Wood as a material for making home furniture, doors and other interior items has always been especially appreciated. Especially in the context of its ecological properties, naturalness. Kitchen wood furniture and solid worktops contribute to an improvement in mood, positive emotions due to the bright natural texture, excellent tactile sensations and harmonious combination with various culinary smells.
Characteristics of kitchen countertops
Wood in the kitchen looks fashionable and gives the kitchen a zest
By means of a properly selected wooden countertop, it is quite easy to refine the interior design of the kitchen, to give the interior environmental friendliness, solidity and prestige. Despite the fact that modules made of solid wood today are somewhat inferior in terms of practicality to some synthetic materials (primarily due to the need for regular maintenance), its attractiveness is a fundamental factor in sustainable demand.
The main characteristics that a high-quality kitchen worktop must meet:
- resistance to moisture;
- resistance to temperature extremes, thermal influences;
- the ability to withstand mechanical stress;
- ease of care, cleaning, cleaning;
- resistance to the absorption of dirt, foreign aromas, condensation, fat;
- high aesthetic and ergonomic qualities.
Modern technologies involve the manufacture of several types of solid wood countertops, which are classified according to two criteria: by the type of wood used and the method of production.
Several types of wood, soft and hard varieties are used for the production of countertops today. N Rich too hard rock may eventually crack from dryness, resulting in early formation of visible deformations and cracks in the surface of the article. And too soft can quickly be squeezed through during careless handling. The optimal varieties most available in our area are:
- nut;
- Cherry;
- ash;
- oak;
- tick;
- beech;
- Pine.
Regardless of the species, the tree must be well dried, with a moisture content not exceeding 12%. Boards with wormholes, resin pockets, rotten knots are discarded
Today, there are two main technologies for the manufacture of wooden countertops:
- Solid wood . These products are characterized by excellent natural texture. Since the cost of such products is extremely high, they are usually used in expensive classic kitchen sets.
- Made of glued lamellas. It is a collection of perfectly processed and matched strips of wood. Since it is possible to use different types of wood in each layer, it is much easier to build a countertop that is resistant to temperature effects and more durable than analogs made from solid wood. Only the aesthetics in this case can be lower, since it is difficult to combine the lines of wood texture in different lamellas.
Advantages of oak, pine boards
These furniture products have the following advantages:
- Ease of manufacture and restoration . Having special skills and having the appropriate carpentry tools, accessories, you can give the countertops any shape, produce them in any configuration and size. They are also subject to multiple restoration procedures, varnishing, painting.
- Ecological cleanliness . Natural wood is a natural natural material, therefore it is not capable of harming the environment, people and pets due to the absence of any harmful / dangerous emissions.
- Highest aesthetic qualities . Kitchen countertops even from the most affordable varieties of wood, moreover, subjected to minimal processing, always look much more profitable in the kitchen than most alternative products.
- A huge selection of textures , colors, wood processing methods will allow you to create a unique product that can become a highlight of the kitchen interior, made in any style.
- Elasticity. Wood is more resistant to not very significant mechanical stress when compared, for example, with natural stone. Due to some shock-absorbing properties, with mild impacts, the appearance of dents and chips on the working surface is excluded.
- High wear resistance. Subject to the technology of manufacturing solid wood countertops, appropriate primary processing and proper operation, they can easily withstand high-temperature and moisture tests.
- Excellent ergonomic performance . Natural wood is pleasant to the touch; with tactile contact, it creates a feeling of warmth due to its low thermal conductivity, in contrast to natural stone and metal.
Natural wood is an eco-friendly material that looks amazing
disadvantages
The disadvantages of a solid wood kitchen include:
- The main negative factor hindering an increase in demand for solid wood kitchen worktops is their relatively high cost. But the price of other natural materials used in the manufacture of such products may be even higher. Therefore, a more inexpensive alternative are countertops and kitchen aprons made of MDF or other wood-based material, veneered or painted.
- Since wood is a porous material, if the protective layer is broken, it can easily pick up moisture, which will lead to its deformation. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the condition of the protective coating, to update it in a timely manner.
- Also, wood is not the most resistant material to high-temperature influences. Proper use of solid wood work surfaces involves the use of insulated coasters for hot pots and, in particular, pans.
- Another disadvantage of these products is their low scratch resistance. The protective lacquer coating is easily damaged when cutting food. Therefore, it is highly recommended to use kitchen cutting boards.
How to choose a table top
If you choose a ready-made kitchen worktop, you should pay attention to the following aspects:
Manufacturing material.
The most durable, durable and moisture resistant are oak, teak and beech. These breeds belong to the elite varieties, are distinguished by their chic appearance and high mechanical strength, but, moreover, their cost is the highest. Other varieties of trees are somewhat cheaper, but will require more careful operation and careful maintenance.
If wear resistance is preferred when choosing, choose oak or larch.
Preparation method.
Worktops made of glued lamellas are considered more reliable, resistant to temperature extremes, and mechanical influences . They have much less “memory”, they are easier to recover, getting their original shape.
The only condition when choosing a glued product is the quality of its manufacture. There should be no tactile seams, all stripes should be fitted, the surface is perfectly sanded and reliably processed with a high-quality compound.
How to do it yourself from an array
If you have some carpentry skills, have the necessary equipment, hand and power tools, you can try to make a tabletop yourself. There are two approaches to producing kitchen countertops:
- Replacement of the top part of the countertop, which uses the frame of the old furniture.
- Manufacturing a product from scratch.
- the frame is made of a wooden bar with a cross section of 100×100 or 100×50 millimeters. It is not recommended to use a smaller beam, since in this case the design may be unreliable;
- legs, set strictly vertically, are fastened to the floor surface by means of metal corners and anchors (or dowels);
- horizontal elements of the countertop frame at the points of abutment to the wall surface are also fastened by means of anchors or dowels;
- then we proceed to the manufacture of the working surface directly. Since people who independently produce home furniture for their house / apartment usually try to save money, consider a more inexpensive option – a glued product;
- for a start we make a joiner’s board. To do this, we glue planed high-quality boards of equal thickness in one plane.
For high-quality gluing, it is necessary to pre-touch the edges of the boards on an electric jointer.
After the glue mixture has dried, the finished shield, if necessary, is processed with an electric planer, must be sanded, carefully sanded until a uniform surface is obtained. Then, processing is carried out with special agents that prevent the penetration of moisture and the appearance of colonies of mold fungi during the operation of the finished product.
After that, finishing processing is carried out: the working surface is painted. It is varnished or covered with a solid piece of veneer, after which, again, processing with varnish compounds is performed. The design of such a hand-made product can be unreliable, especially when used in rooms with significant seasonal temperature fluctuations, for example, in a country house. See also information about log cabin kitchens and standard worktop widths.
The easiest way to do this is by loosening a row of transverse slats from the bottom, placing them on self-tapping screws and glue.
Installation of natural wood in the kitchen
The installation of the finished countertop is carried out in several stages:
- if a non-prefabricated frame is used for its installation, it is necessary to set the lower sections of the headset according to the indications of the level gauge;
- then, using a jigsaw, it is necessary to cut holes for an acrylic or ceramic sink or / and a cooking oven. Be sure to treat the edges with a sealing agent;
- by means of metal corners and wood screws, it is necessary to securely fix the tabletop to the lower sections of the headset or to a pre-fabricated frame, while leaving a gap of several millimeters to the wall;
- it remains to fix the plinth to the wall using special glue or self-tapping screws (depending on the material of the plinth and its design features). Remember to install lighting above your work area.
Care of a wooden canvas, countertop
Due to the tendency to deformation during operation and poor resistance to thermal and damp influences, wooden countertops require more careful maintenance than most products made from other materials:
- cleaning the surface should be done with a slightly damp cloth;
- it is possible to use mild detergents for gentle cleaning;
- the use of hard brushes, brushes and abrasive cleaning powders is strictly not allowed;
- to maintain moisture-protective properties, the working surface must be regularly treated with special water-repellent compounds;
- in case of damage to the paintwork, it must be immediately restored.
It has become very fashionable in recent years to make a table from a rough wooden canvas.