Whilst our name may suggest we specialise only in wooden kitchen base cabinets, we are proud to offer a full range of furnishings for solid oak kitchens including many accessories, too.
No kitchen can be completed without a perfectly suited kitchen worktop, and fortunately we are able to offer an extensive range of wooden kitchen worktops to complement our oak cabinets and frontals.
Solid wood worktops are a naturally durable option that will work in any home thanks to the selection of species available. We offer a variety of timber choices, including popular woods such as oak, beech, walnut and maple, as well as more unusual options like zebrano or wenge. Whichever wood worktop you choose, they can be installed with relatively little experience and only a few, easily available tools.
Storage
- If you are not ready to install your worktops, then take care when storing them to ensure that they do not warp.
- Choose a storage location in an indoor area with stable humidity and temperature, where the worktops can be stored flat; separate multiple worktops using battens to allow the air to circulate around them.
- Never store the worktops upright or leant against a wall, as this can cause cracking or warping whilst they acclimatise to the surrounding conditions.
Cutting
- Unless your kitchen happens to be the most perfectly shaped rectangle, it is likely that you will need to cut your new wooden worktops down to size.
- With the right equipment, cutting worktops is relatively straightforward. Because of the density of hardwood timber, we recommend using a circular saw or router rather than a jigsaw, either of which can be hired or purchased relatively cheaply.
- Our sister site, www.worktop-express.co.uk provides a bespoke worktop cutting service. Please contact us if you would like to utilise this.
Oiling
- Protecting a wooden worktop is very important both before and after installation. We recommend using Rustins Danish Oil to provide a food-safe, low-lustre finish.
- Ensure that you treat your worktop with 3 coats of oil on the main surfaces (and 6 coats on the end grain) prior to installation. Once installed the worktop should be oiled regularly during the first few weeks to maintain a hard-wearing finish.
- You can read more in our Oiling Wood Worktops guide.
Fitting
- To attach your worktops to the kitchen base cabinets, we recommend using round-headed screws with slotted right-angle brackets, which are designed to allow the worktop to expand and contract if the bracket is installed with the slot perpendicular with the width of the worktop.
- We advise leaving an expansion gap of approximately 5mm between the worktop and any adjacent walls to allow it to expand and contract as the room temperature changes. To cover these gaps, we sell matching worktop upstands, which should be attached directly to the wall.
- To assist with fitting a worktop, our Worktop Installation Kit is just £15, and includes all the accessories required.
Joining
- If joining two or more worktops, we recommend butt jointing the worktops together at right angles using worktop connector bolts, which sit in routed recesses on the underside of the worktop.
- These bolts securely hold the worktops together, whilst allowing small movement as necessary, and also allow the kitchen worktops to be dismantled – should you require.
In our Worktop Installation Accessories category, we sell worktop jigs which make the job of routing worktop connector bolts considerably more straightforward.
Storage
If you are not ready to install your worktops, then take care when storing them to ensure that they do not warp. Choose a storage location in an indoor area with stable humidity and temperature, where the worktops can be stored flat; separate multiple worktops using battens to allow the air to circulate around them.
Never store the worktops upright or leant against a wall, as this can cause cracking or warping whilst they acclimatise to the surrounding conditions.
Cutting
Unless your kitchen happens to be the most perfectly shaped rectangle, it is likely that you will need to cut your new wooden worktops down to size.
With the right equipment, cutting worktops is relatively straightforward. Because of the density of hardwood timber, we recommend using a circular saw or router rather than a jigsaw, either of which can be hired or purchased relatively cheaply.
Oiling
Protecting a wooden worktop is very important both before and after installation. We recommend using Rustins Danish Oil to provide a food-safe, low-lustre finish.
Ensure that you treat your worktop with 3 coats of oil on the main surfaces (and 6 coats on the end grain) prior to installation. Once installed the worktop should be oiled regularly during the first few weeks to maintain a hard-wearing finish.
You can read more in our Oiling Wood Worktops guide.
Fitting
To attach your worktops to the kitchen base cabinets, we recommend using round-headed screws with slotted right-angle brackets, which are designed to allow the worktop to expand and contract if the bracket is installed with the slot perpendicular with the width of the worktop.
We advise leaving an expansion gap of approximately 5mm between the worktop and any adjacent walls to allow it to expand and contract as the room temperature changes. To cover these gaps, we sell matching worktop upstands, which should be attached directly to the wall.
To assist with fitting a worktop, our Worktop Installation Kit is just £15, and includes all the accessories required.
Joining
If joining two or more worktops, we recommend butt jointing the worktops together at right angles using worktop connector bolts, which sit in routed recesses on the underside of the worktop.
These bolts securely hold the worktops together, whilst allowing small movement as necessary, and also allow the kitchen worktops to be dismantled – should you require.
In our Worktop Installation Accessories category, we sell worktop jigs which make the job of routing worktop connector bolts considerably more straightforward.
If you are looking for any additional assistance in fitting wood worktops to our solid wood kitchen cabinets, don’t hesitate to contact us via email or telephone, or leave us a message on Facebook, Twitter or Google+.
You may also find the following guides useful
Selecting Wooden Worktops for Your Solid Oak Kitchen
How to Install a Belfast Sink
Fitting Solid Wood Wall Cabinets
How to Fit Solid Oak Base Cabinets
Please note: This guide was originally published on 23rd July 2015 and was most recently updated on 11th April 2018 to include additional information.
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