oooh...now this is a thread i'll read...we were just talking about how we could do this also.

Not sure if its what you are looking for but we bought a butcherblock countertop piece and made it 1/2 inch thicker than the countertops. That way we didn't have to worry to much about how it met with the other countertops. It also makes it easier to scrap food off it.

I had it installed above one cabinet next to marble

Here is a link that might be useful:

I'm just getting used to this--a very recent install. We were just going to have 2 square feet of butcherblock either side of a range, but ended up extending it. It's 4 feet on each side now. Result is that adjacent peninsula (wider than the adjacent countertop and has lopped off corners on the stool side) looks almost like a different piece of furniture on the stool side. MDF face on the peninsula will be painted.

We had planned to use a more dramatic butcherblock from "Timeless Timbers" but the budget intervened.

Click the pictures on either side of this one to get other views of the range area.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ikea butcherblock flanks the range

I think in the short term it's a good idea. Long term? Cracks, stains, and mold. If you decide to do it I would recommend having a plan in place on how to remove/replace it down the road. My kitchen still has the original (circa 1965) inset wood cutting board. It's disgusting and next to impossible to remove. I've scrubbed, sanded, bleached, etc. and there is still no way I would ever use it. I have placed another cutting board on top to hide it until I can replace the countertops, hopefully this fall.

bumble doodle:
Is the problem along the edges where it meets the other countertop substance or within the wood itself?

Is it simply for looks, for light prep (bread, cheese), or for heavy prep (meat, poultry, fish, veg)?

If for heavy prep, then here are some thoughts.
- I use a 18'' x 24'' thick, end-grain butcher block on 1/2'' feet for all my prep.
- After meat, fish, and soggy veg, it gets a quick wipe off.
- After poultry or a particularly bloody fish, it gets a quick wash with hot soapy water.
- Every now and then, the board is liberally coated with mineral oil which is left to soak in. Sometimes I scrub the board with salt too.
- The board looks ''used''. It has fine cut marks, some stains (from beets, I think), and some deeper gouges (opening oysters, hacking bones).
- Having the board raised on feet lets you sweep food onto a plate slipped under the board's edge. Similar when getting rid of waste. It's fast.
- The board surface is about 2'' higher than the counter, which is nice if you're tall.

Given that experience, I am skeptical of a butcher board board permanently set into a counter. Seems like it would be less convenient to wash and use, and not so easy to replace if you get tired of the ''used'' look.

florantha - it's both. The wood is splitting, stained and prone to mold (bleach hasn't helped much). I'm not sure what kind of adhesive was used to hold it in place but it's nasty too. I've even gone at the stuff with a razor blade. No go. :(

bumbledoodle - can you use a router to get it out of there?

And have you looked underneath for screws holding it in?

Hmmmm, I'm not quite sure where to go with these comments. Eight years ago in remodel of another kitchen, another house, I had 2" thick maple butcherblock (not end grain) installed as the countertop on a 40" drawer base cabinet and a 15" sink base. It abutted the refrigerator on one side and had a small rectangular undermounted prep sink installed in it.

It was definitely used...for everything...chopping vegetables, cutting brownies and bread, butterflying lamb, turkey, boning fish....everything, no matter how bloody or ucky. And it looked it...sort of. I mean it was clean...I'd scrub it after each messy use and periodically mineral oil it, but it had a few blotches from blueberry pie filling, a slight scorch mark or two from a too-hot pan rested on it and so on. And it had a few nicks in the edge (mostly where my then 10 year old son "practiced" with his scout knife.) But I was OK with that...I like a kitchen that looks clean, but well used and well loved.

In the wintertime, I could see a few hairline cracks opening up around the sink and just about the time I'd think...uh oh...more humid weather would come around and they'd close back up.

So....I'm a little taken aback by the comments about mold and nastiness, wondering if I was just lucky last time. My layout this time doesn't have a separate top I can devote to butcherblock and I was actually asking about /hoping to see some pictures of a butcher block stretch installed mid counter, since I'm not certain I will like how that looks. I have an L shaped stretch of counter with the long leg of the L being just shy of 8'. It runs from the refrigerator to the corner The short L, has an additional 9" of counter, then a 36" range and another 9" of counter before it ends. The counter will be soapstone, with a 20" undermounted prep sink at the end next to the refrigerator. What I had in mind was to install a 24"-30" stretch of butcherblock somewhere along that long leg. Although I had no trouble with the sink cut into the butcherblock last time, the longer counter this time meant I didn't have to do it and thought I'd avoid ANY potential problems by putting it in a soapstone stretch, then starting the butcherblock a foot or more away.

But, as I said, I'm just not sure whether I'll like how it looks, interrupting a long stretch of soapstone. There will be another L shaped longish stretch of soapstone by the way on the other side of the kitchen, dedicated to my baking and eating area.

So...anyone got pictures of something like what I'm describing?

It should work just fine to inset the butcher block into the counters. That's exactly what we are planning to do. Take care of the wood by keeping it oiled and waxed (melt canning wax into the mineral oil and rub it into the block). The oil penetrates into the wood and the wax bridges tiny cracks in the wood.

When the butcher block is installed it is very important to make sure water cannot get under the block. At the joints between the butcher block and countertop clear silicone should be used in the installation. Also, the bottom of the butcher block should be sealed with polyurethane or another finish before the block is installed.

It is best to use end grain block.

Remember -- water is the enemy of wood. Don't let it get underneath, don't let it get in the edge, and never let water sit on the block for long periods. Wipe it up as you go.

Billy

Melissastar, keep in mind the inset cutting board I'm referring to is 45+ years old and permanently attached to the countertop. There have been several previous owners so I do not know how/if the wood was treated properly. You might be okay as long as the board is removable for cleaning, etc.

Small inset cutting board near sink: http://www.househunting.ca/ottawa/Counter+intelligence/2661497/story.html

Thanks lazygardens - I never even thought to look underneath for screws! (smacks head) :)

Here are some images.
~boxer

Brookswood

Kitchen View Web

Point Louisana Magazine

Butcher block and marble this old house

corner cutting board

FKB lleet

When one has a butcher block cutting board permanently set in a counter, not adjacent to a sink, doesn't cleaning it become a bit of a chore? Let's say the board is smeared with fish guts or chicken goo, and the next task is to dice fresh veggies for a salad. I give the board a quick scrub with hot soapy water then a rinse and wipe-off, between those tasks. But if the board isn't by the sink, and can't be moved there, things seem inconvenient. Don't want soap in the salad.

Johnliu: Cleaning it could be a problem, but I never found it to be a big deal before. Of course, in my previous kitchenm, my sink was actually cut into the butcherblock counter...rather like the one in the picture labeled butcher block and marble this old house which boxerpups kindly sent. IN this kitchen, it would probably most resemble the last picture...the FKB lleet pic...although it would have soapstone on either side of the butcherblock and a sink would be within a foot or two of it. I have always disliked working on separate cutting boards...even fairly large ones...because I always feel constrained and as if the food is falling off the edges. So the size butcherblock I'm contemplating would be at least 2 foot by 2 foot and preferably wider. It's tough to get that in a sink!

What I want to do is similar to "butcher block and marble this old house" photo that boxerpups posted. What I'm concerned about is the water around the faucet and handles that would surely make it's way there.

So I've been looking for a sink that would have holes for the faucet to be deck mounted right on the sink. And, I thought it would be cool to have an apron front because then I wouldn't have to worry about water splashing on the counter in front of the sink.

I thought the single Domsjo sink from Ikea would be perfect, (also perfect price!) but I just saw it in person and since the whole sink is deck mounted and it has a rather wide flange around it, it would look huge in my island. Back to the drawing board.

Johnliu ... if I were going to do fish guts, I would use a flexible cutting surface that can be tossed in the dishwasher.

I don't have the joy of a having a built in cutting board.
I loooovvvvvveeee the looks of the thick built in butcher
block counter. I guess if I had one I would simply wash it
down with a bit of bleach mixed with water the way a good
stone or marble counter could be cleaned. Not pure bleach
but a small amount of bleach and water to sanitize.

Here is a link that talks about how to clean, sanitize
and cure your counter. One idea is using vinegar or even
Peroxide. The link also talks about specific oils to
cure the counter and the misconceptions of wood. Wood
is very sanitary if cared for.

The potential stain or water damage around a faucet
if using a wood counter can often be sanded lightly
and sealed to protect.

Hope this helps.
~boxer

Bob villa
Tips to protect wood counters from water damage

http://kitchens.bobvila.com/Article/961.html

Here is a link that might be useful: Wood: Santize, clean and disinfect

i just built a 2 ft x 2ft butcher block into my new porcelain top. if you need some info contact me at puttone@gmail.com