Edge Grain Butcher Block Counter Top Construction 

When building our solid wood  counter tops, we offer two different construction techniques - a face grain plank style or an edge grain butcher block style.  This plank style top will contain boards measuring between 3"-9" in width and shows off the natural cathedral grains of the wood (link to plank style) , while the edge grain tops contain strips of quarter sawn wood measuring 1 5/8" - 1 3/4" in width and have a more linear strait grain appearance.  In both styles, every board will run the entire length of the countertop and be glued and biscuit joined using only premium waterproof glues. There are no finger joints in our tops!  

When considering a wood top keep in mind that they are made by nature and that the materials we use for our countertops are like people, their colors and appearances vary.  Our craftsmen hand select the materials to provide the greatest color and grain match available, but even so, there will still be color and grain variations which are part of the charm of your natural wood top. These color and grain variations are naturally occurring and can not be controlled, it is their individual variations that make all our wood countertops beautiful.  When ordering a solid wood top you must expect that your top will have a certain amount of variation and can look slightly different than a small sample you might have seen in person.  The thickness of your custom counter top is only limited by the raw materials available. Our standard thicknesses are listed on our "Ordering Your Countertop" page.  If you do not see what your are looking for there, just call or email us and we will see if thicker material for your top is available from our suppliers.

We offer two types of butcher block surfaces the first is a non cutting countertop surface and the other is a true work surface.  The difference between the two is only in the finishing process.  For non cutting surfaces, Sprague Woodworking utilizes two Oil based finishes: the Traditional Waterlox Satin Finish, or the Zar oil based Polyurethane finish.  The Waterlox finish is FDA approved for direct food contact, and both of them are non toxic and do not require much maintenance over time.  See our "Care and Maintenance" page for more information on these finish products.  For our true butcher block work surfaces that will be used for cutting directly on we finish using a natural mineral oil beezwax  which requires periodic reapplication by you.  

According to testing performed by the Wisconsin Food Research Institute in 1993 and by the University of California-Davis Food Safety Laboratory in 1997, wood has antibacterial properties that other countertop materials do not. Disease-causing bacteria, which can form on any cutting surface where food is prepared, disappear very quickly from wood surfaces, thereby making wood cutting surfaces the safest choice for cutting and preparation needs in the kitchen. 

Ordering Information