Using tung oil on butcher block countertops for a natural feel and easy upkeep.
The great news about me taking over 2 years to publish this blog post is that I now can give you a really thorough review on how our countertops are holding up. Almost like I did it on purpose!
We chose butcher block for our countertops based purely on budgetary constraints, and they've ended up being one of my favorite parts of our kitchen! All in (material + install), they were about half the cost of even the cheapest granite option we were quoted.
I had thought of butcher block countertops as a placeholder countertop that we would probably replace with stone down the line, but I'm fully converted to team butcher block. I love the look, the feel, the practicality, and the easy repairability of our countertops and I largely credit that to the tung oil finish we used!
Butcher Block Finish Options
Maybe the most daunting part of choosing butcher block countertops is deciding how to seal them. You have options! Most popular are:
- Waterlox - A resin-modified tung oil that cures hard. Based on my research, this is the most popular choice for butcher block countertops. We didn't choose this because it can chip off if you cut directly on your countertops. And while I never planned on breaking down a chicken straight on the counter, I wouldn't rule out slicing an apple or cutting a sandwich into whatever size triangle my children deem perfect for the day on it.
- Polyurethane - Poly gives you a totally waterproof surface, but it is not food safe. If your finish is scratched or chipped, you have to sand it all off and start over. And the idea of getting a solid wood work surface and covering it in plastic just felt wrong to me.
- Tung Oil - A classic oil for wood finishing. It gives a moderate amount of water protection, a really lovely sheen, the wood still feels like wood, and it's food safe. Maintenance is easy since you can reapply as needed.
I loved the natural look in photos I found while researching, and (maybe even better) the reported easy maintenance of tung oil. I tested a sample of dark half tung oil from Real Milk Paint on our white oak countertops and immediately went to buy a big container.
Prepping Countertops For Install
I wanted both sides of our countertops to be treated with tung oil for maximum moisture protection and even coverage.
Here's what I did to both sides of each piece of countertop prior to install:
- Sanded with 150 grit sandpaper.
- Applied a generous coat of tung oil using my favorite paintbrush. Let it sit overnight. Wiped off excess. I repeated this step three times, until the oil was built up enough that the wood wouldn't absorb more.
We had a month between when the countertops were treated with tung oil and when they were installed, so the wood had plenty of time to soak it in.
What's really important here is you want to only give the wood as much as it can absorb. You don't want to leave excess oil sitting on the surface - it will goop up and be gross.
After installation
Once the countertops were installed, I wiped them down and applied a thin layer of tung oil weekly. I did this for 4 weeks. In the early days of your countertops, you want to really make sure they're well oiled - raw wood is thirsty!
Once you've established a good level of saturation, you can stretch out oiling to just a couple times a year.
Maintenance
After initially oiling our countertops weekly, I now only do it if I start to notice them losing water resistance or looking kind of dull. This was about once every 3 months for a bit, and now is stretching out even longer.
And oiling countertops is really fun and really easy! The tung oil I used is cut with citrus solvent, which smells AMAZING. It is one of my favorite household tasks for this very reason. Our kitchen always has a faint smell of oranges, which was not a perk I anticipated, but one I really love.
I aim for a very thin layer when I oil now. (If you do anything more, anything you put on your countertops will get oily. A quick way to ruin paperwork!) This means getting a small amount of oil on a paper towel, and wiping the countertops down. Then I go back with a clean paper towel and buff it until the paper towel has no oil on it.
It takes me maybe 15 minutes to do all of our countertops.
How They're Holding Up
We've had our countertops for over 2 years now, and I'm really happy with how they're holding up. My favorite thing about using natural materials is they can age and be well worn and still look lovely.
What I was most worried about with using tung oil was water damage, but I've been pleasantly surprised by how water resistant tung oil is! We leave cups of ice water, ice cream, you name it on our countertops and the water just beads up (versus sinking into the wood).
At first I really babied our countertops, but I could only keep that up for so long. They're now subjected to all the wear and tear of a busy kitchen with four little kids in it, and they're holding up exceptionally well. The finish makes them easy to wipe down, and if they get dented or I start seeing knife marks, I buff it out with 400 grit sandpaper, put a fresh layer of oil on it, and carry on with my life.
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