Wood panel quality

The choice of material depends on use and requirements: wood looks warm and homely, teak in particular is moisture-resistant and can be easily retreated if damaged. Stone worktops are very resistant to scratches, heat and moisture, but require care to prevent stains and can appear dominant in small kitchens. Plastic worktops are inexpensive and easy to clean, but are sensitive to heat and moisture and are difficult to repair if damaged.

Solid wood panels consist entirely of wooden lamellas, are very stable, can be easily cut to size and can be reworked if damaged. Chipboard is made from pressed wood chips with binding agents, is inexpensive, hardly warps at all, but has an artificial appearance and cannot be easily repaired. Plywood panels consist of several layers of veneer glued together, are light and dimensionally stable, but can hardly be sanded due to the thin layers.

Teak is considered the best wood for wooden boards as it is particularly dimensionally stable, durable and resistant to moisture. Other tropical woods such as cumaru, garapa or jatoba also offer high durability, but differ in terms of color, grain and surface feel. Teak also scores points for its low risk of cracking and splintering, but is somewhat more expensive.

“Finger-jointed” means that shorter pieces of wood are cut in a wedge shape and glued together in an interlocking manner. This creates a particularly stable, dimensionally stable joint that reduces warping of the wood and also enables longer boards, while at the same time producing less wood waste.