy and maximum durability. This attractive joint is made by cutting a set of complementary cut-outs in two pieces of wood so that these two sides fit together (almost like interlocking fingers, hence the name). These are then glued to create a visually appealing join that is exceedingly stable, is more economical with use of timber and is stronger than a butt or lap joint – perfect for use in the kitchen, whether your surface will be used as an oak breakfast bar or an oak wood worktop.

For more information, please view our ’Construction Types Explained’ information guide.

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

Tree Size: 24-35 m tall, 1-1.5 m trunk diameter

Density: 720 kg/m3

Average Dried Weight: 680 kg/m3

Janka Hardness: (4,980 N)

Modulus of Rupture (bending strength): 97.1 MPa

Elastic Modulus (‘stiffness’ of wood): 110.60 GPa

HISTORY

One of the most recognisable trees worldwide, oak is internationally renowned, boasting a killer combination of natural beauty and resilience against both age and the elements. Due to this versatility in the world of woodworking, oak has been a staple of many carpenters and builders since the medieval era.

Image courtesy flickr.com/graniers

Initially oak was most in demand straight after felling. This fresh timber – otherwise referred to as “green” oak – was used in constructs before it was allowed to dry, allowing it to be manipulated into a wider array of shapes and angles to fit the needs of the time. The most prominent examples of this still exist today in the curvature of medieval barns and the hammerbeam roofs of churches and cathedrals throughout Europe.

Building bylaws established following the Great Fire of London in 1666 prohibited the use of wood for the construction of inner-city buildings. The conflagration’s aftermath demanded that brick and mortar should take the place of timber, ushering in an era of fireproof structures. The carpenters and joiners adapted, however, leading to a rise in both solid oak flooring and furniture that would evolve over the centuries that followed.

This trend continued until the latter half of the 20th Century where vast technological advancements gave life to CAD systems – computerised design focused on precise measurements and cutting.

Fast forward to the present day and it’s not difficult to see how the tables have turned (pun intended!) In a world where plastic is a common commodity, solid wood has become the perfect statement of uniqueness. With superior standards and sustainability programs to ensure you’re getting the most out of your wood, it’s never been a better time to experience the wonders that await with solid oak worktops! 

PRICE

Worktop Express® reduce costs through high-volume purchases and efficient processes; we hold over 5,000 worktops in stock at our depots and deliver direct to the public and the trade with our own in-house delivery service. Our advanced online stock systems minimise the amount of dead stock and eco-friendly policies also eliminate wastage (and cost in the long term). Efficient processes and our ‘direct-to-the-public’ e-commerce model drastically reduces overheads, allowing us to market up-to-date products at lower rates than any other e-tailer.

We are proud to be specialists in solid wood and leaders in our field. Cutting out the middleman and building an expert network of internal support at every level of the business enables us to deliver high-quality timber to our customers at an extremely competitive price. There are no agents; we visit all suppliers at least every three months to ensure standards are maintained. Worktop Express® are currently the largest importers of solid wood worktops to the UK, and will be expanding into other European markets in 2014.

At these prices, the quality of our wood may need to be seen to be believed – but we are confident you will be delighted in the finished product! Please give this wonderful timber a try through our sample service and see for yourself.

Available from £95 for a 2m oak worktop.

PERFECT FOR…

One of the most versatile furniture materials around, oak worktops lend a certain flair to country kitchens with duck-egg blue cabinet doors, or when paired with unpainted frontals for a truly natural, ‘cottage’ look. Accessorise with an oak chopping board or oak upstand for a consistent and charming finish.

Please visit our solid oak worktop page for more information on how to purchase these wonderful work surfaces.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

• Prime Oak
• Full Stave Oak
• Beech
• Walnut

At Worktop Express® we pride ourselves on supplying the highest-quality solid wood worktops for the best possible prices. An essential facet of this process is the sourcing of the timber itself and manufacture of the worktops.

Years of experience have made us experts in this field and both the origin and subsequent handling of our timber is something that we take very seriously. As such, we are involved at every step of the process.

Some key facts about our sourcing and manufacturing ‘ethos’:

• Our supply chain is very short – no middlemen are involved. This makes it easy to maintain and control.
• From the moment at which the timber is felled to the moment it reaches the customer, it only passes through two sets of hands.
• The timber from the forest goes to our selected worktop manufacturer – who we vet – to our warehouse and then directly to the customer (using our own transport in most cases).
• We spend a great deal of time visiting forests and suppliers ourselves. Inspections are carried out every three months (at least). Each visit is lengthy and sometimes will be spread over several days.
• We do not use agents or wholesalers.

Forestry

courtesy of Local Government Procurement Network

The majority of Worktop Express® timbers are sourced from Eastern Europe, as we have found that the forests there are both sustainable and extremely well-managed (and most are under tight governmental control). There has been an unwritten rule in these countries for many years that if a tree is felled, another tree is planted: one reason that there are still vast areas of lush forest throughout the region. Unfortunately the UK has not been so sensible and our forests are rather depleted (in Elizabethan times we plundered many of our forests for ship-building materials, for example).

When it comes to our African or exotic woods, all of these timbers come in under EUTR regulations – without exception. For geographic purposes in these countries we employ consultants who visit regularly and carry out inspections on our behalf; as a result, we can confidently declare that we could take someone to the tree stump from which our wood was cut. And these ‘stumps’ would also not be many in number – for all of the zebrano wood worktops and wenge wood worktops that we supplied for the entire year of 2013, for example, only 8 trees were felled: a tiny figure. We strive to keep this number as small as it can be through our efficient processes and zero wastage policies. Read our environmental policy to learn more.

No matter where Worktop Express® timber is sourced from, we either visit the forest site ourselves or our appointed consultant for the country (who is employed by us) or our selected manufacturer (under our guidance) visits to ensure our supply is from legal and well-managed forests. In some cases all three parties will go together, meet the managers of the forest, and inspect.

By adhering to this rigorous process we are confident that our timber is of the highest quality, that it is handled to our own specifications (which we insist on), and that it is ethically sourced.

Unfortunately – as in most trades – there is some corruption. Our expertise in this field means that we are aware of this and can bypass it completely. We have never engaged with the black market or any officials who have asked for a bribe and will never do so.

Manufacture

Over the last 5-10 years we have engaged with 20 or 30 different manufacturers of timber worktops and wood panels. Our investigations of the industry have allowed us to narrow this down to approximately half a dozen manufacturers whom we believe deliver the best results in Europe.

Every single supplier we have ever used has been subject to frequent visits, inspections and processes by our team – in person. As such our purchasing team have gained extensive knowledge and probably know more than anyone in Europe about worktop manufacture! This acumen has proved invaluable as it has allowed us to develop specifications and standards by which to benchmark and select suppliers.

There are timber industry standards set out by the EU (formally DIN standards), which we have expanded and improved upon to create our own. One example of this relates to our sanding practices: though the industry standard is to sand to 120 grit, we demand that all Worktop Express® worktops are sanded to 150 grit. We also demand that worktops are packaged to our specification so that these reach the customer in optimum condition.

Our specifications are issued to every manufacturer and translated into the local language so that there can be no misinterpretation. We then discuss each aspect in detail with the manufacturer to ensure that these are understood. Finally, a member of our purchasing team travels to site and inspects at least every three months to ensure that our standards are being adhered to – even to those premises owned by manufacturers that we have long-standing relationships with.

No Worktop Express® products are manufactured in the Far East except for those which make use of the region’s native materials (bamboo); again, these items are made to our strict specification. Many other worktop retailers will offer lower-grade worktops – that are often not even competitively-priced -and which have been put together in China, using unsustainable timber from Russia and Africa, to no particular specification, through labour that is in breach of human rights. We abhor these practices and urge anyone who is purchasing solid timber worktops to research their retailer thoroughly.

And finally…

Wood is a natural material so – no matter how rigorous we are – there may be the odd ‘flaw’. However out of the hundreds of thousands of worktops that we receive we would typically find one or two that contained defects (at the most). As a result, the Worktop Express® team are more confident than ever that our attention to detail really does make a difference, and that the product we supply is the best on the market as a result.

Simply put, we take care from the moment the tree is planted until it reaches your doorstep.

We hope that this has answered any queries you might have had about the origin and manufacture of our worktops; but if you’d like to learn more about Worktop Express® products, please take advantage of our full sample service – our team firmly believes that the quality on offer speaks for itself. We hope that you will think so too – try us out and see!