How Our DIY Butcher Block Wood Countertops Look After 1 Year

[@PeaceOutWorld]

We moved into a house with an older butcher block countertop that wasn't in good shape but, and after using it a year, I've found out how to maintain it much better and it actually looks better than when we moved in. Right around where it gets wet often, it does bleach out the wood but if you use adequate and regular amounts of oil, it repels the water much better. I have a product that's specifically for removing the black tannin stains that water creates, and it really does work! I'm in Germany so it's a European (Danish) product. But it might be available in the states. It's called Woca tannin spot remover. There may be something comparable there too. Instead of mineral oil (a petroleum product that, even if it claims to be "food safe", is not), I use food grade flax oil (in the old days, flaxseed, aka linseed oil) works amazing and actually dries with a harder finish than any other oils. Others say to use Tung oil, which is also food safe.

[@splitarrowfarm]

Great tips and love to hear that your turned yours around

[@michelekessel3202]

You need to put the butcher block conditioner also sold at Home Depot which seals the top with beeswax to keep it from having water damage and helps keep stains off

[@splitarrowfarm]

Thanks for the tip!

[@josephcollins3447]

Oil first. Then epoxy

[@jp360ford2]

@@josephcollins3447the oil won’t resist the epoxy and affect adhesion?? 🤔

[@tdtommy196]

Amazing that almost every bar in America is made of wood, and they last up to hundreds of years getting drinks spilled on them nightly.

[@splitarrowfarm]

Yes they use a think proxy on theirs which is a different method which can help

[@PacesIII]

I'm not sure "think proxy" was around when some of the world's oldest bars had theirs installed. Arm R Seal is a good way to go, as is Waterlox or boiled linseed oil. It's best to start with the bottom and pour LOTS of any of these in stages on the wood until it stops being absorbed. THEN install. Don't beat up the counters and never cut on them and they'll last a lifetime.

[@dizzee39]

@@PacesIIIdamn you don’t gotta be a dick, you know what she was trying to say

[@colinchilds]

@@PacesIIIthick poxy

[@colinchilds]

@@PacesIIIepoxy was invented in the 1930’s and used commercially in bars in the 1940’s

[@tchrishoward]

You're missing the point of butcher block. The stains and cuts add character to the counter. Just keep it oiled with food safe oil. By all means, if you want your counter to be spotless and look brand new, don't go with butcher block.

[@splitarrowfarm]

Very good call!

[@withrootsandeverything3460]

Also if you mind the cuts you can always sand it. Not a big deal. But why would you do that I don't know. It's a butcher block.

[@Watchoutforsnakez]

I had a cherrywood untrained countertop for 4 years and I never used a cutting board EVER cause DUH, that’s why we used butcher block. I put everything on it including hot cast iron pans. Yes it made a black ring. I chopped a ton directly on it. I cut and left lemon overnight, wine spills everything. I am not careful AT ALL. I loved it. We added mineral oil every 3 months and it was fine. It was so beautiful. When we moved we scraped and sanded them and it looked brand new. I miss them.

[@jero1820]

Seal it solid with epoxy. You can tint epoxy to give it a tinted look. Look up stone coat countertops. I sealed mine with epoxy and used the top coat. Had it for 5 yrs now and still looks great.

[@splitarrowfarm]

Thanks for the tip!

[@guitygro1138]

That sounds not food safe

[@MichaelPace2.0]

​@@guitygro1138 it is. Don't prep food on it, but you shouldn't do that on butcher block counters regardless

[@Thirteen13s]

seal it up! for my cutting boards i take 4.8ml of mineral oil and mix with 1oz of beeswax (u can scale it up) 1-boil water in sauce pan. 2- put oil and beeswax in metal dish. 3-set metal dish in boiling and let beeswax fully melt into the mineral oil. 4-let mixture solidify. 5-coat wood 2-3 coats, apply generously. the beeswax gets in the pours and seals everything up real nicely👌

[@splitarrowfarm]

Great tip!

[@GabRock91]

I was routing for a butcher block for my kitchen since I love the "farmhouse" look and it's a cheap option. But I don't think I'd want to be spending all that time cleaning it/maintaining it, so I think I'll go for another option. Thank you! This was very helpful!

[@splitarrowfarm]

Yes it is time consuming and I don’t think the best for a kitchen I suggest quartz!

[@yadeyarvis9534]

FYI you can seal the wood with something like waterlox and you won’t have to touch it for 10 years. The mineral oil route is just one of many options available to seal wood counters and it’s definitely the most work and least protective - which is why there was so much water damage around the sink.

[@careysmoak5478]

Simple fix Black Forest Graphene and ceramic coating top coat. Wipe on wipe off. Water will puddle not soak in. Graphene is 200 times stronger than steel and has a hardness of 9H. Diamonds are 10h.

[@marcusgardner7640]

@@careysmoak5478I believe all graphene is carcinogenic

[@jp360ford2]

Hey, hey, hey! Get off, food is prepped there! 😂 great video

[@splitarrowfarm]

😁

[@alvalonline]

Interesting. We actually made our own butcher block counter tops from wood we saved from maple trees we took down. We had some local Amish mill it for us and then did the rest ourselves. They turned out amazing and we really love the idea of doing it all ourselves. The wife is wrapping up her kitchen island project (we only lack the butcher block top for it), and we even made some of our own cabinets. We've posted a video or 4 on how we did it in case you're interested...

[@splitarrowfarm]

Wow love it!

[@natalielaguerre1039]

To help the high traffic areas you have to use a sealer to protect it. You may want to stain and seal but if want to keep the natural color then seal it to help prevent the water damage

[@splitarrowfarm]

Thanks, Natalie!

[@trucuriousity]

I'm choosing butcher block because I want it to look imperfect. I don't think it's meant to look like an heirloom. It's a work surface.

[@splitarrowfarm]

Love to hear it!

[@Kaotix_music]

So I’m going for butcher block in my new house because in 07 when they built it, they used laminate and it’s gross and I’m actually going for it because of the look. Not so much the budget of it. Everything in my house is “woody”. Now I’m built a studio desk out of butcher block and it actually sees a lot of abuse like water condensation from ice cold glasses and stuff. No coasters and I still have zero damage on it. No mineral oils or anything. Did you guys put on any heavy coats of polyurethane to *seal* the wood? Even in places you cut for the sink?

[@splitarrowfarm]

We didn’t but that’s a great idea!

[@Kaotix_music]

@@splitarrowfarm OOOOO that will make an insane difference! Its too bad theyre alrteady installed because if you did it inside the house, it will totally stink up the house but, maybe leave the windows open and get a fan for the day it needs to dry? Give them a huge sand down, then lay on some polyurathane and watch the magic happen. It also makes the grain *pop* from the wood

[@mstinamichele]

Youd have to consider if its food grade if you were to put it in areas where food is or could be dropped.

[@marlinettepacheco6482]

Did you epoxy it with clear?

[@splitarrowfarm]

We didn’t because and instead did a wood protection oil but epoxy is a great option

[@leslieroycroft3569]

Tung oil and citrus solvent. Food safe, not a plastic like a poly and way more protective than mineral oil and beeswax

[@splitarrowfarm]

Great tip!

[@msjoy2005]

I would have just added poly. These countertops are beautiful

[@splitarrowfarm]

Yes there are a few different ways to do this and poly is a great idea!

[@Fajah69]

I tried granite, looks boring. I went with butcher block and never looked back.

[@splitarrowfarm]

Love to hear it!

[@floomagoo7397]

Was it sealed before installation?

[@splitarrowfarm]

We sealed it, yes!

[@independentcontractor1633]

What is the name of the blue please on the cabinets please?

[@splitarrowfarm]

I tried looking but I cannot find it. I am sorry. It is Behr if that helps

[@ryananthony4840]

First of all if a butcher block CT is "low budget".... well that's the first problem lol. A high-end top with proper lumber and a good finish won't be a problem. After all, you are going with butcher block for the "look", not because you want an actual butcher block........

[@splitarrowfarm]

Lots of different ways to go!

[@TheStephanievc123]

Exactly i have a high end top and 4 years i havent even used a sealer yet and it looks fantastic. And i do alot of cooking so my kitchen is always in use

[@tednguyen7258]

would this be ok for rentals? mabye easily damaged?

[@splitarrowfarm]

Rentals would be hard because it requires up keep and could be damaged easily. But on the bright side it would be easy to replace and isn’t too expensive to replace 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@ChristinaBiasca]

For a rental I would do laminate instead personally. We have butcher block that we sealed with wipe on poly and it’s held up so beautifully that we are doing it in our whole kitchen!

[@PatriotMango]

pure tung oil would probably be a better choice as it's more waterproof

[@splitarrowfarm]

Good idea thanks for sharing!

[@whyme7996]

just pour an epoxy topcoat and solid...no leak issues, no staining issues. easy peasy

[@splitarrowfarm]

Thanks!

[@GodGunsGutsandNRA]

If you go with butchers block, make sure you go with end grain and NOT flat grain!

[@splitarrowfarm]

Great tip, thanks!

[@andrewupson2987]

End grain for a countertop would be absurd. Great for a cutting board, but way too much work and totally unnecessary for a counter.

[@bradenpolley8286]

That will take even more upkeep than this one here. Most of these cons could've been avoided if the countertop were sealed all the way around prior to the install. Numerous layers of a food-safe clearcoat or a thin epoxy pour would've done the trick. But, for needing very little prep work prior to the actual install, just using a food-safe mineral oil quarterly is fine too. However, this countertop could be made to last longer if desired.

[@GodGunsGutsandNRA]

@@bradenpolley8286 Our butcher block is going to be covered with StoneCoat epoxy.

[@tchrishoward]

@@andrewupson2987 so you don't want a butcher block, you just want wood.

[@relativisticvel]

That’s not butcherbioock, that’s just wooden countertop. No endgrain.

[@splitarrowfarm]

Interesting, thanks for sharing.

[@michelleaitken8012]

Helpful, thanks

[@splitarrowfarm]

Glad it was helpful!

[@michelleburk91]

That’s why you need a heavy epoxy

[@splitarrowfarm]

That is another alternative!

[@Aldocello1]

5 minutes of you , 18 seconds of the butcher block ...🤦‍♂

[@splitarrowfarm]

In the future I can plan to do more shots of the butcher block, thanks for the notes!

[@davefarley4318]

LOL

[@stephaniewhite2527]

@@splitarrowfarm your video was fine! A nice shot all over of the butcher blocks current state is all that’s needed.

[@JR-kk6ce]

Wabi Sabi - the art of appreciating imperfections. A kitchen is not supposed to be impeccable. Spending $20,000 to $30,000 on a kitchen is absurd.

[@splitarrowfarm]

Agreed!

[@mackalot510]

Good thing I seen this shit 💩 now I’m a go with quartz

[@splitarrowfarm]

Haha

[@aragorndedolor4171]

Why are you calling this a "butcher block"...? This is just a solid wooden countertop. A real butcher block is end grain.

[@splitarrowfarm]

Interesting, thanks!

[@fcolon1976]

So you decided to do a budget renovation before doing a big one!!?? Why would someone spend money to then spend even more money. I don't know... I would of left things as they were and just do a big reno. Smh

[@splitarrowfarm]

Everyone has their own style, thanks for sharing your input!

[@j.rothchild173]

Useless vid! Thks!!

[@splitarrowfarm]

Sorry you feel this way

[@dawnmyers5166]

You didn't make the butcher block that what I wanted.

[@splitarrowfarm]

Sorry to hear that

[@C2IT678]

To annoying to sit and watch this

[@splitarrowfarm]

sorry to hear this

[@jargobordine7254]

Wait…. Just brainstorming here: can’t you resurface butcher block really easy? As in just sand it and reapply the finish?

[@splitarrowfarm]

I don't see why not!