[SingleMomBoss]

Hey all, I’m new here! I’d appreciate any input on how to best care for my new countertops. I purchased a few 1.5” thick acacia butcher blocks, then cut them up to fit my kitchen counter space (see picture). I treated them with several layers of water based wood conditioner, skipped any staining (because look how stunning it already is!), and then topped it off with some water based satin topcoat.

Apparently my novice Googling has misled me to thinking this is all I’ll need. The wood is still dry and I want to make sure I’m locking in the needed treatments AND topping it off with the best topcoat for kitchen counter uses. I have some young kiddos and intend to use this countertop in a busy kitchen.
Send me all advice, please!

 

[Steve Neul]

You didn't need to use the wood conditioner. A wood conditioner is like a very thinned down varnish that seals the soft portion of the wood so when you apply a stain it stains more uniform. Not using a stain you could have skipped that step. It didn't hurt it any, just gave you some unnecessary work.

When you finish a large piece of wood like that you need to finish the underside too. It doesn't have to be a quality finish but the wood needs to be sealed. Left unfinished the wood can absorb moisture from the air causing that side to swell up. This swelling makes the wood cup warp. It's just important to keep the moisture content the same on both sides and sealing the underside would do that.

Not knowing which water based topcoat you used it's difficult to say if it is right for that application. Usually the only issue with most waterborne finishes is it tends to make the wood bland. If you are good with the appearance you are probably alright.