A
modern butcher block becomes more and more common in
today’s kitchen design. Whether
integrating a stand alone block or combining it into
a butcher block island you
should take special care when setting up the kitchen
cabinet lineup. This article would like to give you
some tips on how to best combine your block with the
other cabinets. We also would like to give you some
ideas on how to keep your butcher block clean and hygienic in the long run.
Installation
of a butcher block
Installing
a standard 4 leg butcher block into your kitchen
cabinets lineup is straight forward. Prepare a
cutout in your countertop and make sure the block has
some room around. Never have the butcher
blocks touch
the cabinets around. Do not screw the block to any
of your cabinets as vibrations will be distributed
all over you kitchen front. Instead use half inch soft-rubber
on all sites of the cabinet touching the butcher block.
Keep
in mind that you want to be able to pull out the butcher
block for cleaning. Make sure the entire block stands
flat on the kitchen surface. As
far as height is concerned, it depends on your personal
likes. A good way of installing is to keep the butcher
block about 1 inch underneath the surface of your surrounding
kitchen countertop.
Cleaning a butcher block
With
increased daily use the block will need some
cleaning. Using normal tap water for every days cleaning
might leave the butcher block island or butcher
block countertops with a grey shade. Most manufacturers offer
special oils in order to keep the wood clean and hygienic.
However resulting from deeper cutting grooves or simple
grease you might want to clean up your block a little
bit deeper.
Get
a rotating pvc brush for your drill at your DIY store.
These brushes are usually sold to clean up metals, but
work perfectly for cleaning up any kind of butcher block
surface. Afterwards sand the top of the block with a
sanding paper grid 120 and apply the finishing oil.
This way the butcher block will maintain its natural beauty and functionality.
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