_-_The_Noun_Project.svg){kind=icon}
%402x.svg){kind=icon}
Butcher block countertops are a huge trend right now in residential and commercial settings. But is a butcher block countertop right for you, or should you go with a traditional granite countertop? Let’s take a look at some of the unique advantages of wood counters.
1. Butcher block countertops are quiet.
As you set dishes down on a granite countertop or bring a knife down while chopping over your cutting board, do you sometimes find yourself cringing at the loud noise? With a butcher block countertop, you can breathe a sensory sigh of relief. A wood surface is not nearly as noisy to work on as a granite one. This can make preparing meals or dealing with dishes a more pleasant experience for you and other members of your household.
2. Choosing wood for your countertops is eco-friendly.
Stone is not the most renewable of resources, but wood can be, depending on the type of wood and where and how it is harvested. At Brooklyn Millwork, we use only Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood. You can rest assured that when we create your custom butcher block countertops, you have made an eco-friendly choice. Not only that, but the wood from your countertops is also recyclable, should you ever choose to replace them in the future.
3. Butcher block countertops are more forgiving.
What happens if you drop a delicate porcelain cup on a granite countertop? Often, it will shatter even if it only falls a short distance. It sure can be upsetting to lose a beautiful, unique cup, glass or other item simply because of a small slip of the fingers. Because wood does a better job absorbing an impact than stone, the same cup would be more likely to survive a short fall onto a butcher block countertop.
4. The rustic appearance of butcher block countertops fits in well with homespun décor.
If there is one design trend which has caught fire these past few years, it is the rustic style. Interiors inspired by rural farmhouses are showing up everywhere, even in the heart of a bustling city like NYC. If you want to capture a rustic look in your kitchen, without a butcher block countertop, it is hardly complete. Pair a butcher block countertop with a custom set of rustic wood cabinets and a deep farmhouse sink, and you will have the pleasure of cooking in the kitchen of your dreams. Not only that, but you can use the same type of wood for your butcher block countertops as you have for your shelves, cabinets, or other elements of your kitchen. Doing so creates a unified appearance.
5. Cleaning a butcher block countertop is a breeze.
You can clean a wood countertop as easily as you can a stone one with just a bit of warm water, soap, and the occasional elbow grease. There are even some advantages in this department over stone countertops, like better tolerance to spilled citrus.
6. Scratched or nicked your countertop? You can repair it almost effortlessly.
While wood’s softness compared to stone makes it a more forgiving surface on which to work, and a quieter one too, you might worry that very softness will make it susceptible to damage. It is true that it is possible to nick a butcher block countertop quite easily compared to a stone one. But if it happens, there is a simple and affordable DIY repair solution at the ready—and you may already have the supplies you need. All you need to do in order to restore the smooth surface of your wood countertop is to get some sanding paper and sand over the damaged portion to smooth it out. Unless it was a very deep nick, it should disappear pretty fast. Now, that’s something you can’t do with granite!
%402x.svg){kind=icon}
