Storage before Installation
  • Finish all major building work before your worktops are delivered.
  • All render and plaster must be thoroughly dried out.
  • Store them flat.
  • If they are to be installed in a room with an Aga, they should be acclimatised in this environment for a few days before being fitted.
  • Don't unpack the worktops until they are required.
  • Don't leave them in an unheated room - specially a garage.
Installation

It is imperative that the worktops receive at least two coats of oil on all surfaces and edges before installation, allowing a minimum of six hours between coats. Particular attention must be paid to end grain edges and all surfaces which are to be invisible after installation.

All wood will 'move' in service with changes in the ambient humidity. Tops should be firmly fixed in such a way that they can accommodate this movement and prevent bowing. Drill oversize holes up from the underside of the top and use a washer between the screw and the fixing point. Corner joints should not be glued when the figure of eight bolts are tightened. However, waterproof mastic may be applied if you wish.
Maintenance

Proper care and treatment in the first few weeks will pay great dividends in the long term. A course of oil treatment is imperative to build up a surface that is impervious to heat and stains and to ensure a long and trouble free life.

When your worktops are delivered they will have a fine sanded finish ready for oiling. They will be a much paler colour than you are probably expecting. When they are oiled they will immediately darken, but all timber will take months to mellow down to the final colour.
 

Iroko
 

Iroko is a unique timber. When freshly sawn, it is pale straw in colour. When vegetable oil (sunflower is ideal) is applied, it darkens considerably but any variations in the colours of the boards are actually exaggerated. However within a few days, with further applications of oil, these variations fade rapidly. Within a period of time - several months probably - all Iroko assumes a deep, uniform, chestnut brown patina irrespective of original colour.

You will need to oil the worktops every day, last thing at night, for the first week. After that, once a week will suffice with the interval between treatments gradually increasing until you are eventually just wiping the worktops over with an oily rag once a month or so to restore the sheen of the patina which has built up. You will know that the wood needs more oil when water on the surface 'smudges' rather than forming well defined droplets.
 

Beech, Maple & Oak
 

We recommend Danish Oil for finishing these worktops. It is a blend of high quality oils, resins and dryers, resistant to water, alcohol and food acids. Three or four coats in all will be needed. A maintenance coat about twice a year, or when the surface looks dull will be all that is necessary. With your order will be a complimentary ½ litre can, usually enough to give the tops their first two coats before installation. If you require more then please contact us.
 

All Woods
 

In the first few weeks of service caution must be applied to prevent the worktops becoming stained before they have built up sufficient protection. Water should not be allowed to lie on the surface but wiped off immediately with a cloth. Oak is particularly prone to acquire a black stain, very hard to remove, if any iron utensil comes into contact with it in the presence of water for any period of time. Use a soft paintbrush to apply the oil. After approximately 15 minutes remove any excess with a soft cloth or good quality kitchen paper.