anyone experience of ikea’s thick veneer worktops? had a look yesterday and was fairly impressed. if they are more ‘stable’ as they claim, in terms of warping, drying, cracking, they sound like a good option. also, Ikea have eco/recycled wood claims for these worktops, that appeal.

Or, is a ‘real’ solid wood worktop a better option? would be a touch, but no too much from what i can tell, pricier, so that’s not really an issue.

don’t want laminate or quartz etc.

Fitted kitchens suck.

Get the one that can be recycled when you get bored of it, rather than dumping it in landfill.

thanks for your input, i think?!

i’m fairly sure both solid, and ikea’s thick veneer can be recycled.

We had solid beech (well engineered) worktops fitted 20ish years ago. Not had the slightest problem with them, completely stable. Main advantage is if you intend to keep a kitchen for many years, you can sand them down and re-oil etc and get back to brand new finish.

Fitted kitchens suck.

Get the one that can be recycled when you get bored of it, rather than dumping it in landfill.

Parts of the fitted kitchen supplied in my last house in 1981 just got reinstalled in the garage of my new home. Their third use. Still going strong after many years, likely to be in use for many more.

It’s how you act not which sort of worktop you chose that counts.

If you can’t be helpful then just stay off the thread!

As for solid wood, I used them in the last house, and loved them. They need looking after, especially regards standing water, but not worries about using them again in the future.

Main advantage is if you intend to keep a kitchen for many years, you can sand them down and re-oil etc and get back to brand new finish.

yeah, my worry with the veneer one is that if it gets a bit buggered, how salvageable is it – tho, on reading, you can sand and oil them, as the veneer is fairly thick

I made my kitchen units about 20 years ago and used the thinner solid beech tops from Ikea. They have never warped or moved in that period. I have sanded them down about 3-4 times and reoiled them over the years and they still look fine. They weather in nicely and take on a patina of their own that fits a working kitchen in a farmhouse.

Worktops express. 40mm thick and deeper than a standard ikea worktop so you can route all the services behind the cabinets. They’ll even cut them to size for you.

Sock puppet – who made you boss of the internet?

OP – get the man made one and leave the hardwood in the rain forest.

I put Ikea solid beech worktops in 20 years ago an now you can see why they were cheap. Shinkage opening up gaps, splits and cracks. I wouldn’t use them again

We have Ikea veneer tops, now 5 years old, good as new and they have a hard life..

I put Ikea solid beech worktops in 20 years ago an now you can see why they were cheap. Shinkage opening up gaps, splits and cracks. I wouldn’t use them again

that’s why i’m looking at the thick veneer ones – apparently less prone to those issues.

Sock puppet – boss of the internet

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😉

Worktop express oak worktops here. FSC certified and nice and deep. Highly recommend Osmo top oil. I did mine about 5 years ago and it only now needs a light sand and re-oil. This is in a heavily used kitchen with three kids. Brushes off water and red wine left on overnight easily without staining.

We have Ikea veneer tops, now 5 years old, good as new and they have a hard life..

It must have, wi you faceplanting and crashing ebikes into it! 😂

Haha, have you seen me on the rollers in the kitchen … 😂

Just get veneer and you’ll never think about it again.

Assuming you (or person you’re speccing kicthen with) isn’t bothered about it for status symbol kind-of reasons, of course.

OP – get the man made one and leave the hardwood in the rain forest.

Beech and oak are both hardwoods, and they’re both native European species, along with a number of other hardwoods. Teak, on the other hand, is a tropical hardwood, and I believe is now controlled.
Man-made is fine, but involves industrial processes, solid timber, which is cropped in sustainable forests, just needs seasoning and sawing into suitable planks.
I know exactly which I’d prefer.

Just get veneer and you’ll never think about it again.

still need a sand and oil periodically, apparently 🙁

Man-made is fine, but involves industrial processes, solid timber, which is cropped in sustainable forests, just needs seasoning and sawing into suitable planks.

kinda my thoughts too tbh!

god, it’s all very confusing! add in re-modelling of the downstairs floorplan, kitchen units, appliances, colours, an extension, new bathrooms – my head’s in a constant state of confusion!

Some oak is from sustainable forests, some isn’t. A lot is from illegal logging in the temperate rainforests in Far East Russia.
WWF have some ratings, looks like Ikea are better than most. https://www.wwf.org.uk/timberscorecard

There seems to be some wooden worktop experts here, so I am gonna ask a question.

We have iroko worktops, 2 years old, finished with Danish oil, but it seems a bit crap. needs to be done every 6 months or so and is a pain in the hole.

So…

1. there is a lime scale stain behind the tap. Any recommendations on how to remove this please?
2. This Osmo top oil. If I were to use this, would I need to sand the worktops down to completely remove the Danish oil?

Every second kitchen I see (I’m a joiner) has water left lying at the back of the sink. If you are a splashy sink user and don’t like wiping up after you’ve used it, don’t get a timber worktop (formica won’t be too happy either). If the veneer get’s wet on wooden veneered worktops then it will separate from the core. Beech is not very water resistant and oak won’t appreciate ferrous metal being left in contact with it.

thanks chickenman – good to get some experience!

what would you do?? I’m set on the aesthetic of wood in all honesty.

The sink will be in a 2m section of worktop at the end of the kitchen. The rest will be a (roughly) 4m section, and then a 1.7×0.9m bit poking out in to the room. – kinda a v wide ‘U’ shape if that makes sense.

would it be totally mad to get the sink section made from as good a laminate as possible, and then the rest in wood? assuming i can get a v good match?

We have an ikea kitchen.

U shaped. Didn’t do a veneer piece wide enough for the sink area. Ended up buying solid wood and the sink area was a piece of breakfast bar cut down.

Far too much maintenance for my liking.

Visitors splash without care and you have to go in behind them and mop up or face black marks and warping.

Coffee machine leaked onto it and warped it.

Stains everywhere.

Shrinks and expands with the room temp/humidity.

Curry will leave yellow stains.

Needs oiling.

Luckily you can sand it back. I sand ours back once a year with a random orbital sander and add fresh oil every 6 months.

Never again.

Seriously, if you’re worried about maintenance of a wooden worktop but still want one, just use Osmo top oil, it’s great stuff.

Don’t forget that granite is still porous so curry will stain it. Personally I don’t like granite, too cold and hard Other option is a plastic worktop, think it’s made out of recycled materials.

Mrs Pondo and I agreed on oak worktops – she went shopping with her dad and brought back laminate. I’m now somewhat disengaged from the kitchen refresh programme. 🙁