IKEA Counter top - recent quality issue

11 years ago

Hello, I have always been a fan of Ikea products. 4 years ago we put butcher block counter in the basement for very little money. They are still great. At the end of Dec 2012 we bought the same product for my kitchen island (3 times that price) and seal it immediately several times with General Finishes poly. The Counter top is warping. From the same slab I cut out a 20x17 cutting board. Same treatment on the bottom and sides but the top was treated with mineral oil. It is warping too. The quality is not as good as it was. Watch out.

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Comments (5)

huango
11 years ago
Warping - when did the warping (of new bb) start?
Does it matter if you Waterlox it (like I did)?

I just install 3 Ikea BB slabs:
- 1 on my mudroom bench
- 2 on my "hutch",
with 6 coats of Waterlox.

Now worried that they will warp.

Please let me know,
Thanks,
Amanda
milele
Original Author
11 years ago
My Bb was purchased on Dec 26 2012. It was sanded and sealed with 6 coats of General Finishes Poly on all sides within 4 days. It started warping after 1 month. I have 2 BB in the basement since 2008 with no issue. However, the quality at first sight was different too and the price was much higher...I guess it is the result of seeking cost reduction...quality goes down, price goes up but margin might be up. Customers just complain more...who cares? I hope it helps.
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bons
11 years ago
Isn't it under warranty?

Bonnie
wi-sailorgirl
11 years ago
Just out of curiosity, how do you have it mounted on the cabinets? I know it's tricky to mount wood countertops because of the expansion and contraction issues. Did you let it acclimate to the environment in your house before you mounted it?

I can't say those things would matter, but they might. I have an Ikea counter in my office that we mounted with no thought whatsoever to expansion contraction issues that I've had no issues with. It did acclimate for a few weeks before mounting though.
milele
Original Author
11 years ago
Hi, sorry for being quite but full time job and 2 kids keep me way to busy. The BB was sealed within 3 days from taking it home. The mfg instructions says to do it right away, which I did. I did not screw it to the island yet because I was sealing it several time. Yes t was in warranty but to rent a track to bring it back, ask the cabinet maker to cut to size a new piece, would cost me the same. Also, the pieces are moving and it is not as flat as the 2 pieces we bought 3 years ago. I actually kind of neglect those in the basement (only BB oil twice at the very beginning and that was it) and they look fine. I have seen other IKEA products going down the hill. They want to give price reduction against very poor quality (for instance cabinets knobs and handles). I have been a IKEA Customer for 20 years so I can really see the trend.