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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-CA link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>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.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>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.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0cm 0cm 0cm'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> greenbuilding-bounces@lists.bioenergylists.org [mailto:greenbuilding-bounces@lists.bioenergylists.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Reuben Deumling<br><b>Sent:</b> July-27-11 6:12 PM<br><b>To:</b> Green Building<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [Greenbuilding] Counters<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>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. <br>Some people have suggested to me that this usage originated with a marketing ploy, that 'wood countertop' isn't fancy enough. <o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>On Wed, Jul 27, 2011 at 6:04 PM, Bobbi Chukran <<a href="mailto:bobbi@bobbichukran.com">bobbi@bobbichukran.com</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>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.<br><br>I can clean my wooden countertops much easier than I ever could tile or other surfaces.<br><br>For anyone who wants to know, this is the stuff we have on our current kitchen counters:<br><br><a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20057397" target="_blank">http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20057397</a><o:p></o:p></p></div></div></body></html>