Questioning you need to use for sealing butcher block counter tops? I attempted each Waterlox and mineral oil and am sharing what labored finest for me!
After sharing our new espresso station final week, a number of of you had questions on what we used to seal our new butcher block counter tops so I’m going to fill you in on these particulars immediately. (submit consists of affiliate hyperlinks – full disclosure assertion out there {right here}). As you identified, we solely have them in a small space on the far finish of our kitchen the place we ripped out the outdated, ugly tiled countertop:
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As soon as put in, it’s essential to deal with or seal the butcher block to maintain it from drying out and marking. There are quite a lot of choices for merchandise to deal with butcher block, however one of many easiest and least costly is mineral oil. And that’s what I went with for the primary a number of months.
Sealing Butcher Block Counter tops with Mineral Oil
To seal butcher block with mineral oil, you merely apply the mineral oil generously, let it soak in, and wipe off the surplus. You’ll want to do it pretty often at first however then solely about as soon as a month after you’ve gotten by a number of purposes. However right here’s the issue that I discovered with mineral oil. Any paper that you just lay down on it is going to take up the oil from the butcher block and stain the paper. Even when it’s been weeks because you oiled it. I’d like to say that our kitchen is all the time neat as will be with no random college papers strewn about however…not a lot. After a number of papers received ruined by laying them down within the incorrect place, I knew that mineral oil wasn’t going to work for us.
Sealing Butcher Block Counter tops with Waterlox
So after quite a lot of analysis into different choices, I ended up attempting Waterlox and I’m so glad I did – I find it irresistible! It’s a mix of Tung oil and resin with a water resistant end that’s additionally meals protected (extra particulars on their meals protected declare will be discovered {here}). The corporate has nice directions on software of Waterlox on their web site which can be a must-read earlier than utilizing it, however the primary steps are to sand the butcher block, clear it with mineral spirits, after which apply 3-5 coats of Waterlox with 24 hour dry time between coats.
Waterlox is available in three totally different sheens nevertheless it’s advisable that you just begin with Waterlox Original Sealer/Finish (available {here}) for the primary coats and simply do the final coat in both the satin or high-gloss end in order for you a special sheen. I’m not a giant fan of shiny counter tops so after three coats of the Sealer/End, I utilized a coat of the Waterlox Satin (available {here}) which is much less shiny. The colour of the butcher block positively adjustments relying upon the remedy that you just select with the Waterlox making the butcher block a deeper, simply barely extra orangey colour than the mineral oil.
You’ll be able to see the distinction much more clearly this angle – the countertop was sealed with Waterlox and the board on high of it was handled with mineral oil:
Truthfully, I choose the lighter look of the oiled countertop to the darker Waterloxed countertop however with all the different benefits of Waterlox (no extra oil spots on stray kitchen papers, no extra month-to-month upkeep, and higher water resistance) it was the way in which to go for us.
For those who’re occupied with utilizing Waterlox too, you should definitely learn {this info on care and cleaning of Waterlox} so you’re conscious of what merchandise you need to and mustn’t use on Waterloxed counter tops.
In order that’s my long-winded reply to your quick query about our counter tops. Butcher block counter tops aren’t for everybody and we solely have them on this one spot with granite in the remainder of the kitchen however I like them and truthfully wouldn’t hesitate to make use of them all through a kitchen. How about you?
