Re-Finishing a Butcher Block Top

Simple steps you can take to keep your butcher block looking beautiful.

About Butcher Blocks
Butcher blocks have traditionally been made from pieces of maple or a similar hardwood bonded together to form a solid slab. Butcher blocks have been used for hundreds of years and recently have become popular in modern kitchen designs. More recently, butcher blocks have become available in a variety of imported hardwoods.
Historically butcher blocks were used for cutting meats. The thick hard surfaces were ideal for the heavy blows of a meat cleaver down to the slicing action of a carving knife. Today most butcher blocks serve more of an aesthetic purpose in the modern kitchen.

Care and Maintenance
Butcher blocks should be finished regularly with a mineral oil and a beeswax coating to maintain their beauty and keep the wood from warping and cracking. Modern polyurethane and varnish finishes that are used on most furniture today should not be used on butcher blocks. These finishes are hard and sit on the surface. Cutting on the butcher block will break through this barrier and allow moisture into the wood.

Butcher blocks are made from natural wood and thus suffer from the effects of moisture. Too much moisture will cause the block to swell. Too little moisture can cause the wood to dry out and shrink causing cracks. These problems can be avoided by keeping standing water and moisture (such as liquids from meats) from sitting on the surface of the block. Simply wipe the block dry when you are done.

Winter months bring dry air and this can cause the butcher block to loose moisture and dry out as well. Placement of the block near a washing machine or stove can also cause the block to dry out. Regular applications of mineral oil is the best way to ensure that your butcher block keeps from drying out. A top coat of beeswax finish not only helps to smooth the surface, it also helps to repel water.

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