“How should I connect my hardwood worksurfaces?” Question of the Week 25.06.16

“How should I connect my hardwood worksurfaces?”
Clive from Cirencester emailed us this week to ask how we would recommend connecting two hardwood worksurfaces.
QUESTION:
“I would like to buy two of your European walnut worktops to make an L-shaped kitchen bench. I’ve seen worktops connected with both mitre joints and butt joints – would you recommend one method over another?”
ANSWER:
Hi Clive,
Thanks for contacting us. We are really pleased that you are interested in purchasing two of our walnut worktops – especially as they are our pick for June’s ‘Worktop of the Month’! Gorgeous European walnut is full of character and makes for a wonderfully lustrous and hard-wearing work surface, so we certainly agree that this is an excellent choice for your kitchen.
You are also right to question which joining method is the best, as we strongly advise using a butt joint when attaching two wooden worksurfaces at a right-angle. If this is not a customisation you intend on making yourself, our skilled worktop fabrication team would be happy to help.
What do we do?
First, we create three bolt apertures on the underside of each worktop, on the two edges that are to be joined together. Then, we add in the three bolts to fasten the two worktops together securely, and add a sealant to protect the timber inside the joint and give extra reinforcement.
Why do we do this?
As you may know, wood naturally expands and contracts with the varying levels of heat and moisture in its environment. Where the two diagonal edges meet at a mitre joint, it is at this point that natural expansion can create pressure on the two work surfaces, which may result in the worktop splitting, bowing or warping. Conversely, butt joints do not interfere with the natural qualities of the wood, and therefore reduce the likelihood of damage to the worktop.
Furthermore – as the apertures are carefully concealed on the underside of the worktop – the bolts cannot be seen once the worktop is installed, creating a seamless appearance for your finished L-shaped worktop.
Please read our Butt Joints Nutshell Guide for further information.
How to order a butt joint
To order a butt joint to connect your two worktops, you simply need to send us the worktop dimensions and specify where you would like the joint to be situated. You can provide this information by telephoning us on 0345 22 22 644, or by emailing [email protected]
Alternatively, you can order worktops with a butt joint via our innovative Online Bespoke Worktop Tool. If you require any guidance with using this tool, please take a look at our Online Bespoke Worktop Tool guide. Don’t forget to click onto the ‘Arrange/Join your Worktops’ screen to ensure the joint is where you would like.
Once your order has been submitted (whether online or with a member of our team), it will be reviewed by our fabrication department, who will email you a diagram for approval before proceeding, in order to ensure all the measurements are absolutely correct.
Please do contact us if there is anything else we can help you with.
Kind regards,
Ben @ Worktop Express
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