Butcher block countertops are growing in popularity. In fact, many of our clients who have granite countertops are choosing to switch to butcher block. Butcher block kitchen countertops are more functional than granite and give you more kitchen decorating options. Butcher block is also environmentally responsible because in constructing butcher block countertops and insets, we use scrap wood that would otherwise be wasted.
The Basics of Butcher Block
We use end grain or edge grain construction when building butcher block. Some of our clients looking for butcher block countertops in Gaithersburg like the striking brickwork style of end grain butcher block. Others prefer the simple sophistication of edge grain butcher block.
Imagine short blocks of wood arranged like a checkerboard with the ends of the blocks forming the top of the board. That’s end grain construction. Clients who choose end grain butcher block countertops in Gaithersburg often like a mixture of wood species because the contrasting colors make an eye-catching surface. The small pieces of wood and variation in colors help disguise knife marks.
When you run your finger over a butcher block countertop, you’ll notice that the ends of the wood pieces have a texture. This texture allows your knife or cleaver blade to penetrate the wood as you’re chopping vegetables or cutting meat, preserving your knife edge and the appearance of your butcher block.
We make edge grain butcher block countertops in Gaithersburg out of strips of wood torn from long boards. The hard edges of the strips of wood face up and form your cutting surface. Edge grain construction results in a harder surface, beneficial if you habitually use cleavers for cutting up whole chickens or hard vegetables like butternut squash.
You’ve probably been told that it’s unsafe to cut meat on a wooden surface because bacteria remains in the wood. Actually, hardwood is antimicrobial. If you intend to use your butcher block countertops in Gaithersburg as cutting surfaces, we will finish the wood with a butcher block conditioner that protects the wood. If you still have concerns about the safety of cutting food on a wood surface, please contact us with any questions.
How Can Butcher Block Be Superior to Granite?
Butcher block countertops are highly preferable to granite as food cutting surfaces. Granite dulls knives and isn’t suitable for an avid cook. The juice from citrus foods is acidic enough to create very obvious dull areas on granite counters. Dropping heavy pots and pans onto granite can chip or crack the stone, causing damage that’s almost impossible to repair, and granite countertops often have sharp corners that can be dangerous if a child runs into the countertop.
Wood countertops give you a wide variety of decorating choices for your kitchen. With granite, your color choices are limited to what goes with the colors in the stone. When you have butcher block countertops in Gaithersburg, you can redecorate your kitchen as often as you like. Damage to butcher block is usually easy to repair, and we can build your countertop with rounded corners.
Designing Your Butcher Block Countertops in Gaithersburg
Nearly any of our wide variety of wood species can be used to build butcher block countertops in Gaithersburg. White oak makes an attractive edge grain butcher block inset. Striped edge grain butcher block surfaces made with woods like oak and cherry are handsome and impressive. End grain butcher block can be arranged randomly or in patterns. Black walnut complements even the most contemporary kitchen.
If you’d like to learn more about how Maryland Wood Countertops constructs butcher block, contact us at 443-840-7373 for a consultation or to arrange a visit to our showroom and woodworking shop.