When installing a wood Butcherblock top to the top of a kitchen island what is the best way to secure it to the cabinets.
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Allow expansion in the width of the top from the middle out to the edges. Bore a clearance hole through the carcase top at the middle point of your soild timber counter, and screw in. At the outer edges of the 'butcher block' (it's a misnomer hence the '--') width, make the clearance hole a slot allowing the top to expand and contract. I like to use round head screws and a fender washer for this purpose if possible-- this spreads the load, and lets the top move. Use screws about every 8- 12" of your 'butcher blocks' width, and place them every foot to 18" in the length. Basically a grid pattern.
You might also use proprietary expansion plates at the outer edges of the 'butcher block' if your cabinet construction includes rails in preference to a single piece top.
For maple, assuming it's maple, allow about 3/16" per foot width for expansion and contraction. That's 3/32" in either direction. Don't trust my fractions, I'm all metric and the figure I use is ~4.5 mm per 300 mm width overall, with ~2.25 mm being half. Slainte.
Edited 12/18/2002 9:06:23 PM ET by Sgian Dubh