Wondering you should use for sealing butcher block countertops? I tried both Waterlox and mineral oil and am sharing what worked best for me!
After sharing our new coffee station last week, several of you had questions about what we used to seal our new butcher block countertops so I’m going to fill you in on those details today. (post includes affiliate links – full disclosure statement available {here}). As you known, we only have them in a small area at the far end of our kitchen where we ripped out the old, ugly tiled countertop:
Scroll & Click/Tap to Shop the Look!
Once installed, it’s important to treat or seal the butcher block to keep it from drying out and staining. There are a lot of options for products to treat butcher block, but one of the simplest and least expensive is mineral oil. And that’s what I went with for the first several months.
Sealing Butcher Block Countertops with Mineral Oil
To seal butcher block with mineral oil, you simply apply the mineral oil generously, let it soak in, and wipe off the excess. You need to do it fairly regularly at first but then only about once a month after you’ve gotten through several applications. But here’s the problem that I found with mineral oil. Any paper that you lay down on it will absorb the oil from the butcher block and stain the paper. Even if it’s been weeks since you oiled it. I’d love to say that our kitchen is always neat as can be with no random school papers strewn about but…not so much. After several papers got ruined by laying them down in the wrong place, I knew that mineral oil wasn’t going to work for us.
Sealing Butcher Block Countertops with Waterlox
So after a lot of research into other options, I ended up trying Waterlox and I’m so glad I did – I love it! It’s a blend of Tung oil and resin with a water-resistant finish that’s also food safe. The company has great instructions on application of Waterlox on their website that are a must-read before using it, but the main steps are to sand the butcher block, clean it with mineral spirits, and then apply 3-5 coats of Waterlox with 24 hour dry time between coats.
Waterlox comes in three different sheens but it’s recommended that you start with Waterlox Original Sealer/Finish (available {here}) for the first coats and just do the last coat in either the satin or high-gloss finish if you want a different sheen. I’m not a big fan of shiny countertops so after three coats of the Sealer/Finish, I applied a coat of the Waterlox Satin (available {here}) which is less glossy. The color of the butcher block definitely changes depending upon the treatment that you choose with the Waterlox making the butcher block a deeper, just slightly more orangey color than the mineral oil.
You can see the difference even more clearly looking at this angle – the countertop was sealed with Waterlox and the board on top of it was treated with mineral oil:
Honestly, I prefer the lighter look of the oiled countertop to the darker Waterloxed countertop but with all of the other advantages of Waterlox (no more oil spots on stray kitchen papers, no more monthly maintenance, and better water resistance) it was the way to go for us.
So that’s my long-winded answer to your short question about our countertops. Butcher block countertops aren’t for everyone and we only have them in this one spot with granite in the rest of the kitchen but I love them and honestly wouldn’t hesitate to use them throughout a kitchen. How about you?
I don’t have a butcher block counter, but I have always admired the look of it, but wasn’t sure how to treat it to keep it looking beautiful. Thank you for sharing the information. Your counter top really looks as new and it’s nice to know that mineral oil might not be the best option if you choose to work on it with paper.
I have a large butcher block table in my kitchen and a butcher block counter top. I refinished the table several years ago because it was dirty from newsprint embedded on the top edge where my husband sits reading the morning paper. I sanded and sanded then used a clear water based polyurethane coating to seal. With this finish, I don’t have to oil and it has a nice clear sheen that lets the wood show through without color change from the finish. This finish has worn well over the past several years. The counter top came from our old house and was never fastened to the top of a counter so it is large but portable. I am now using the underside as a large bread board laying on top of a stainless steel cart. The topside has the original finish which I didn’t want to disturb, so I flipped the board over, sanded the underside and keep it oiled it with mineral oil. I agree, mineral oil can be aggravating to use but for what I am using the board for it is my best choice.
Thank for the info about Waterlox. You have done your research. I am glad to know about Waterlox.
Your table and butcher block bread board sound beautifully done! I have a butcher block cutting board too and mineral oil works great for that. It’s just the countertop area that’s difficult in our busy kitchen. Poly is a great choice for a table but I was hesitant to use it for countertops because I don’t think it’s food safe.
we use the mineral oil- it doesn’t bother me at all and even though it is more maintenance, when an issue comes up (watermark, or food stain) i can fix it easily and i like that aspect. 🙂
Good to know! I have IKEA butcher block counters in my kitchen for 5 years and they are holding up well! I have used mineral oil, but not like I am should. I am lucky if it gets done once a year … I, like you, like the mineral oiled look better than the Waterlox.
Totally agree about the look Stephanie – I like the more natural look of mineral oil but it just didn’t end up being a practical solution for our family. Maybe once the kids are out of the house?? 🙂
hi stephanie, i am getting butcher block from ikea or meandrous for my kitchen and want to use mineral oil as well but want the countertops to be a nice deep oak, but i heard ikea birch is better than oak and also heard not to stain. what kind of wood do you have and are you still happy? if birch, has it darkened? feel free to send a photo, thank in advance!
linda
Most IKEA BB counters are laminated and not solid. Using an oil over time may swell the substrate of particle board. There are some decent solid wood countertops through Lumber Liquidators that are solid wood and will do much better over time. With IKEA you only have about 1/4 inch of actual wood.
That’s true for some of IKEA’s countertops but they also have some options that are solid wood butcher block.
I’ve read that oak is not good for cutting boards or countertops as it has very large pores – the kind that bacteria lurk in. Wood with tighter-pores is preferred (e.g. cherry, maple, beech, etc.). Plus, my now-retired local woodworker says that oak is sensitive to humidity changes and sometimes pulls away from the glue leaving gaps….another cozy harbor for bacteria. (My OAK end-cut butcher block cutting board is sad proof of this, while my larger non-oak end-cut is still pristine after 40 years!)
That’s why you seal it!
I’m glad the mineral oil works for you – I really, really wanted it to work for us because I love the mineral oil finish (and you’re so right about the ease of any “repairs”) but it just didn’t. You must keep a much less messy kitchen than I do 🙂
Kris,
I am debating about what type of counter top to install when I makeover my kitchen. I am on a limited budget so granite is out. I love the look of soapstone but that is also expensive. I was wondering about butcher block counter tops and could they be stained a dark walnut color and covered with poly? That way I would have my dark counter tops without the expense and the monthly work. What do you think? Thanks in advance.
I think that would look beautiful Debbie! I would just make sure that you use a wood conditioner first so that the stain isn’t splotchy (I learned that the hard way). As far as the finish, I think the issue with using poly on countertops is that it’s not considered to be food-safe like mineral oil and Waterlox are.
can you use waterlox on top of other stains to get a more desired color?
Unfortunately, I’m not sure of the answer to that. If you give Waterlox customer service a call, I’m sure they can answer your question – I had a few before I used the product and they were super helpful!
Good tip! I love the look of butcher block and hope to have it somewhere in our kitchen someday. 🙂
I was so excited to find your article as we are just buying our wood countertops, but I’m wondering how stain fits into this process for those of us who don’t want the natural wood look. Also, you didn’t mention where you bought the Waterlok. I can’t find it locally.
Hi Martha, I’ve seen butcher block countertops stained and they can look very pretty. They just need to be sanded and have a wood conditioner applied first. As far as where to buy the Waterlox, you can buy it directly from their online site or you can search for a local store on their site. I found mine that way at a local woodworking shop.
Oops just realized I misspelled Waterlox on the previous email.
Great post Kris! I love real life comparisons and what works for others. The Waterlox is clearly the way to go for any counters that are going to get used. Filing this away for future reference! Thank you!
I have a feeling that when you get rid of your baloney countertops, you’re going to treat yourself to the good stuff (marble, granite, soapstone, etc.)!
That looks so good…my daughter has wood counter tops…I will pass this on to her…
Hi Kris,
This is exactly what we’re hoping to do! Thanks for the tips. Did you get the IKEA Oak or Beech countertop? We too are looking for a lighter appearance…lighter even than the mineral oil. I’ve seen people use white stains on other furniture, but can you put a stain down under the waterlox?
Thanks,
Emily
I really like the color of your counter tops. Are they maple?
Thanks so much Macie! Our countertops are beech butcher block from IKEA. Have a good night!
Hi Kris! I just emailed you about being featured on Remodelaholic, but since my emails sometimes get caught in spam filters, I wanted to leave you a comment as well. Drop me a line at hello@remodelaholic.com please! Thanks!
just a quick question for you; did you end up sanding your blocks?
Are you wondering if I sanded before applying the Waterlox? If so, the answer is yes! If you are asking something else – leave me another note 🙂
Just wondering where do you buy “waterlox”?
If you go on Waterlox’s online site, you can search for a store near you that sells it – several of our local hardware stores and a woodworking store do.
I have had ikea butcher block counters for over a year now and I treat them only with mineral water. One thing that bothers me about my counters (besides the oil stains!) is they are a little rough to the touch. If that was your experience, did you notice that the Waterlox made the surface smoother to the touch?
*oops, I’ve been treating them with mineral OIL, not water.
Hi Rose, yes our Waterloxed butcher block is pretty smooth – definitely smoother than when we were using mineral oil. The only negative of the Waterlox is that it casts an slight orange hue to the butcher block – I like the look of the mineral oiled butcher block better. Wish I could have the best of both worlds!
Did you use a wood conditioner before applying Waterloo?
No I just sanded and then cleaned off any remaining residue with mineral spirits per the Waterlox instructions!
How has this held up over time?
It has! My countertops look exactly the same as the day that I sealed them!
Can I use waterlox after I have used mineral oil for over a year?
Hi Peter – I would call Customer Service for Waterlox and ask that – you can find their contact info online. They were very helpful when I called with questions!
Hi! I’m am wondering if you can tell me what type of wood your countertop is.
Thank you! 🙂 Shelley
Mine are IKEA’s NUMERAR which I don’t think they have anymore – they are Beech!
Just ordered birch butcher block counters from lowes. Unfinished. Have 2 very messy teens that leave standing water near sink all the time. Which is better to use. Waterlox or the Howards butcher block conditioner (which I already ordered)
Carol I’ve never used the Howard’s conditioner but after just a quick look at it, it looks like it might just be a conditioner and not a sealer? If true Waterlox would be the better choice for standing up to water.
What did you have to do to your already oiled countertops before applying waterlox? We’re in the same boat, tried the mineral oil for a few months and it’s not working
If you go to Waterlox’s website, they have specific instructions on what to do with butcher block that has previously been oiled. It’s been a while so I can’t remember the specifics but I believe you had to wait 30-60 days since the last oiling and then do some light sanding and wiping with mineral spirits.
I am having the same problem with our new butcher block island countertop. All my papers get oily! It’s driving me crazy and I’m ready to try something different. I am curious, how has the Waterlox seal help up over the past couple of years?
Hi Karen,
The Waterlox has held up beautifully! The only negative I’ve seen to it is what I mentioned in my post about it creating a more yellowy tint than when it’s just oiled. Otherwise, it’s been great!
Hi,
I’m looking at sealing a small butcher block rolling island and this sounds like a great solution. I was just wondering, what type of brush did you use to apply the Waterlox? With 3-5 coats recommended, wasn’t sure if it would be easy to clean a regular brush between coats or if a foam brush would be better.
Thanks!
Hi Jessie,
Waterlox recommends using a natural bristle paint brush!
We have 4 high end rentals where I installed butcherblock counters in all the kitchens. (Yes, I’m brave!). I purchased the butcherblock from Lumber Liquidaters. I went ahead with a mineral oil finish but as expected, I’ve not been thrilled with how they’ve held up. I’m going to try the Waterlox.
I love butcher block countertops! Let us know how the Waterlox does for you!
Hi! I’ve been treating my butcher block countertops with mineral oil but would like to seal it so I don’t have to worry so much about water spots, etc.
Can you put the waterlox directly over mineral oil treated butcher block or does it need to be sanded first?
Thanks!
If you go to Waterlox’s website, they have specific instructions on what to do with butcher block that has previously been oiled. It’s been a while so I can’t remember the specifics but I believe you had to wait 30-60 days since the last oiling and then do some light sanding and wiping with mineral spirits. Their customer service was really amazing when I called so don’t hesitate to contact them if you can’t find those instructions on their site!
Okay, so question for ya’: After you Waterlox the countertops a few times, do you have to do it regularly/on a monthly basis? You said, “no more monthly maintenance,” but every other blog I’ve read said you can’t get around monthly maintenance. I want to install over 18 feet of butcherblock in my kitchen (so much countertop space!!! Ahhh!) and after reading all these posts about having to oil it down monthly and sand it too, it scares me! Would love to hear your thoughts.
No there is no monthly maintenance with Waterlox – as the surface ages you might want to clean, sand, and re-coat but that’s definitely not needed monthly. I’ve had my Waterloxed countertops in place for years and have not yet needed to re-coat them. However if you use mineral oil instead, then yes you will have monthly maintenance. Hope that helps!
Thanks for that info. The pic comparing Mineral Oil to Waterlox / Tung Oil is very useful. I’m just going to throw this out there for others who are looking for low maintenance alternatives to the oils and others who expect a lot of water / coffee spills – Polyurethane IS an option! For those who plan to use their countertop for food prep, cutting, I’d probably advise against it. Polyurethane is essentially a plastic. So you wouldn’t want to cut on it. While I’m crazy anal about minimizing plastics in my kitchen (no plastics in microwave or dishwasher), I’ll admit I bag my greens in plastic to come home from the store. And I rarely ever put my food directly on my countertops so I don’t see the a major issue here. In my case, I’m building a Kitchenette to be used in my guest house as a Coffee Bar primarily. I KNOW coffee will be spilled regularly on the countertop as I’m going to have a manual espresso machine on it. So, I opted for 1 coat of Clear Shellac to provide an initial seal and raise the grain. Then I sanded smooth and put 3 coats of Satin Poly on it. Looks beautiful, retains the original color. I’ve done the same on a wood countertop in my bathroom 2 years ago and it has held up to regular water spillage. Again, I wouldn’t recommend this for constant direct food contact but I think it is more than acceptable for the small amounts of contact you get daily (e.g. putting your mixing spoons down, etc.). But that’s just my opinion. Honestly, if I was putting the butcher block in my kitchen, I’d probably go with the Waterlox so I could easily repair minor damage, etc. I just wanted to throw this out there as I couldn’t find many comments about using Poly.
That’s a great point! I’m thinking about using butcher block in my laundry room and will likely use poly on that since I’m not worried about food safety.
My new IKEA kitchen installation was completed yesterday including the oak countertop. My friend suggested Waterlox as she uses it on her cherry wood countertops and it works well.
I am wondering if you recall what grit sandpaper you used. Currently the finish feels a bit rough. I had planned to use my orbital sander with a finer grit sandpaper before applying the Waterlox.
Also since it’s been three years since your original post how long does the Waterlox finish last?
I appreciate your blog with such great details. Thank you.
The Waterlox has held up really well for me! This page has all of the details of how to apply it, including sanding details: https://waterlox.com/project-help/guide?id=8abadfea-3ef1-446a-8d80-33992c09f550
Did you use the mineral oil for a while, then sand the counters and then apply the waterlox?
We just had ours installed and have done a week of mineral oil but wonder if waterlox is the way to go for water protection, didn’t know if we needed to sand the tops again?
Yes, I followed the prep instructions from the manufacturer – you can find them here (look under “Previously Finished Wood Application”): https://waterlox.com/project-help/guide?id=8abadfea-3ef1-446a-8d80-33992c09f550
I just installed butcher block in my kitchen yesterday. Do you think I should oil them a few times before I use the Waterlox?
No, if you’re going to use the Waterlox I wouldn’t oil it first!
Good info, thank you! So there is no problem using the Waterlox over a mineral oiled butcher block countertop?
Thanks for taking the time to post about this – we are getting ready to install butcher block counters and have been undecided about the finish. Your experience has moved me over to the non-oil side!
Can I stain first? I want it to match some of the other wood finishes that I have in my house. This is my first time using butchers block and didnt realize the maintenance. Would your solution still be best in my case where we installed it into our laundry room? I want it protected but stained. Thoughts? Thanks in advance.