Picked a butcher block top over a laminate desk last month

I was torn between a solid wood butcher block countertop and a cheap laminate desk from a big box store. The butcher block cost me $85 at a local lumber yard, but I had to sand and stain it myself over a weekend. The laminate was $60 and ready to go, but it felt flimsy when I tested it in the store. I went with the butcher block and now I have a sturdy desk that can handle my monitor arm and heavy gear without sagging. Has anyone else tried an unfinished countertop for a desk build?

3 comments

3 Comments

abby18926d ago

My buddy tried this exact same thing last year. He grabbed a maple butcher block from a local place for like 90 bucks and spent the whole weekend sanding and staining it in his garage. He screwed some basic IKEA legs on and now his setup is solid as a rock, no wobble or sag even with his two huge monitors on an arm. The laminate desks at the store felt like they'd snap in half if he sneezed on them, so he's super glad he went with the wood. Only pain was getting the stain just right, he had to redo a section because he was impatient with the coats.

aaron70826d ago

Wait, he only paid 90 bucks for a maple butcher block? Around here even the cheap pine ones are like twice that much, dude must have found a killer deal or something. And two huge monitors on an arm with no wobble? That's exactly what I'm afraid of with those flimsy laminate tops, they always seem to flex when you bump into them. Your buddy's setup sounds way sturdier than anything you'd buy at the store, even with all that sanding hassle.

karen_hart25d ago

People get way too worked up about a tiny wobble. It's just a desk.