No .... it will crack and flake. Use multiple coats of classic waterlox, following their directions so it soaks in, doing BOTH sides.

No oiling required. Do NOT use ammonia-containing cleaners.

PS: Ikea's butcher block quality is in the tank, and availability is uncertain ... I used alder from perfect plank perfectplank.com

I have some old discontinued ikea butcher block counters that I was thinking of using. Possibly lagan, it's only 1" thick, not sure if that is not thick enough? I was envisioning the butcher block being a temporary solution until I can afford quartz. Although not sure how long temporary would end up being.

Why would a floor poly crack and flake? I would think floors take more of a beating than counters?

Use appropriate products for their intended use. Use a food safe product intended for butcher block counters.

Remember that the Ikea butcherblock is pre-treated with their oil, so if you use an incompatible finish, it won't stick. You'd have to sand them all the way down past the existing oil finish, which might be more work than it's worth.

I don't know if they're still selling their Behandla oil -- I mean the linseed-based countertop finish, not the beeswax one they have in the stores now -- but that's what I used and it has held up beautifully. It was sort of a pain to apply, but I haven't had to reapply it. It did not have a strong odor like Waterlox does (I tried a sample of that but couldn't handle the smell).

I think the thinner tops have more risk of warping than the thicker ones; I believe that's what they told me at the store when I was buying ours. Still, it sounds as though you've got free countertops (well, already-paid-for countertops), so unless there's something wrong with them, I'd go with them! Just don't put in a tile backsplash yet, if they're thinner than the countertops you intend to install later.

freckles81:

Lower your expectations for your granite sale on Craigslist. If you get $300.00, you're doing really well, that's after you've removed them without breakage.

I have a walnut plank island counter that I do not use for cutting. I would never use anything but a food grade and safe substance on it.

We have been using the lagan counters as a large u shaped desk in our office, so we have gotten our moneys worth out of them.

I already stated that I do not intend on using the counters for cutting. So waterlox is the way to go?