Madeline, check the install directions for the range. Most specify that you can not have any wood for a certain distance above the range, but the Viking range I bought was clear that it had a zero clearance ( meaning you could put wood right next to it) on either side. My range is butted up against a laminate countertop on top of a wooden cabinet and never had any problems. If you get a true commercial range, it will likely require some clearance on all sides, but the home versions usually allow it to be installed right next to a cabinet. Good idea of you to check. My brother had a kitchen with a 30 inch cooktop, and wanted to install a 36 inch, fortunately, the guy they hired to make the cutout in the granite countertop was on top of things and pointed out that it would be a fire hazard because the upper cabinets would then be directly above the cooktop ( the existing design had a 30 inch wall cabinet set higher on top of the vent hood, and the cabinets on either side were much lower )

Thanks for all of your input. I've discovered what was in the container that came along with my countertop - mineral oil. Which explains why the countertops have not performed up to my expectations. After talking to my contractor and the fabricator, I believe the breakdown in communication was with the office staff of the contractor who actually placed the order for the top. They did not specify a waterlox finish that I had emphatically requested. So...my contractor has agreed to refinish the tops himself with waterlox. During this discovery process, I talked to the man who owns the company that made my countertops. He said the process to re-do the finish would be to go over the wood with mineral spirits a couple of times to draw out the oil as much as possible (I have not added any more oil). Go over the wood with a fine grit sandpaper to smooth the roughness and then proceed with the waterlox application. One coat per day. Can anyone who has experience with this process give me advice? Will these steps be enough to get a professional finish on the tops? I am disappointed that I will not be able to finish the undersides of the counters because they are already bolted down to the cabinets. I am afraid that may cause problems down the road. Any input from experienced users of waterlox would be greatly appreciated!!

I work for a large wood countertop manufacturer (company name being eliminated so this won't be an advertisement). About 40-50% of all our wood tops have sink cutouts in them. This is very common and to my knowledge, we've never had one claim/return for product failure. I hope I can address your issues you've raised and provide answers from our perspective: Your Question #1. End vs. Edge grain. We have always used end grain butcher blocks, as my understanding is they are better for your knives (don;t dull them as quickly, etc.) However, end grain is usually thicker, and I am not sure if they can accommodate a sink. Our comments on this question: End grain is indeed easier on knives (vs. end or plank). The key issue to remember is that once you select wood, your knives are already grateful...the improvement is marginal in the bigger picture. End grain can certainly accommodate a sink and that shouldn't be a concern. Your Question #2. Water and food safe finishes. The company I have been dealing with prefers to use a non-food safe finish on an edge grain counter if there is going to be a sink, since they do not recommend using other finishes if the counter is going to be exposed to water (rot, warping, etc.). Our comments on this question: The company you are dealing with seems smart in that they understand the need to provide a moisture-resistant finish. There ARE food-safe finishes (we use a food-safe tung-oil finish). This finish is our #1 selling finish and absolutely stands up to moisture. Depending on the type and amount of use on your wood top, you will need to have the finish re-applied every 3-5 years; this is best done by a professional. The key items you need to follow are: 1)ensure that a tung oil or permanent finish (e.g., polyurethane) is applied to the sink cutout section and all unexposed wood areas and 2) ensure that your installer is experienced with wood tops and knows how to produce a perfect seal to keep water out. If these two items are followed, you'll have a wood top you'll love for many years to come.

I don't want to discourage anyone from building something, Lord knows I'll build anything that I can. I'm an experienced and skilled carpenter and I plan to buy the butcher block for our kitchen. But I'm building all of my cabinets and doing the soapstone fabrication for the rest of the counters, so that's just one thing I don't feel the need to do myself. If it's something you want to tackle I highly recommend the article in Fine Homebuilding, January 2010, linked below. He talks about the different types of wooden counters and methods of construction, including number of clamps needed, glue to use and time factors. He glosses over flattening the finished counter which surprised me as it is one of the concerning things to me. Doing a perfectly flat glue-up is an enormous challenge. I assume I would not be successful and would need to flatten the finished blank. If you are not proficient with hand planes and if you don't have a wide belt sander (like a 37 inch Time Saver) you want to think about it carefully before you buy the wood. A local cabinet shop might have a Time Saver and be willing to run the blank through for you for a small fee. Keep in mind that both sides have to be flat and parallel. Here is a link that might be useful: Making Wood Countertops by Dan Vos