www.glumber.com/

these are the best wood tops I have ever seen, very durable finish. Don't go cheap on a wood top, they are not all created equal.

>Don't go cheap on a wood top, they are not all created equal.

No, but Ikea has very nice butcherblock very inexpensively. Search for jenswren's posts about her counter:

My dear friend has an all maple kitchen, including her countertops. I don't know how thick they are, and they were poly'd. She is a big cook, and, over time, they have worn, but they can be refinished just like a hardwood floor. They are beautiful and warm, and they haven't stained.

I'm getting solid maple for my counters. There is a custom wood place locally that makes them, and they are gorgeous, with 11 or so coats of lacquer on them.

We had solid ash cabs & counters in our first house 25 years ago, and loved them. We sanded and poly'd them ourselves. You can't cut on them, and they have to be protected from hot pots, just like laminate surfaces. But otherwise, wood is durable, functional, and beautiful.

the grothouse lumber finish is a polyester marine grade finish, the finish makes the difference, also their tops are finished on the underside as well, look at their website or go to a showroom that carries their tops, If you are going through the expense of tops you should go for a high quality product, also take a look at paperstone, if you want something unique.

I had a kitchen table, worktop height, that I used for 10 years - I stained and varnished it myself, with polyurethane. I put 8 coats on the worktop surface and it held up beautifully. I love the table to much, it's being incorporated into the new kitchen, albeit with a new oiled butcher block top. I sanded down the frame today, and primed it to match the cabinet paint.

The old top? I put new legs from Ikea on it, and now have a new table in the basement.

I suspect 4/5 coats would have been enough, but I got carried away at the time.

Sara the Brit and others who coated your counters with lacquer/poly, did you use regular poly or something special?

I know it won't be scratch or heat-proof, but I've decided to put granite around my stove and sink for that. On the island, I'm really looking forward to STAIN RESISTANCE!

I used regular polyurethane.

I've been living with a cheap wood counter (with polyurethane) that came with my house-bought 18 years ago. It seems to be made out of oak flooring. Anyway, we are finally remodeling (since the cabinet shelves are crumbling to dust) and-guess what!--my dh has sanded the counter and finished with mineral oil. It looks great.

I don't know anything about them as I've never had them in my home, but I was toying with getting them in my bar area and was in SHOCK at the price of them. Upwards of $150/sf without installation or templating. I called atleast 5 places for prices and was disappointed with my findings.

You can buy enough ikea bb for your whole kitchen for that, beantown! Of course, you have to do the finishing, cutting, joining yourself or find someone to do it for you, but it shouldn't be *that* much.

Well, beantowner, just like in the granite biz, I'm sure some suppliers are more costly than others. The local place who is supplying my maple tops quoted me $3500 installed, while a similar granite job would be over $5000. I hope my guys aren't reading this or they may up their prices before I get my order in!

yes cooksnews-I'm with you-I called ten places for caeserstone and got a $30/SF differential in price...unreal. I did call 5 places for wood counters all over the country, so consider yourself getting a very good deal!!

writers block - we wanted a little something more elegant than the ikea (no offense to ikea at all) as it is for a formal bar area...but even the cheapest wood block from any of the custom places were super $$.

I have a butcher block island and also a wood kitchen table with poly on it. The table is where we do crafts - paint, crayon and marker wipe right off. Can't do that stuff on my island.