"Engineered" worktops.....

[R.O.S.S.I]

Does anyone know of anywhere that sells them other than Ikea?

I'm not even sure if this is the right name for them as I'm merely copying the naming of engineered laminates which are a thin top layer of real wood over some hdf/particleboard.

I've only seen one place that sells them and it's Ikea - their Karlby worktop is 3.5mm of solid walnut over particleboard. We really wanted solid wood counters for our kitchen but they are mad expensive and these Karlby tops look like a good compromise but i'm struggling to find anywhere else that sells anything similar/viable alternatives.

Anyone ever come across them anywhere else or know if they go by a different name? My Google skills are failing me atm!

 

[R.O.S.S.I]

The Ikea one incidentally comes pre-waxed/oiled so maintenance shouldn't be an issue, I know it will need revisiting in a few years and i'm OK with that.

I've also heard of some hard wax oils that you can use for worktops which give it a extremely good protection from water, dust, dirt etc, and like most have said I wouldn't dream of chopping food directly on our worktop anyway!

 

[R.O.S.S.I]

Osmo top oil. Hopefully its compatible with whatever ikea use.

I have solid wood and it looks as good as the day it was installed. Well worth it and I would do it again. I use Osmo oil and it only needs a quick application every 6 months. I would suggest just not using it as a chopping board and not leaving water on it, that is just a quick wipe down after splashing water. It looks so much better than laminate.

Yep think it was Osmo that i've seen. Ikeas come pre-treated with a hard wax oil but i'll keep it in mind for when it needs re-treating.

So it doesn't look like anywhere else does an "engineered" worktop really does it bar Ikea?