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A short installation guide of solid wood countertops
and kitchen islands.
by Adrian Laza
Solid wood countertops are natural products made of wood from trees
approximately 120 years old. Wood is a living material and the more
moisture receives, the more the wood countertop will expand. The wood we
used in solid wood worktops has been previously kiln dried to a humidity
level of 6%, and it is therefore important that the worktop is not exposed
to a constantly high level of humidity. Normally the humidity level in
kitchens is approximately 50-70%.
The solid wood top must be attached to the cabinet box using only wood
screws and washers. It is not recommended at all to glue the top on the
cabinet box; the top and the box expand and contract at different rates,
therefore cracks might eventually appear, most probably on the cabinets'
surface.
The proper way of installing a solid wood top is using metal fixings along
the cabinet box (see picture
Click Here).
The metal fixings must be uniformly distributed throughout the length of
the top, spaced at a 1' - 1.5' distance from each other. Across the width,
the top is usually fixed to each metal support with three screws, one in
the middle, one toward the front edge and one toward the rear edge. The
supports must be perfectly leveled; otherwise tensions can develop in the
wood, leading to warping, cupping, or cracks. We recommend pre-drilling
the screw holes into the wood countertop, in order to avoid cracks and
splits. For the same reason, it is a good idea not to over tighten the
screws. The finishing will considerably diminish the extent of such
movements, but will not eliminate them altogether. Due to the panel's
laminated structure, the lengthwise movements are insignificant, so the
installer should pay attention to the movements occurring across the
panel's width. In order to prevent the development of inner tensions, the
holes in the metal fixings should be elongated in the direction of the
movements (see picture from (Click
Here)
When exposed to normal humidity levels - i.e. 50-60% - the worktop's width
will expand by 1/12”-1/24”, but when exposed to a level of 80-90%, this
measurement may expand by up to 1/2" or even more for some species.
Therefore, when the rear edge of the counter top is installed against a
wall, the wall might restrict the top's natural movements, leading to
undesired tensions in the wood. To avoid this, you can allow a 1/4”-1/2”
joint between the wall and the countertop edge and caulk it with a thin
bid of acid-free silicone. Additionally, you can firmly fix the rear edge
to the metal supports underneath and thus, allow the natural movements to
occur at the expense of the opposite edge. In this case, the holes in the
metal fixings corresponding to the rear edge will be no larger than the
screws diameter, while the holes corresponding to the middle section and
the front edge will be elongated.
For additional information regarding the installation of wood countertops,
bar tops and kitchen islands, please visit
www.hardwoodcountertops.com
Adrian Laza may be contacted at
http://www.hardwoodcountertops.com Click here to view more of Adrian's
articles.
Adrian Laza 15+ years experience in wood countertops, butcher blocks,
kitchen islands manufacturing.
You can find all you need for your kitchen at
www.allkitchen.info
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