Oak Worktops

Oak is the most popular solid worktop timber in the UK and has been for decades – it is hard, it suits almost any kitchen style, and unlike laminate or stone you can sand and re-oil it back to new yourself. The catch is maintenance: oak needs oiling on all faces before fitting and re-oiling once or twice a year afterwards, and it will mark if water is left standing on it.

It depends what you want the kitchen to say. Prime Oak for a clean, uniform, modern look. Rustic Oak if you want knots and character. Standard Solid Oak for the middle ground and the widest size choice. All three are the same timber and the same construction – you are choosing the grade of the face, not the quality of the board.

At PlumbXtra a 3000mm x 635mm x 40mm solid oak worktop is £207, or £250 factory pre-oiled. Farmhouse Oak is £159 for the same board, Rustic Oak £214, Prime Oak £259 and Black Stained Oak £295. Thinner 22mm and 27mm boards come in lower again.

22mm suits modern handleless kitchens where you want a slim line. 27mm is the traditional all-rounder and the most common choice. 40mm gives the chunky, substantial slab look and is the one to pick for islands and breakfast bars. All three are solid oak – thickness is a styling decision, not a durability one.

Before fitting, not after. Apply two to three coats of a food-safe worktop oil to every single face – top, underside, both long edges, both ends and inside every sink and hob cut-out. Sealing all six surfaces is what stops the board drawing in moisture unevenly and cupping. Re-coat the top two or three times over the first year, then once or twice a year from then on.