Worktop Express Information Guides

Whilst the majority of our customers purchase our hardwood worktops for use in kitchens, we have been pleased to hear that a number of customers have used worktops to create stunning desks in their home or at the office.

Our wooden worktops make ideal office surfaces as they are extremely hard-wearing and easily adjustable.

Want a new #worktop for your #desk? Our #solidwood #countertops are a perfect choice. Choose from 40mm or 27mm thicknesses in a wide range of #timbers, and allow our skilled team to cut it to size, ready for immediate installation after delivery! Head to the #WorktopExpress website to see the full range of #worktops. #desks #table #tabletop #tabletops #woodtable #woodtables #countertop #woodenworktop #woodcountertop #worksurface #desktop #desktops #office #officedesk #officedesks #officelife #officedecor #officespace #officestyle #officedesign #iMac #oak

A post shared by Worktop Express (@worktopexpress) on Nov 4, 2016 at 1:44am PDT

Fabricating Your Desk Worktop

No matter what space you have available, or how you would like your bespoke worktops finished, our in-house fabrication team can assist. Using the latest CNC machinery, our team can make even the most elaborate worktop designs come to life: cutting worktops to your required size; creating butt joints to connect more than one worktop together; or adding soft edge profiles, internal radius corners and even holes for cabling.

Choosing a Suitable Base

We have a number of table bases available for creating a suitable base for your desk. If these options are not suitable, there are a variety of different options that could work in your home:

Use sections of wooden worktops as supports: our fabrication team can cut a worktop into thinner wood sections that are very sturdy and can be joined to the surface with L-brackets or with the assistance of a 45° mitre join.

Sit a worktop on top of wooden kitchen cabinets: our sister company SolidWoodKitchenCabinets.co.uk is a supplier of oak base cabinets that are available in a variety of combinations. Choose from multiple drawers, doors or open cabinetry to store your computer or other office equipment in.

Purchase table legs or trestles: a number of companies offer table legs or trestles in a wide range of designs. Make sure that whichever option you choose comfortably supports the weight of a solid wood worktop, as well as any additional weight you may add with monitors, printers and other office accessories.

View Examples in our Customer Kitchens Gallery

View more examples of our wooden worktops in our Customer Kitchens Gallery.

You may also find the following guides useful

Please note: This guide was originally posted on 15^th April 2015 but has been republished on 28^th February 2018 to include additional information.

There are a number of ways to treat wooden worktops, but for a low-lustre finish we recommend choosing worktop oil over lacquers or varnishes.

Not all types of worktop oil – of which there are many – are appropriate for wood kitchen worktops, however, as they may not be food-safe or offer a long-lasting finish that seals the timber effectively.

Here are some of the types of oil often recommended for treatment of timber products:

Olive Oil

Olive oil is often suggested for treating wooden chopping boards, and whilst it helps to accentuate the colour of the timber, it is not the most suitable protective treatment for wooden worktops. Olive oil stays “wet” for an indefinite period and can actually promote bacterial growth. If used to treat wooden worktops, you will often find that the oil makes the surface sticky over time, which can cause difficulty if you wish to sand down the timber and re-treat with a more suitable alternative.

Linseed or Tung Oil

Pure linseed oil or tung oil are better suited for treating hardwood worktops as they penetrate timber more effectively than other natural oils. Though it may take a long time, these rub-in oils will naturally dry or cure on their own. These oils provide the base for many popular worktop oils, but with the addition of extra salts and added chemicals to help the curing process.

Danish Oil

Danish Oil is the only treatment recommended by Worktop Express as it cures relatively quickly, providing a low-lustre food-safe finish that accentuates the beauty of the timber and is perfect for food preparation.

Please note: Rustins Danish Oil is currently the only food-safe Danish Oil available from Worktop Express.

Teak Oil

Despite its name, teak oil does not actually contain any oil or by-product of the teak tree, Tectona grandis; many products are referred to as “teak oil” because they are marketed for use on teak and other similar timbers. The composition of a teak oil will vary, but it is usually based upon a mixture of linseed oil, varnish, and mineral spirits (sometimes a small amount of pure tung oil is also included in the mix). Many types of teak oil provide a good protective barrier for timber products, but will often create a glossy sheen that – in our opinion – does not accentuate the beauty of hardwood timber.

Creating the Best Finish

To give your wooden worktops the best possible finish, we recommend utilising Worktop Express Danish oil for worktops for all worktop oiling and aftercare. We advise that you apply at least two – three coats on both the top and bottom surfaces of the worktop, four coats on each edge and six coats on the end grain. You may need to leave a gap of up to eight hours between applications (to ensure that each coat of oil is fully absorbed into the timber).

If regularly maintained, a worktop treated with Danish oil will look superb for many years, and will maintain a food-safe, water-resistant finish. For the first six weeks after worktop installation, the worktop should be regularly re-oiled. After this the worktop should be given further treatments every three months to ensure the timber surface remains resilient and hydrophobic.

Please Note:This Information Guide was originally posted on the 8^th of February 2017 and has been updated on 23^st February 2018 to include additional information.

There are a number of ways to treat wooden worktops, but for a low-lustre finish we recommend choosing worktop oil over lacquers or varnishes.

Not all types of worktop oil – of which there are many – are appropriate for wood kitchen worktops, however, as they may not be food-safe or offer a long-lasting finish that seals the timber effectively.

Here are some of the types of oil often recommended for treatment of timber products:

Olive Oil

Olive oil is often suggested for treating wooden chopping boards, and whilst it helps to accentuate the colour of the timber, it is not the most suitable protective treatment for wooden worktops. Olive oil stays “wet” for an indefinite period and can actually promote bacterial growth. If used to treat wooden worktops, you will often find that the oil makes the surface sticky over time, which can cause difficulty if you wish to sand down the timber and re-treat with a more suitable alternative.

Linseed or Tung Oil

Pure linseed oil or tung oil are better suited for treating hardwood worktops as they penetrate timber more effectively than other natural oils. Though it may take a long time, these rub-in oils will naturally dry or cure on their own. These oils provide the base for many popular worktop oils, but with the addition of extra salts and added chemicals to help the curing process.

Danish Oil

Danish Oil is the only treatment recommended by Worktop Express as it cures relatively quickly, providing a low-lustre food-safe finish that accentuates the beauty of the timber and is perfect for food preparation.

Please note: Rustins Danish Oil is currently the only food-safe Danish Oil available from Worktop Express.

Teak Oil

Despite its name, teak oil does not actually contain any oil or by-product of the teak tree, Tectona grandis; many products are referred to as “teak oil” because they are marketed for use on teak and other similar timbers. The composition of a teak oil will vary, but it is usually based upon a mixture of linseed oil, varnish, and mineral spirits (sometimes a small amount of pure tung oil is also included in the mix). Many types of teak oil provide a good protective barrier for timber products, but will often create a glossy sheen that – in our opinion – does not accentuate the beauty of hardwood timber.

Creating the Best Finish

To give your wooden worktops the best possible finish, we recommend utilising Worktop Express Danish oil for worktops for all worktop oiling and aftercare. We advise that you apply at least two – three coats on both the top and bottom surfaces of the worktop, four coats on each edge and six coats on the end grain. You may need to leave a gap of up to eight hours between applications (to ensure that each coat of oil is fully absorbed into the timber).

If regularly maintained, a worktop treated with Danish oil will look superb for many years, and will maintain a food-safe, water-resistant finish. For the first six weeks after worktop installation, the worktop should be regularly re-oiled. After this the worktop should be given further treatments every three months to ensure the timber surface remains resilient and hydrophobic.

Please Note:This Information Guide was originally posted on the 8^th of February 2017 and has been updated on 23^st February 2018 to include additional information.

If installed and maintained correctly, your wooden kitchen worktop will be highly resistant to damage; however we appreciate that in busy kitchens accidents do happen! This guide aims to highlight the most effective and easy methods of minor repair, whilst providing some handy tips for reducing your future kitchen maintenance.

What should I do if…

There are small scratches on my worktop?

General usage of your worktop can occasionally cause small scratches or other marks to appear. On wooden worktops this is nothing to worry about – they are easily repairable by following the simple instructions below:

• Sand the damaged area using 240 grit sandpaper until there are no signs of scratches on the surface
• Clean with a lint-free cloth to remove dust
• Re-oil using Rustins Danish Oil.
• After 5-10 minutes, remove any excess oil with a soft cloth

There’s a stain on my worktop?

If the stain is light you can sand and re-oil your worktop as per above. If the stains are consistently spread over the whole worktop, we would recommend sanding and oiling the entire area to create a uniform, unblemished appearance.

Please consult our oiling worktops nutshell guide for further guidance.

Another recommended method for removing tough stains would be to wipe the area with a very weak solution of water and lemon juice and rinse clean. This should improve the appearance considerably.

What should I do if…

My worktop has a crack in it?

Some contraction and expansion of the timber should be expected; it is a natural kitchen and may react to the moisture levels in the surrounding air. With the correct installation and wood kitchen worktops maintenance programme you will not experience a problem; however in the unlikely event that a split in the worktop occurs, we would recommend the following action:

SMALL SPLIT: Wood filler or wax repair

A suitable moisture-resistant wood filler can be used to fill small splits in your worktop. It’s available in virtually every shade and is easy to use as follows:

• Apply the filler to the damaged split, trying to leave as little as possible on the work surface
• Sand over the area to ensure it is smooth and then re-oil as necessary

Wood wax is extremely similar – all that you need to do is melt wax into the split in the worktop, before sanding and oiling once more.

LARGE SPLIT: Glue and clamp

If the split in your worktop is too large for wood filler or worktop wax to be used, it may be necessary to glue and clamp the timber.

• Clean the timber, paying particular attention to the interior of the stave that has split.
• Spread high strength glue on the inside of the split.
• Hold together using clamps and leave to dry. If left for sufficient time, the split in the worktop should be fixed.

I’ve dented my worktop?

Most worktop dents can be rectified with ease as per these simple instructions:

• Spray water onto the surface and place a damp cloth over it
• Iron the surface for approximately 5 seconds at a time only (you can burn the timber and cause more damage if you hold it for any longer)
• The combination of heat and moisture should react and cause the worktop to slowly rise to its original shape
• Finally, sand and re-oil to complete the process.

And finally…

Should your worktop be damaged, there are a number of potential solutions to try (the most effective of which are collated within this guide), so do not panic. However, if you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Please note: this guide was updated on 27^th October 2014 to reflect recent changes to the products utilised in our pre-oiling process. For more information on the changes, please visit our Improvements to our Pre-Oiling Service for Wooden Worktops blog post. This guide was originally posted on 31^st December 2013, and was updated on 15^th February 2018 to include additional useful information.

If you are purchasing worktops from us and are not opting to take advantage of our bespoke cutting service, you may think that a great deal of work is required prior to installation – but we’re pleased to say that it isn’t!

Our kitchen worktops are supplied sanded to a 150 grit finish as standard, a pleasing smoothness (the industry standard is just 120 grit); which means that the only additional action you need to take to ready the timber for installation is to apply several coats of Rustin’s Danish Oil.

That said, we appreciate that customers may wish to sand the worktops further prior to or after installation; or, alternatively, you may wish to sand your worktops again in future as part of your maintenance programme – so we thought it would be helpful to provide some additional advice on sanding wooden worktops to a beautiful finish.

If intending to sand your worktop prior to installation, we recommend allowing your worktop to sit in the room of installation for 48 hours; this is so that the worktop can adjust to its new climate (it will experience a range of conditions during transit).

You can either sand your real wood worksurfaces by hand, or using an orbital sander, but we do not recommend belt sanders as it is very difficult to get an even finish on the worktop. If using an orbital sander, this should only be as a precursor to additional sanding by hand.

To sand your wooden worktop:

1. Start with 150 – 180 grit sandpaper, and rub down the entire worktop, including the edges.
2. Once you have gone over the entire worktop, use a cloth and vacuum to remove sawdust from the work surface and surrounding area.
3. When you are happy that the worktop is free from dust, you can then move onto a finer grit sandpaper and repeat the process.
4. For the smoothest finish, it is recommended to sand the worktop 3 or 4 times (with paper of up to 400 grit).
5. To ensure your worktop is clean once you are happy with the smoothness of the finish, we would then recommend that you vacuum the worktop and surrounding area, then wipe the wooden worktop down with a slightly damp, lint-free cloth to remove any remaining dust.
6. Your worktop is now ready for the application of your chosen treatment – we recommend Rustin’s Danish Oil.

 

Buy Your Sanding and Installation Accessories from Worktop Express:

Please note: This guide was originally posted on 11^th November 2014 and was updated on 8^th February 2018 to include additional information.