Wooden Countertops Tutorial Part Two

This is a continuation of the Tutorial.  Part One covers materials. Construction

First, dimensions of the surface to be covered are measured, and the plywood subcounter is cut to shape.  Screw this into cabinet sides immediately so the kitchen can be used. We lived with construction plywood counters for just about a year, so I suppose you could just stop here if you were ok with counters that can't be thoroughly cleaned and are pretty ugly.

Care needs to be taken with complex shapes so that the dimensions are accurate and the countertops fit when installed.  I worked in the garage and made trips inside many times to measure, dry fit, and trim.

Next, the solid wood edge pieces are cut to length.  I fashioned the edge pieces to hang down so that the edge makes the countertops appear to be 1.5” thick.

Now the edges are installed on the sides of the plywood using the biscuit jointer.  For those unfamiliar with a biscuit jointer, it cuts slots in both edges of wooden pieces on their butted sides.  Wood glue is inserted in the slots, biscuits inserted in one side, and the pieces are fit together.  They are clamped and allowed to dry thoroughly.

The entire assembly is finish-sanded to 220 grit and then the polyurethane is applied.  I let each coat dry completely, and then roughed the surface with 00 steel wool before applying the following coat.

I applied 6 coats of polyurethane and then finished it by buffing with 0000 steel wool.  If we notice down the road that the polyurethane is damaged or wearing, we can simply sand and then re-coat with additional layers as needed.

After this, the countertops are dropped into place and secured with liquid nails.  With a generous application of liquid nails between the two sheets of plywood, you essentially have a one-piece solid surface.  Edges around the sink are protected with clear silicone caulk.

Final Look

We are thrilled with the look and feel of the wooden countertops.   The cherry contrasts just enough to be pleasant and not distracting.  They are simple to clean and in the month since installation show not a single scratch.  We look forward to years of enjoying the beauty and function of these affordable counters.

Wooden Countertops Tutorial Part One

At the request of several readers, I (Alex, Rachel's husband) wrote this tutorial about the installation of our wood countertops on the cheap.

Advantages/Disadvantages to Wood

To begin with, you need to decide if a wooden surface is right for you.  If you already have wood cabinets, more wood on the countertops can lead to an overload of natrual products in a kitchen.  Consider using a contrasting wood for the countertop than you use for the cabinets.  In our case, we chose cherry for the countertops to contrast with the oak cabinets both because of the aesthetic quality and because we already had some scrap cherry.

Another consideration is that wooden countertops are likely to eventually wear in contrast to solid surface or granite which claims to be durable for decades.  We figure that with proper upkeep (sanding and refinishing as needed) wooden counters will last at least ten years at which point we can replace them for another meager $400.

Because of the multiple coats of polyurethane finish, these counters are as antibacterial as any.  They are waterproof and can be cleaned with soap and water or gentle cleaners just like higher end materials.

Material Selection

Traditional wood countertops use solid planks of the chosen wood for the surface.  However, this material offers no cost advantage over other solid-surface countertops.  For this project, we wanted to save a considerable amount over the $40-100/square foot that solid-surface countertops can run.  To this end, we chose to make the bulk of the countertop from cabinetry-grade cherry plywood with the edges being finished with solid cherry.

Wood is a earth friendly material source.  It is renewable when harvested and planted correctly.  The solid edges are easy to fashion from scrap wood you might already have.  The plywood remnants can be used for other small projects.

There are some obvious disadvantages to plywood.  Mainly, the veneer surface is very thin and prone to damage if not protected.  The use of several coats of an appropriate polyurethane finish will serve to protect the surface.  Also, the plywood is prone to water damage if water penetrates past the finish to the wood.  To combat this, care must be taken to ensure that the edges of the countertop are finished just as thoroughly as the surface is.

The cherry plywood for this project cost $95/sheet (4'x8') at Woodwerks in Gahanna, OH.  This project required two sheets of plywood because of the specific shapes we needed.  The solid cherry for the side cost nothing as I already had it on hand (a gift from a friend years ago).  I simply had to thickness plane the cherry down to appropriately dimensioned planks and it was ready for use.

I also purchased an inexpensive biscuit jointer for $45 from Harbor Freight.  While much cheaper than comparable models at a home improvement store, it is of good construction and performed adequately for this job.

The polyurethane finish we used is Minwax Helmsman Spar Urethane, marketed specifically for use on countertops.

A sub countertop of 3/4 inch construction plywood was screwed into cabinets.  This provided a working surface the  during the 12 month waiting process and remained in place under the new counter.

Continue to Part Two for details about the construction.

WOOD COUNTERTOPS!!!

Today, Alex installed two pieces of wooden countertops. He made them with cherry plywood and aged solid cherry edges. Finished with six layers of polyurethane, they are smooth and cleanable!!

Alex even let Lil help apply the glue. Yay Alex!!

We have lived without proper countertops for 11 months!! I am just a little bit excited.

(Now, get working on the other two pieces.)