Using of teak as counter tops is becoming increasingly popular.  Designers and homeowners love its hardwood attributes, rich red-brown grains, and resistance to water and moisture.

This blog post shares some of our advice and steps to help you create your own custom teak countertop.

Purchasing and Selecting Teak Raw Material

Most teak comes from sustainable plantations in its indigenous country of Indonesia. There are also new plantations in the Caribbean, Central, and South America. Speciality hardwood and finishing suppliers in Vancouver, BC that we recommend include: Van Urban Timber, Formations, and Upper Canada Forest Products.  Typically, they import skids of rough sawn teak and offer individual boards for sale that you can hand pick.

The cost of the raw wood is greater than comparable options such as birch and oak. Based on our experience, common price for raw teak boards has been approximately  $30 per board per foot based on a 1-1-2” thick board, typically 8”-12” wide and up to 12 feet long.

Milling and Sanding the Teak Boards

Precision milling, planning, and sanding of the teak boards is critical to get the finished grains to resonate on the surface of the counter top.

Joining the Teak Boards

We suggest biscuit joined and glued as your method to join boards.  This will allow you to join boards together without scores or splicing them.

Treatment of the Teak Counter Top

For indoor use, teak will not need continuous sanding or oil treatment. The best oil from our experience has been Penofin Rosewood Oil. The oil should be brushed on.  Then remove any remaining residue by wiping off or rubbing into the counter top with a cloth prior to installation.

A custom teak counter top is not an easy task to perfect, however, it is not impossible either. If you have any experiences in working with teak or questions on how to design or build your own teak counter top feel free to leave a comment for us.