On 12 Feb 2006 21:11:42 -0800, "Josh" wrote:

Just keep in mind that unlike metal, wood "moves" as the humidity
changes. Most countertops are either made of a solid material that
doesn't swell with humidity (e.g. granite, corian, etc.) or are
comprised of a surface (i.e. formica, tile, etc.) atop a plywood or
particle board substrate, which are both quite immune to humidity
changes. If you go with butcher block, you'll likely get significant
growth and shrinkage throughout the year.

That's not necessarily a problem, you just need to take it into account
when you affix your countertops to the cupboards. You'll need to use
connectors which allow movement, like what you'd find connecting your
dining room tabletop to its apron and legs.

One nice thing about wood countertops: If you ever get a bad scratch,
dent, burn, or whatever, you can always sand and refinish.

Josh

Greetings Josh, Brooks, Andy, Joe, gfretwell, and Ed,
Thanks for all the replies. The info was just what I needed to decide
if wood could make a good counter top. Now I have to see if my wife
likes the idea as much as I do. Josh, I had not even thought about
expansion and contraction of the wood. The final design will need to
allow for this. And I had no idea that Grizzly sold butcher block tops
Andy. Thanks Joe for the wide piece info. I'm glad Brooks that you saw
the very old top and related how it looked. It would be great if the
next owners really like the finished house and the special touches
like maple counters. And Ed, the end grain hardness is feature that
could maybe be incorporated into part of the counter for a good solid
surface to support a cutting board when using a mallet to thin chicken
breasts and the like. Finally, thanks to you gfretwell (what's your
real name?) for the Grainger suggestion. I order from Grainger several
times a year.
Cheers,
Eric R Snow