Cutting and Scratching Wood Countertops

Wood has excellent properties that make it a great material for kitchen countertops. Wood countertops offer durability and warmth especially if they are sealed and treated with oil-based products. The surface of wood countertops is even designed to survive the wet spills.

Although they are made to resist and endure certain conditions, wood countertops are not resistant to the cuts and scratches caused by knives and other sharp objects. The good thing about wood countertops, however, is that they can easily be repaired when this happens. Sealing and treating the surface with mineral oil can reduce their susceptibility to cuts and scratches.

The causes of cuts and scratches on wood countertops

Food preparation that involves slicing and chopping directly on the surface is one of the main causes of cutting and scratching on wood countertops. Wood countertops are not designed to endure the damaging effects of knives and other sharp objects.

Another cause of cutting and scratching on wood countertops is placing hard and heavy-duty ceramics, earthenware, and other rough-bottomed utensils on the surface. Doing this constantly can make small scratches appear that can eventually multiply.

How to preventing cuts and scratches on wood countertops

The use of butcher block inserts can reduce the damage caused by knives and pointed objects to your wood countertop. Butcher block inserts provide natural warmth and elegance to your wood countertop, but more importantly, they serve as a built-in chopping board so you do not have to use a separate chopping board when preparing food. If you do plenty of slicing and dicing on your wood countertop but do not want the inconvenience of using separate chopping boards, then make sure it has built-in butcher block inserts. Do note, however, that using a separate chopping board is still the safest way to avoid cuts and scratches on your wood countertop.

Avoid leaving knives and other pointed objects on your wood countertop. Also, do not slide them from one end of your countertop to the other when you have to pass them to someone else. Not only does this cause cuts and scratches on your wood countertop, it can scratch the other person as well. Make sure that your knives are kept in a knife board or somewhere where they can be kept safely when not in use.

It is necessary to place hot pads or place mats on the surface before placing heavy-duty ceramics and earthenware on your wood countertop. Although they may cause little or unnoticeable damage on your countertop, it is still best to take proper precautions.

To repair and remove cuts, scratches, and other minor damage on your wood countertop, sand the affected areas using heavy-duty sandpaper in a circular motion. If you are not comfortable doing this, you can contact your fabricator and have him do the repairing.