Overview
Nothing beats the natural warmth of real wood in the home and there is a growing trend for consumers to use warm natural colours and materials in the home. Second Nature´s selection of fifteen solid wood worktops are ideal for creating design features in a worktop run. With a range which extends from classical sturdy oak to exotic zebrano and wenge, the choice is yours.
Constructed from solid wood staves, Second Nature’s solid wood worktops are carefully crafted to ensure maximum strength, stability and if cared for properly they’ll still look beautiful for years to come. One of the advantages of using wooden worktops is their versatility. It can be machined into a variety of different shapes and sizes to add a real feature to your kitchen design. It also contrasts beautifully with other materials used for kitchen worktops such as granite or stone. The Second Nature wooden worktop range is complemented by 8different edge profile options which provide a range of finishes to fit individual tastes. Your wooden worktop will mature with age, and following these simple maintenance steps will ensure you have a beautiful kitchen worktop for years to come.
Care and maintenance of your wooden worktop
Here are a few simple guidelines that need to be followed for your solid woodwork top to give you a lifetime of good service:
Always mop up spills of water and other liquids straight away. Do not allow liquids to stand for any period of time. (The finishing oil is water resistant, not waterproof)
Always use pan stands and trivets to protect the wood from rough, hot, wet and dirty pots and pans. Direct contact from iron, steel or copper vessels can also stain the worktop.
Always use cutting boards to chop and slice food upon. Do not cut directly on to the surfaces.
Clean the tops with a sparing amount of warm water, a drop of washing up liquid and a well rung cloth.
Never use bleach and other chlorine based cleaners, acids, photographic development liquid, alkalis (caustic soda) and concentrated disinfectants on wood. If any of these come into contact with the material, clean them off immediately, otherwise surface damage will occur.
It is important that wood worktops are re-oiled at regular intervals to remain in the same condition as when it was installed. The time span between oiling is dependant on the degree of use and wear they receive. At the very least wood worktops should be re - oiled every three months.
Over time, with normal kitchen use, wood will acquire a patina and colour that reflects the use to which it has been put. It is normal for the original high sheen to weather and mellow in this way. Exposure to sunlight will also change the depth of colour.
The surfaces of your solid wood worktops have been finished with Danish oil(supplied): 3 coats on faces and edges, 5 coats on the end-grain.
The oil is formulated: to be safe for the preparation of food; to enhance the wood colour and grain pattern; to provide a durable, protective surface over the natural wood structure, whilst being easy to look after and restore when the surface becomes worn.
When the top is newly oiled and the surface is in good condition, it will have a sheen on it. Splashes of water will form into properly defined droplets that standup clearly.
After a period of use the finish will become worn; the sheen will diminish and the surface become dull. Water will not form into droplets as readily, but tend to spread out and wet the surfaces. This is a clear sign that the worktop needs reoiling; in fact it is better to re-oil before the surfaces quite reach this condition.
The time taken for wear to occur depends on the amount of use the surfaces have had. In any one kitchen
