Numerar Counters: Choosing, Sealing

The beech Numerar counters look lighter in real life. Nice glow to it.

After weeks of debating whether we should save money by going with the Numerar wood counter tops, we decided that we actually liked the oak look and would be foolish to not get them. As always, there was a catch. The Numerar line was being discontinued, and would instead be replaced with an MDF product with a wood veneer. What the what? Ugh.

But, if we bought a few pieces that were longer than what we needed, there was enough left in stock for us to do our kitchen in beech. If you are shopping for an Ikea kitchen now, you will not know what I'm talking about. The discontinuation of Numerar was a bleep in the store's timeline. Two months later they'd brought back the beech counters (not the oak, though), I'm guessing due to the fact that nobody wanted those ugly veneer wood wannabes. Wonder if they still sell those?

This meant we got to exchange our too-big pieces of wood and end up with exactly what we needed. Bringing our total for counters to about $500. Not too shabby to for a natural surface that brightens up the gray of our cabinets. Plus, if we ever want to upgrade, we can either use the wood in another project or sell it on Craigslist. We paid so little for it (comparitively speaking), that it wouldn't be painful to switch it out in the near future. That being said, we really like the wood. So it will probably be sticking around for a few years. Another plus: Wood is easy for the DIY-er to work with; no special tools or skill required. As long as you can use a tape measure, level and saw, you're golden.

Protecting the New Counters
Like every other decision, I spent hours researching how to seal them. For those who don't know, while wood has the advantage of being repairable via a light sanding, it also has the disadvantage of being a sponge. Sauces, water, everything, can leave its mark. Sealing helps to prevent that.

I did read about people staining their counters, and while I initially considered that direction, I decided that 1)the light color had grown on me 2)I didn't want to worry about food safety. While I didn't plan to prep food directly on it, we are messy folk. Food is bound to make its way off a cutting board now and then. Or rest on the counter while waiting its turn for the food processor.

I started with mineral oil, picked up at Giant for about $3.00. It went on easily, but you have to re-treat fairly often, and I wasn't confident that the wood was sealed enough. I decided to bite the bullet and splurge on General Finishes Salad Bowl Finish by Rockler, which I had to order online. It was popular with woodworkers and if it was safe enough to eat salad from, I was sure it was safe enough for the occassional stray veggie in my kitchen. I'm very happy with the end result--it gave the wood a soft sheen that made the tones seem richer, but did not change the color of the wood. Spills seem to come up easily, even when I find water that's sat for awhile. (Apparently I'm the only family member who is worried about warping and staining...sigh.) One tip: Seal your counters BEFORE installation. That way, the underside is also protected from humidity. Or, do as I say, not as I do...