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Products / Table tops and countertops

Custom Wood Table Tops and Countertops Built to Size

Edge-glued, butcher block, solid slab and veneered tops for tables, kitchens and retail counters. Send size, thickness, species, edge profile and finish for each top.

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Wood countertops in a kitchen with a farmhouse sink

Table tops and countertops are the largest single wood surfaces most brands buy, and the ones customers look at and touch every day. Orders range from dining, coffee and desk tops for furniture brands to kitchen countertops, island tops and bar tops for retailers and kitchen companies, plus counters for retail fit-out.

The construction decides most of the price and most of the risk. An edge-glued top made from narrow staves stays flatter than a wide solid slab. A butcher block top is thicker and heavier and ships in a different way. A veneered top on an MDF or plywood core is the flattest and lightest but cannot be sanded deep. Decide the construction first, then the species, grade and finish.

What this covers

  • Dining, coffee and side table tops
  • Desk and workstation tops
  • Edge grain and end grain butcher block countertops
  • Kitchen island tops and bar tops
  • Retail and hospitality counters
  • Solid slab and live edge tops
  • Veneered tops on MDF or plywood cores
Table tops and countertopsAt a glance
Species
White oak, Black walnut, Hard maple, Rubberwood, Acacia, Ash, Cherry, Teak, Plywood, MDF
Processes
Kiln drying, Rough milling, Finger jointing and edge gluing, Planing and moulding, CNC routing, Veneering and pressing, Sanding and finishing, Inspection and packing
Order size
From a sample run of a few sizes for a new range to repeat containers of standard sizes for retailers and kitchen brands. Many plants set a minimum per size and species, and mixed containers of several sizes are common.
Rules
  • TSCA Title VI for veneered tops with MDF, plywood or particleboard cores sold in the US
  • Food contact rules for finishes on surfaces used to prepare food: FDA food contact regulations in the US, Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 in the EU. Confirm which apply and ask for test reports on the finish.
  • California Proposition 65 warnings for products sold in California, since wood dust and some finish ingredients are listed
  • EUDR due diligence for wood placed on the EU market

Table tops and countertops by product line

Each line has its own page with typical specs, species, construction options and the RFQ checklist factories quote from.

Desk tops

Desk tops for standing desk frames, fixed desks and office furniture in edge-glued solid wood or veneered cores, sized, drilled for your frame and packed for parcel or pallet.

How it is built

  • Edge-glued topsNarrow staves glued side by side. Full length staves look cleaner. Finger-jointed staves cost less and show short joints across the face.
  • Edge grain butcher blockStaves turned on edge so the narrow face forms the top. Thick, stiff and common for kitchen countertops.
  • End grain butcher blockShort blocks glued with the end grain up. Hard on knives, slow to make and more prone to checking if the wood is too wet.
  • Solid slabOne or two wide boards, often with a live edge. Moves the most with humidity and needs a base that allows movement.
  • Veneered on a panel coreWood veneer pressed on MDF or plywood with a solid edge. Flat and stable, but the face cannot be sanded or refinished deep.

What to send for a quote

  1. Length, width and thickness for each size, with tolerances
  2. Construction (edge-glued, edge grain, end grain, solid slab or veneered) and stave width
  3. Species, grade and whether finger joints, knots or sapwood are allowed on the face
  4. Edge profile, corner radius and any cutouts for sinks, cooktops or cable grommets, with a drawing
  5. Flatness tolerance and target moisture content for the destination
  6. Finish on top, bottom and edges, or unfinished and sanded to which grit
  7. Quantity per size and how the tops should be packed

Where orders go wrong

  • Cupping after deliveryA top dried for a humid climate shrinks and cups in a heated home. Give a target moisture content for the market and finish both faces the same way so they take on moisture evenly.
  • Stave color and grain mismatchStaves glued without sorting give a striped top. Ask for color sorting and a reference sample that sets the allowed range.
  • No flatness toleranceWithout a number, a plant and a buyer will disagree on what flat means. State the maximum gap under a straightedge across the width and along the length.
  • Finish not suited to kitchensA furniture lacquer can fail at a sink edge or be unsuitable for food prep. Say how the top will be used and ask what the finish is tested for.
Send an RFQ for table tops and countertops

Questions about table tops and countertops

Related guides:

How thick should a custom wood table top be?

It depends on the span, the base and the look. Typical solid tops for dining and desk use run from about 25 to 40 mm, and kitchen countertops are often thicker. A thin top on a wide span can sag or cup, so send the base drawing and let the factories confirm the thickness.

What drives the price of a custom table top?

Species and grade, stave length and width, thickness and finish set most of the price. Full length staves cost more than finger-jointed ones, and wide staves need more select lumber. Cutouts, edge profiles, color sorting and finishing both faces all add labor.

Should I buy tops finished or unfinished?

Factory finishing gives a more even result and protects the top in transit, but you need to approve a finish sample and know what the finish is tested for. Unfinished tops cost less and let you match your own finish line. If you finish them yourself, ask for both faces sanded to the same grit and a sealer on the end grain.

How are large wood tops packed for export?

Tops should travel flat, fully supported and wrapped so they take on moisture slowly, with protection on corners and edges. Ask how many tops go in one carton or crate, how they are separated and whether straps can mark the face. Photos of a packed sample before loading catch most problems.

Other product types

One RFQ, up to 3 factories that make table tops and countertops

Free for buyers. We reply within 24 business hours with matched factories or a clear no.

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