Can I stain butcher block? How do I seal?
12 years ago
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Comments (8)
- 12 years ago
- 12 years ago
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Can I see your ikea butcher block?
Comments (4)I have the birch Numerer butcher block from IKEA. I love it. The colors are hard to photograph and the lighting makes a big difference, but you can see my blog post on it below, and also check out the photos of the wood when I was trying to find a paint color. (you might have to register) It seemed to me that the birch was lighter and more golden. The beech is also lighter with a slight reddish hue. The oak is darker with more "character". I wanted to have the horizontal lines in my kitchen (floor and counters) have the same color value, so I chose birch to go with my maple floors. What are your cabinets? Here is a link that might be useful: IKEA birch counter top...See MoreHow has anyone stained Ikea butcher block?
Comments (2)Thanks, writersblock. Reshal's amazing transformation and precise instructions are what gave me the idea I might be able to do this in the first place. And the fact that brickmanhouse used India ink stuck in my mind even though I hadn't bookmarked that thread. I am assuming that s/he tried stains called graphite, ebony, etc before deciding on the opaque ink. I am not so much thinking of opaque, and in looking at Cabot's line of custom tint interior stains, it occurred to me that maybe some more adventurous soul than I had tried Vermont Barnboard, Nutmeg, or even Horizon on the palest of the Ikea butcher block offering. I guess the right question would have been, "How quirkily has anyone stained Ikea butcher block?" Cheers. Here is a link that might be useful: color chart...See MoreSealing butcher block with floor polyurethane?
Comments (7)Remember that the Ikea butcherblock is pre-treated with their oil, so if you use an incompatible finish, it won't stick. You'd have to sand them all the way down past the existing oil finish, which might be more work than it's worth. I don't know if they're still selling their Behandla oil -- I mean the linseed-based countertop finish, not the beeswax one they have in the stores now -- but that's what I used and it has held up beautifully. It was sort of a pain to apply, but I haven't had to reapply it. It did not have a strong odor like Waterlox does (I tried a sample of that but couldn't handle the smell). I think the thinner tops have more risk of warping than the thicker ones; I believe that's what they told me at the store when I was buying ours. Still, it sounds as though you've got free countertops (well, already-paid-for countertops), so unless there's something wrong with them, I'd go with them! Just don't put in a tile backsplash yet, if they're thinner than the countertops you intend to install later....See MoreI keep getting told I'm crazy to want butcher block countertops
Comments (51)My husband would prefer the local marble be used around the perimeter, which may need to happen because there's a chance the butcher block manufacturers won't ship it with the sink hole cut as it may not be stable enough, and then we're back to the same place we were at with the Ikea countertops. Well not quite, but still needing to find a finishing carpenter willing to make that cut. It turns out that not even the butcher block makers like cutting undermount sink holes. BUT... the marble would be standard 1.25" tall, and our cabinet boxes are 34" from the floor. The minimum height of the cooktop surface of the induction range we've purchased is 36". I feel like a 3/4" difference between the counter height and cooktop is more of a deal breaker for me than the chance of the butcher block getting gunky around the sink. I can get the butcher block at 1.75" so there would just be a 1/4" difference between the cooktop and countertop....See MoreRelated Professionals
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