There’s a big debate in the industry whether or not real wood is better than this alternative type of wood. Real wood has a higher tendency to warp and shift over time and or if exposed to moisture or water. The synthetic materials will also deteriorate or inflate or swell up if exposed to significant amounts of moisture or water, but they hold their dimensional shapes with a little bit of more stability in certain conditions. If you just listen to that information above then the fake wood might sound better.
The fake wood is also much less expensive, but at the end of the day, it’s just fake material, highly compressed cardboard, basically. It’s much more rigid and harder than actual cardboard, but the substrate materials are not entirely different. Real wood by comparison is real natural wood which has been used by humans for thousands of years. These fake alternatives have only been used for less than 100 years.
In contrast to the cabinets, this particular countertop is actually made from real wood, but like most tabletops, even this real wood here is edge joined smaller pieces that are glued together on their high pressure to form a table surface, like butcher block. It’s different than a single piece of real wood cut from a single tree in one contiguous piece.
This particular countertop has been modified with a light bluish gray type stain that gives it an aged weather look. That type of stain also complements the floor which has a similar design style. We think it looks pretty good, but it’s also a stylistic choice that became very popular and looks good for certain houses and certain aesthetics, but it doesn’t meld or blend well with all other design styles of all houses.
The cabinet doors and the cabinet drawers have a stainless steel brushed finish bar pull that is used as a type of hardware to open and close the doors and drawers. This particular type of brushed metal bar pulll is relatively minimalist, it doesn’t have a lot of curvature or flare. Also, with the brush stainless color, it looks like a very neutral type of metal and therefore can be used in many different types of design styles in kitchens that range from a rustic look with a minimalist or contemporary edge to kitchens that are very modern and sleek, by comparison.
A sealer or varnish has been applied on top of the stained wood. There are a multitude of different options of types of sealers that can be used to protect and preserve wood counter tops. In most cases, if food will ever be in direct contact with the wooden countertop surface, we would recommend a type of food-safe sealer.
In some cases, natural and or organic materials like coconut oils can be used to seal a wooden countertop and keep the surface food-safe. Other high performing sealers like polyurethane varnishes may have very high performance properties, or characteristics, but may also have a degree of toxicity. This means that it could be potentially hazardous from a health perspective to have food in direct contact with wooden countertops if they’re stained with certain types of chemicals.
Dupont Kitchen & Bath Can Help
As dedicated and local DC metropolitan kitchen and bath builders and installers, we pride ourselves on turning your visions into reality. Your kitchen and bathrooms can reflect your unique style and be designed with personalized aesthetics. It can be a process from creative designs to the realization of your dream space. Specializing in kitchen and bath construction, we bring expertise and skills to every project. If you’re contemplating a renovation, upgrade, or modernization in the local market, we’re happy to be your team. Consult with us, and we can start together on a path to redefine and elevate your DC living experience.
You can visit our company website at https://dupontkitchenbathdc.com/
Here at our website you will find a simple and convenient web form that you can fill to contact us quickly.
