[Greenbuilding] Counters

JOHN SALMEN terrain at shaw.ca
Wed Jul 27 20:34:00 CDT 2011


Butcherblock counters has long referred to vertical grain (typically maple)
hardwood in 1-1.5" laminated strips to form varying widths.  The term
'block' is a reference to a 'cutting block' and historically does reference
a 'block' of wood but that is about as far as it goes. Historically butcher
blocks in trade usage were end grain things but small tall things (to allow
for the pounding) generally about 30x30 square and pretty tall - codes don't
really allow them anymore.

 

In terms of durability yes end grain is durable. I remember the butcher I
used in Hoboken had a 2' depth end grain block that had already gone through
a few generations use and for pounding a cutlet was built like an anvil.  In
terms of a kitchen counter usage vert grain maple is pretty decent and
provides the strength in the direction needed. An end grain counter would
have to be a pretty deep counter.

 

 

 

 

From: greenbuilding-bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org
[mailto:greenbuilding-bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org] On Behalf Of Reuben
Deumling
Sent: July-27-11 6:12 PM
To: Green Building
Subject: Re: [Greenbuilding] Counters

 

I too have observed this trend. But it is really too bad when 'everybody' is
so sloppy in their usage. The countertop you show is neither a 'block' in
terms of the whole thing, nor in terms of the components which--in the case
of butcherblock--could be considered blocks given their aspect ratio. 
Some people have suggested to me that this usage originated with a marketing
ploy, that 'wood countertop' isn't fancy enough. 

On Wed, Jul 27, 2011 at 6:04 PM, Bobbi Chukran <bobbi at bobbichukran.com>
wrote:

OK, what I'm calling "butcherblock" isn't end grain wood.  It's strips of
wood glued up to make a long slab.  Everybody seems to call that
butcherblock--that's what the lumber yards call it, and the generic term has
become fairly common, so that's what I call it.  Yeah, I know it's not the
same as the real butcher blocks.

I can clean my wooden countertops much easier than I ever could tile or
other surfaces.

For anyone who wants to know, this is the stuff we have on our current
kitchen counters:

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20057397

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