What are Wood Countertops Pros and Cons? 

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As you design your kitchen home improvements, it is important to know the wood countertops pros and cons before you make your final choices, so that you’ll be confident in knowing that you’ve opted for the right material for your décor and function needs and expectations.  Go over each of the different elements involved in purchasing, installing, and maintaining these counters to be able to decide how appropriate they are for your home.  The following are the various points worth considering for the wood countertops pros and cons that will let you know if these surfaces are right for you.

Wood countertops pros and cons: cost

 The first thing that you should consider is the price.  After all, if these counters aren’t within your budget, there isn’t any point in wasting your time learning the rest of the wood countertops pros and cons. The cost of wooden surfaces varies widely depending on the material and design options that you choose, such as the edge shape.  Overall, a middle-of-the-road counter is more expensive than laminate, but is not as pricey as granite.  If you choose a more exotic solid wood slab, the price will be much higher than a species with an average cost, such as maple.

Wood countertops pros and cons: design

One of the wood countertops pros and cons that you can consider is the way that it will be worked into your home improvement design.  While solid wood is a much warmer material than cold natural stone or sterile stainless steel, if you do not choose the appropriate wood for its purpose, it will show signs of wear and abuse.

Wood countertops pros and cons: function

A solid wood counter is not as durable as some other types of materials.  Therefore, while it is considered to be a beautiful option for service areas, such as a breakfast bar, or as a surface for small appliances such as a coffee maker, toaster, or microwave, it can suffer from food prep as it may be stained, scratched, or dented.  Many people combine wood with other materials for their counters, due to these wood countertops pros and cons.

Wood countertops pros and cons: maintenance

Though dents and burn marks can be sanded down, water can create more lasting damage that will not necessarily be sanded away.  Therefore, you will need to apply a treatment such as mineral oil, on a regular basis, in order to protect the wood clean from staining.

Wood countertops pros and cons: environmental friendliness

One of the primary wood countertops pros and cons homeowners consider is its environmental friendliness.  There are many different options of wood counters, and each has its own level of eco friendliness.  While some might be damaging to the planet, there are options that can help this material to be very green.  Reclaimed lumber, for example, is one of the best ways to increase the environmental friendliness of this material.   If you will be choosing a more exotic material, make sure that you know where it comes from and that it is being responsibly cut.  Teak, for example, has several endangered species, so you will want to be very careful when selecting that type of  wood.

By knowing the wood countertops pros and cons, you’ll be able to choose the right counter for your kitchen and make sure that it both suits your décor and performs just the way you want and need.

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