J. Aaron

Built-up edges are a great way to use thinner boards for the majority of the counter surface thus reducing the overall cost. For example a standard solid 1-3/4″ thick walnut island top is approx. $95 per SF. At 8′ x 4′ you’re looking at around $3040 before installation. That’s not bad in the world of wood countertops but when compared to granite or quartz it can be on the high side. That same top using built-up edges at 1-3/4″ thick and 3/4″ lumber making up the rest of the work surface is only $60 per SF or $1920 before installation a savings of $1120. You can even use a built-up edge of 2″ or 3″ and the cost only goes up a small amount. The same island top at at 2-1/4″ thick solid would be $3840 but if you use built-up edges it’s only $2000. The value keeps growing as the size and  thickness increase.

The downside to built-up edges is it takes more man hours to fabricate so it’s really only cost effective for long runs of countertops 8′ x 25″ or longer and island tops with a min. overall size of 7′ x4′. Anything smaller than that and the extra labor costs start eating into the material savings. Raised bar tops are also not a good place for a top with built-up edges because you’re able to see the under side easier than a standard height top.

So next time you have a kitchen island or long run of countertops ask for a bid in both our standard solid lumber and with built-up edges. It works with plank style, edge grain and end grain construction styles. You’ll save a bundle with no sacrifice on looks or function.

A great way of adding “wow” factor to your kitchen without a lot of money is with wood countertops that you do yourself. Here I’m going to cover two products that will help in this endeavor.

The first product is Ikea’s wood countertop blanks. These tops are at the lower end of the spectrum in price at just over $10 per SF. They are pre-sized slabs of wood that can be cut down to fit your exact needs. The size and species of woods available are limited but they’re typically satisfactory for smaller applications. The construction of these tops utilizes many short pieces of wood glued together, similar to a floor.

Ikea's wood countertop

If your countertop will have a sink the best type to use is a drop-in or self-rimming sink. The hole that will need cut will not be seen so it doesn’t have to be absolutely perfect and can typically be done with a simple jig saw. Kohler is one of the best manufactures of kitchen and bathroom sinks with multiple styles to look at in several different price points. Home Depot and Lowe’s will have other options as well that will work just fine.

The countertops need to be sealed before use. Waterlox Original tung oil is the best product to use. It’s easy to apply with only a rag and a pair of gloves. It soaks deep into the wood fiber where resins in the sealer harden producing a water and stain resistant finish. If you knick the top it can simply be sanded out and the oil re-applied. Visit the Waterlox website for full instructions on how to seal a wood countertop.

Highlights of Ikea wood countertops:

• Very low cost
• In stock (most of the time) and ready to pick up

The second product is a DIY wood countertop from J. Aaron. It’s a completely custom countertop just like their pre-finished countertops and island tops. Price varies with wood species but their most popular woods such as walnut, and cherry are around $30 per SF at 1-3/4″ thick. With J. Aaron’s program you provide the finished size, thickness, construction style and wood species you want. All of the options are covered on their website.

J. Aaron will also pre-cut the sink cutout for you so you can use an undermount sink instead of a drop-in sink. Undermount sinks are very popular and tend to have a higher end look. You provide J. Aaron with the brand and model number of the sink you’re using and they will do the precision cutting for you. After you make all your selections the countertop or island top is shipped to your home ready to be installed and have the finish applied. You’ll do all the finish sanding work yourself and then seal it. Again the Waterlox sealer is the best product to use. This countertop will have the look of a very high-end exotic countertop at a fraction of the cost of ordering a finished countertop from J. Aaron. A big bang for your buck and a little effort.

Highlights of J. Aaron custom DIY wood countertops:

• Significant price reduction over pre-finished wood countertops from J. Aaron.
• Able to customize all details of the top and order with sink and/or range top cutouts pre-cut.

Using a DIY wood countertop from J. Aaron will help you create a high-end wood countertop, bathroom vanity top or kitchen island top for around $30 per SF plus some elbow grease. It’s the same countertop J. Aaron always makes with all the same custom options available for you to pick from at our design options page. It’s only the raw blank though with none of the finish sanding or sealing done. That we leave up to you. Don’t worry though all the cutouts are pre-cut and all the faucet holes are pre-drilled, it’s just the final sanding and sealing that need to be done.

You’ll need:

• A random orbit sander with a pack of 120 grit sand paper.
• One sheet of 220 grit sand paper
• Waterlox Original Sealer.For wood tops that will be used as a butcher block you’ll need Howard Brand butcher block wax instead of the tung-oil. You can also eliminate the 220 sand paper and tack cloth from this list.
• Gloves and a rag
• Drill
• Standard wood screws
• A tack cloth

Steps to ordering your wood countertop:

Note: We’ll be adding video to this blog post so check back from time to time.

1. Measure your tops finished outside dimensions including any overhang you would like. We recommend 1-1/2″ beyond the cabinet frame itself. That will give you around 3/4″ beyond the drawer/door fronts. If you would like an extended overhang to use as an eating area we recommend no less than 12″ and preferably 14″.
2. If you’re going to have a sink we’ll need to have its center line. We don’t need to know where the sink’s opening will start and finish just the location of the center of the sink from either the left or right.
3. Pick your options like wood species, construction style, thickness, and profile.
4. Submit all this to us in the form of a simple sketch. We’ll take your sketch and make an exact production drawing that’ll you’ll be able to preview before anything is cut.

If you’re new to the world of DIY we’ll walk you through all this and make it very easy.

Steps to take for finishing countertops that will be used as a cutting/food prep surface:

Note: For more information on what finish you’ll want to use visit our design options page. Conversion varnish is for professional use only so you should only consider the tung-oil or mineral oil/butcher block wax finishes.

1. For this first step you’ll need to take the countertop blank out of its crate and set it up on something, saw horses work well. Don’t put it inside for this step as it’s about to get pretty dusty. Sand the top using the 120 sand paper. You’ll need to sand the top and sides. If you’ve opted for a decorative profile you’ll need to sand that by hand.
2. Set the countertop on the base cabinet and screw it down from underneath using 1-1/4″ wood screws.
3. Apply Howard Brand butcher block wax following the manufactures recommended instructions.

Steps to take for finishing countertops that will not necessarily be used as a cutting surface:

Note: For more information on what finish you’ll want to use visit our design options page. Conversion varnish is for professional use only so you should only consider the tung-oil or mineral oil/butcher block wax finishes.

1. For this first step you’ll need to take the countertop blank out of its crate and set it up on something, saw horses work well. Don’t put it inside for this step as it’s about to get pretty dusty. Sand the top using the 120 sand paper. You’ll need to sand the top and sides. If you’ve opted for a decorative profile you’ll need to sand that by hand.
2. When you’ve sanded out all the blemishes turn the top upside down and apply a heavy coat of the tung-oil. Don’t worry about puddles you just want to get as much on there as you can without spilling too much over the side. The goal is for the wood to soak up as much as it will in a 10-15 minute time frame. After it’s soaked up everything it will remove any standing puddles and wipe away any drips from the side. Use the same rag you applied the sealer with so it leaves a heavy coat behind. A dry clean rag will remove too much oil. The surface should still be wet with a layer of oil just no standing puddles. The wood will continue to soak the oil up as it dries.
3. Let dry to the touch before flipping the countertop over. Do the same thing on the top surface except this time you’ll use a clean cloth to remove as much oil as possible. You can even buff the wood at this point. The goal is to have no residue left behind.
4. Let dry overnight. Do a light hand sanding (do not use a power sander) using 220 grit sand paper. Use a tack cloth to remove any dust.
5. Apply a second coat of tung-oil using the same technique laid out in step 3.
6. Set the countertop on the base cabinet and screw it down from underneath using 1-1/4″ wood screws.

You’re ready to enjoy your wood countertop or kitchen island top and don’t forget to tell all your friends and family that you made it.

A tung-oil like Waterlox’s Original Wood Sealer is easy for a home owner to apply and offers very good protection even for countertops with sinks. The down side is that it will need re-applied once or twice a year to maintain its protective characteristics. The schedule for re-sealing is really based on how often you use the countertops. Are they used daily in your main resistance with your main sink or are they used rarely in a second home or second kitchen or bar area.

A conversion varnish is an extremely hard, durable top coat finish that completely seals the wood protecting it from water damage. It’s a care free finish never needing re-applied and requires no ongoing maintenance. We really think this is a perfect all around wood countertop finish with its very good scratch resistance, little to no maintenance and ease of repair.

Selling your home in this economy can be difficult to say the least. To improve the odds you may need to update a few things. Here are some ideas to help kick it off.

Focus on what matters. Get rid of your personal knick knacks. They’re great for you but buyers won’t appreciate them and they will distract from the home’s potential for their knick knacks.

Remember less is more. Put extra furniture in storage. The rooms will feel larger and it’ll make it easier for your buyers to picture their own things in the space.

Call in a local designer to help pick a few paint colors for you. It’s not easy to choose paint colors but it can make a huge difference in a home’s look and feel. Many designers can be hired by the hour and the whole thing could only cost you $100-$200 while adding significant value to the sale price. While they’re there, ask them what furniture to keep and what to remove. A great source for local interior designers is ASID. On a side note, you should get some quotes for a professional to come in and do the painting for you. It’s probably the most popular DIY project to tackle and the most often done incorrectly. A pro will typically do a much better job than you can. A great color selection can be ruined by a poor application.

Clean, clean and then clean some more. No one, and I mean no one, likes other peoples’ dirt when considering buying a home.

If that’s not enough, consider spending a little money on the rooms that really count. Real estate experts all agree that the kitchen will highly influence the buyer one way or the other. It’s also typically an expensive room to renovate with appliances, cabinets and countertops. You can dramatically improve the look of your home’s kitchen by simply painting outdated cabinets or maybe just adding new door/drawer pulls. If you have an island replacing the top with a wood kitchen island top is also a great idea and can be done quickly with little to no interruption in the use of the kitchen. With relatively little money and just a little bit of work you’ll beef up your home’s wow factor keeping it in the front of potential home buyer’s minds. And with so many homes on the market that can make or break your sale.

I hope these ideas help and you’ll consider using one of our wood island tops in your home.