fragglerock, I had similar concerns when we were weighing the pros and cons of an Ikea kitchen. We went with Ikea in our previous house and loved it.

For that kitchen, we used the Numerar solid oak countertop and double Domsjo sink. I believe the Hammarp is the replacement for the Numerar, but with one major caveat -- it is no longer 1.5" thick. The Ikea associate we spoke with recently pointed this out and said that the Domsjo sink requires a 1.5" thick countertop. I'm pretty sure this is so it will sit at the correct depth in the Ikea base cabinet and the door height would then work accordingly. Just something that you'll want to keep in mind and investigate further if you decide not to use 1.5" thick countertop material.

Also, you may know this, but just in case you don't, the Domsjo sink edges overlap the cut countertop edge on the sides. If you seal well with silicone, the cut edges shouldn't be coming into contact with water. That applies if you're doing the conventional installation rather than an undermount or some other unique installation.

Great feedback, thank you.

shaggydogs- I'm not sure about that 1.5" thick issue. I know they released their new "SEKTION" kitchen line and that's what I ordered. I noticed during my online building process that the sink base cabinets are now different compared to the old AKURUM models. Maybe they have some adjustments built into the new base cabinets for this difference? I'll place a call to IKEA and find out.

milworkman - As for the particle board issue, most laminates are bonded to particle board and when treated well they survive quite awhile. My grandmother has a laminate countertop that's 20 years old and still going strong. But, you're right about the 45 cuts, it's pretty much impossible to do that and keep it sealed. I could just join them together without 45's, but they have beveled edges and I've never been a fan of joining two perpendicular bevels together like that. It just collects debris and bacteria as well as looking "half assed" in terms of build quality in my opinion.

So, it seems I may have to give in and return these tops when some solid oak slabs become available ( available stock on these tops in Ottawa Ontario is rarer than a unicorn some years!).

I have the same countertop from IKEA and I cut it to size already, except the sink hole. I am wondering how did it work out for you in the end. Right now I am wondering if to get an undermount sink or to place a sink on top of it. I would prefer an undermount (would look nicer) but I think the one on top it's a healthier choice.

How could you undermount a sink in Karlby? It would be like undermounting a regular sink in formica.

Just installed a Karlby countertop in beech and I'm quite disappointed in it. It's been in use for about five days and there are already more than that in cup rings and that's with being kind of careful. I noticed right away that it is super easy to scratch so I was on high alert from the get go. Called ikea today to find out why and if it's too early to oil it as it's advertised to not need any maintenance for many years. Employee had no solutions, unfortunately. Today I'm oiling one section to see if there is any improvement. We are not frequent ikea shoppers and this is our first kitchen purchase. Any idea if I'll be able to return it if we are dissatisfied?

Yes, as long as you have the receipt you should be able to return it.

We used the Karlby island top to make a dining room table. The finish is lovely and it works in that application (we made a base out of reclaimed lumber and black pipe) but I don't think I would recommend it for a countertop. We oil it weekly and still have to deal with minor rings. Again, fine for a dining table, but I feel like it would be a nightmare on a kitchen counter. Bear in mind, though, that I'm a lazy homemaker--we Ikea solid wood counters in our last kitchen and they were a disaster of coffee rings, red wine stains, and ghosts of canned goods past.

We did IKEA butcher block in our last kitchen, and I hated it. It only looked good right after oiling, but the problem with the oil finish is that you can never put paper on the counter or it will get oil splotches. If I were doing a kitchen on a tight budget again, I would choose laminate over butcher block.

Hoon, there are many permanent/semi-permanent finishes fo BB, as long as you don't want to use it as a cutting board: Waterlox, tung oil, poly, etc..

Had Ikea BB counters when I was a renter... they were sealed with something, since it wasn't *my* home and I didn't really care too much about things like countertops at the time I'm not sure what was used but it was probably poly. They weren't very well wearing. The soon to be gutted kitchen I now own has laminate countertops from the early 80s. It also has a small island with butcher block. The laminate has a few spots where its starting to fall apart but the white surface is still very white 30 years later. The island looks like crap. Once I started to learn about kitchens I put some effort into sanding it and applying mineral oil. It still looks bad, just less bad. I will be very happy to see the laminate go but bad as they are without hesitation I'd take crappy laminate over crappy butcher block and Karlby is almost certainly worse wearing than the normal Ikea butcherblock. I think it would be fine for an accent area or perhaps a dining area, but I wouldn't want it for kitchen counters that you actually use (although I'm sure the staged pictures right after installation will be very nice).

I want a butcherblock island, and am considering ikea as a place to source. It seems like there's only one size for the island, and it's particalboard. Anyone know if I can order a solid wood slab (like available for countertops, which are not as wide) from Ikea the size of an island??