Grothouse offers a wide variety of additional options that allow you to make your wood countertop both unique and functional. From integrated drainboards to a distressed, old-world look, we can configure your top in whatever configuration best suits your needs.
Sinks, Stoves and Faucets
At Grothouse we can produce cutouts for stoves, sinks and faucets of all shapes and sizes. The inside rim of undermount sink cutouts can include any desired edge profile. To produce the most accurate cutout, all undermount sink cutouts require the manufacturer’s template that came packaged with the sink. If the sink is custom made or arrived without a template, the sink will be required to produce the cutout. Faucet cut outs are relieved to permit standard plumbing regardless of the thickness of the counter. Drop-in stove cut outs, overmount sink cut outs, and faucet holes can be accomplished with client supplied dimensional drawings.
Drainboards
Drainboards are the perfect accompaniment to your undermount or apron sink. At Grothouse our drain boards are not only routed, but also sloped to make sure that all water drains directly into the sink area. Drain boards can be located on one side of the sink or both sides. This option requires our Durata® permanent finish in order for your top to be covered under our lifetime warranty.
Trivets
Our integrated trivets are the perfect solution to keep your top safe from hot pots and pans. Each set is composed of several routed channels that hold multiple stainless steel cooling rods. Each stainless steel rod is removable for easy cleaning. The final trivet covers an area that is approximately 13" x 13". Additional sets can be added to cover a larger area.
Mitered Corners and Flush Joints
Portable on-site equipment cannot be calibrated to match the accuracy and craftsmanship of joints created by Grothouse. All joints and mitered corners can be crafted so your counter arrives ready to install. The joints arrive with hardware routed underneath the counter. The hardware permits easy adjustment on site to ensure a perfect fit.
Juice Grooves
Juice grooves can be placed in any configuration on your piece. The grooves can be designed in a variety of shapes, as a border around the entire block, or within select areas of a large block. The grooves are approximately 3/8″ deep unless specified otherwise. Combining juice grooves with an ornate edge treatment can create an incredibly dramatic effect.
Expanded Corners
Expanded corners are a feature typically found on island tops of the most discriminating homes. Grothouse crafts this complex feature with continuous edge profiles that run seamlessly throughout the entire perimeter. This feature can only be accomplish at the hands of the most skilled craftsmen. The result is an impressive architectural detail that brings an air of elegance to your custom-designed wood countertop.
Breadboard Ends
Broadboard Ends are an elegant way to finish either end of an island or tabletop. With this option, the ends of the wood top are applied with grain running perpendicular to the rest of the surface. These are adhered with a sliding dovetail joint to accommodate ongoing expansion and contraction of the wood. These can be placed on either flat grain or edge grain construction styles.
Arcs and Curves
Arcs and curves add a distinctive functional design to wood countertops. Curves and arcs can be shaped to any desired size. Roman arcs add an additional design element by reducing the arc length to create a shorter curve as shown in the photos on the left. An ornate edge profile combined with a Roman arc is visually dramatic, as shown in the photographs on the left below. Inverted arcs on corners are another unique tasteful design option. Round pieces can be manufactured to any diameter circle you desire.
Distressing / Aging
For those trying to achieve a worn, old-world feel to their top, Grothouse offers distressing in several different levels. This deliberate process is artfully executed to mimic the wear that naturally occurs on older chopping blocks and wood surfaces. Glaze and stain can be added to accentuate the distressing.
Grothouse offers five standard levels of distressing:
- Level 1: Lightly worn corners and edges; light dings
- Level 2: Moderate worn corners and edges; moderate dings and light drag marks
- Level 3: Heavily worn corners and edges; numerous dings; spotty worm holes and moderate drag marks
- Level 4: Very heavily and unevenly worn corners and edges; plentiful dings; clusters of worm holes; plentiful drag marks and termite tracks
- Super Distressed: Very heavily and very unevenly worn corners and edges; plentiful dings and notch marks; clusters of worm holes; plentiful scratches and drag marks; waffle hammer dings and circular dings; heavy edge nicks; termite tracks.
To achieve the correct level of distressing, Grothouse will require approval of a distressed sample prior to production.
Grothouse offers a one hour NKBA CEU certified course entitled “Intro to Wood Countertops”.
