“I really like the look of your hardwood worktops but I’m concerned that they may rot around the sink area. Is this something I should be concerned about, and how would I avoid the worktops suffering because of excess moisture?”

Answer

That’s a question we’ve been asked on occasion before; but we can assure you that, with the right maintenance routine, wooden worktops should never succumb to moisture-related issues.

Every week we provide customised worktops with sink cut-outs to several customers, and we rarely see any problems as long as the following steps are taken:

Use an appropriate sealant to seal your sink into place and create a water-tight seal.
Oil the area around the sink every 6-8 weeks to ensure the wood is well protected.
Be sure to wipe down any water splashes/spills as quickly as possible.
Consider drainage grooves so that water from any washing-up goes straight into the sink.

If you would rather not go through the regular maintenance process of oiling the area around a sink, then you can alternatively lacquer the worktop to seal it from any moisture, though this does mean you lose some of the attractive tactile nature that a wooden worktop affords, with a finish that looks much shinier.

Moreover, if you do get any small areas of discolouration or rot around a sink, the qualities of a wooden worktop mean that the areas can easily be sanded down and re-oiled as necessary.

It’s also worth considering ordering a roll of self-adhesive moisture barrier to stick onto the underside of a worktop near any appliances that give off moisture such as washing machines or dishwashers. You can read more about our moisture barriers in our Moisture Barrier Nutshell Guide.

Lastly, for some further information on worktop care read our article on maintaining your worktop in Five Simple Steps.