# countertop finish



## paduke (Mar 28, 2010)

I am almost finished remodeling the kitchen. Current project is island countertop.
I have made a butcher block counter from white oak well mostly odd strips did mingle in. Not sure how to finish it. Any suggestions? It is a work surface. It probably will get scuffed up unloading groceries etc so I don't want polyurethane. Not sure what I want


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## Salty Dawg (Jan 24, 2014)

How about General Finishes High Performance top coat


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

There are a number of food safe oil finishes. You'll need to reapply periodically.


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## Selwyn Senior (Jan 11, 2014)

Mineral oil is considered a "food safe" finish for a butcher block work area. It can be purchased cheaply from most drug stores. Mineral oil does not turn rancid like vegetable oil. To apply mineral oil use a cloth and apply in the direction of the grain. Let it soak in for a few minutes and then wipe the excess off. You can add bees wax to the finish after it has dried. You might also research cutting board finishes on the web. Home Hardware advertises one with mineral oil, bees wax, and a couple of other ingredients that apparently deal with bacteria. Many cutting boards are end grain which is harder to mark but is also hard on a kitchen knife edge. It sounds like yours is a side grain so there will be some marks over time in the popular work area.


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## berry (Oct 17, 2005)

paduke said:


> I am almost finished remodeling the kitchen. Current project is island countertop.
> I have made a butcher block counter from white oak well mostly odd strips did mingle in. Not sure how to finish it. Any suggestions? It is a work surface. It probably will get scuffed up unloading groceries etc so I don't want polyurethane. Not sure what I want


I just want to clarify the use, are you saying you'll be preparing food on this surface or is it a landing spot while unloading groceries etc? or both? 

I built a kitchen island that is a landing zone and food prep area. We always use a cutting board on the island for food prep - keeping those uses separate. If it's a landing zone it'll get 'dinged' plenty. 

I used Emmet's Good Stuff for the island top, from the Bally Block Co. in MI. I've been happy with it.


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## rwbaker (Feb 25, 2010)

I agree with C Chuck and the others but you might go the to local meat distributor and see what they say? Even a butcher might know.

Good Luck - Baker


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Bill if it is only going to be a landing spot and not get wet (sitting water not something that gets wiped up immediately) and if you're not going to prepare food on it then the correct answer may be nothing at all. I have a butcher block in my kitchen and I use a cutting board on top of it and it has no finish and has held up just fine for 6 years now. Wooden cutting boards are no longer allowed in butcher shops here but when they were they were required to be cleaned regularly with chlorine bleach and I'm not sure oils would stand up to that. I suspect their wooden cutting boards were never treated.


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## Billy Boy (Mar 4, 2012)

Hi bill. I make cheese boards/cutting boards out of cross cut wood- cherry, black walnut, and maple. I treat them with 100 % all natural hemp seed oil. which I buy from a farm called Hempola, near Barrie, Ontario, Canada. They ship ship the U.S.. It is totally food safe and durable. All the best, Billy Boy,, Bill Major


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## delmirj (Jan 10, 2013)

"Good Stuff" sold by Crosscut Hardwoods in Seattle is formulated especially for butcher block tops. I even use it on my workbench. Works Great.
Dick


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## paduke (Mar 28, 2010)

I was leaning towards nothing at all. Not doing feed prep on it directly but will place hot items on it. Counter top appliances I would like to hear more about care and cleaning from Charles


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

I really never had to worry about care or cleaning Bill. The portable cutting board I have been using is fairly large, it was made to fit a single basin sink. If the butcher block top is scratched up it is fine scratches and not noticeable. The shinier the finish the more they show so nothing works well to hide them. I've never had a problem with staining, a few wipedowns over a few day period will even get rid of beet stains and a little bleach occasionally will help with that and make it more sterile. As far as putting hot pots on it I haven't. I usually put them down on the cutting board but that has never affected it so it wouldn't the butcher top either. It might affect a freshly oiled surface and it almost certainly would affect a varnished top as varnish is a plastic resin.

The one thing that did affect the butcher top is when my wife was trying to clean an oven rack and got some of the oven cleaner on the top. Oven cleaner eats wood. I managed to neutralize it before it went too far but it did leave a noticeable spot.

Worst case scenario with no wood treatment is that you might have to bleach it and sand it clean and try something later.


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## paduke (Mar 28, 2010)

Thanks for the insight. I think au natural is best thanks for all the repsonses


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## oldwoodenshoe (Nov 28, 2011)

The only finish that is approved by NSF (National Sanitation Foundation) for cutting boards and butcher blocks is Food Grade Mineral Oil. As stated earlier, this is available at local drug stores. Drug stores also commonly call it intestinal lubricant. It is intended for human consumption so it will not harm anyone. It also makes a very good looking finish for cutting boards and butcher blocks. It can easily be reapplied whenever it gets dull or faded. Only takes a few minutes.


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## TrevortdogR (Feb 11, 2013)

Pure tung oil is approved for food contact by the FDA.
Wood Finishes | Tung Oil | Real Milk Paint ®


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