The Products we Use to Finish Butcher Block Countertops
THE POPLAR COTTAGE
We’re big fans of butcher block countertops around here. We’ve used them in 7 of our 10 kitchen remodels and just love the warmth they add to a space. For the Poplar Cottage kitchen, we ordered an unfinished white oak butcher block and when I shared it on IG, I got so many questions about sealers and sanding and finishing so I’m sharing each and every product we used to finish this beauty today. Lets get into it…
brass knobs, jeans, t-shirt, cabinet color: FB Old White (color matched by SW)
First, the details on our butcher block.
About our butcher block
Once we decided to add some more cabinetry to the Poplar Cottage kitchen we knew we wouldn’t be able to match our existing countertops because our quartz has been discontinued. So we opted for a butcher block. We love the warmth wood brings to a space and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to bring in another natural element to complement our plate rack. Over the years, we’ve tried lots of different species of butcher block (liptus, beech, red oak, end grain white oak, and walnut) and I love them all, but with a white oak plate rack in here and white oak floors, white oak was the cohesive choice. So we ordered it from Uncle Doug’s family company (email us at hello@thegritandpolish.com for his contact info if you’re interested). Here are the details on our cutting board:
species: white oak
1 1/4” thick
edge grain
unfinished
how much does butcher block cost?
Butcher block has a wide range of prices depending on species, thickness, quality, wood grade, etc. And right from the start, Uncle Doug informed us that white oak was really expensive right now. So it was a splurge, but we didn’t want to skimp on the design. The total cost was $750 for this 81”x25” butcher block. If you want to save on butcher block I recommend going with a less expensive species and not sacrificing on the quality!
Will we cut on our butcher block?
NO! This is a countertop and not a cutting board. The products we use for finishing would be a little different if we planned to cut food directly on this butcher block (we’d stick with food grade products like this oil and conditioner).
Products we use to finish butcher block
Install was relatively easy for this countertop. Here’s the general process…
First we cut the countertop to length (we ordered ~1” longer than actual so we could cut to fit) and then we sanded the sides a wee bit here and a wee bit there using a belt sander to get the perrrrrrfect fit.
Before installing it, we flipped the butcher block over and finished the bottom with a thick coat of the Bees wax conditioner, using an old kitchen towel to rub it on. This is an important step to avoid warping! We didn’t wipe off the extra on this, since we want the wood to absorb more product over time.
Next, we flipped the butcher block right side up and placed it in position. Our butcher block came pre-sanded so we only had to lightly sand it with 220grit paper and a sanding pad to get it buttery smooth. Then we finished the top using the Bees wax conditioner with an old kitchen towel and wiped off the excess after a few minutes. This last step will be repeated according to the ‘ongoing maintenance’ section below.
Sanding pad
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Sand paper
Our butcher block came pre-sanded so we only had to use a fine 220 grit paper to get it buttery smooth
Bees wax and orange wood conditioner
We like to use this one since it penetrates into the wood, allowing for a longer finish. Also, it smells great!
Butcher Block Conditioner
This is food grade conditioner made with mineral oil and natural waxes. We’ll use this for ongoing maintenance
Ongoing maintenance
Butcher blocks require periodic conditioning when finished like this. Initially that’ll mean applying product weekly or so, but as the wood acclimatizes and absorbs the finish, we’ll have to do it less and less often until it’s just as needed depending on use an environment. At least that’s been our experience, but it totally depends on where you live, house climate, wood species, etc. And this isn’t scheduled either - we just look at the wood and if it seems dry, we add conditioner. If you skip this and the wood dries out, the butcher block will get rough and eventually warp. Once a year or so, we’ll try to condition the underside, if it’s accessible.
Once our Bees wax conditioner bottle runs out, we’ll switch to the food-grade butcher block conditioner shown above. This isn’t necessary but by then the wood should be adequately conditioned and why not go for food grade.
One thing we love about finishing butcher block countertops like this is that you can easily and quickly give it a little sand if it needs it before applying more conditioner.
She’s a beautiful butcher block! Still considering adding an ogee edge to it like we did to the walnut butcher block in the Farmhouse kitchen. Thoughts?
