Is recycled timber a good alternative to engineered stone benchtops?

If you’re at all involved or interested in the renovation, construction, or building space, you’ll know everyone’s been talking about engineered stone lately, or at least about what to use instead. If you hadn’t heard, it’s because as of July 2024, engineered stone has been banned in Australia (the first country in the world to do so). While this is a good decision – the use of engineered stone has been directly linked to an increase in silicosis diagnoses in related industries – it has left a hole in the toolbox of today’s builders and renovators.

There are still a range of budget synthetic products on the market, however there are a range of environmental and sustainability issues with their construction and use, and natural stone is still a popular option, but remains out of the budget of most of us. There is another option however: the inviting and warm feeling of a locally and sustainably-made recycled Australian hardwood countertop.

There are a range of benefits to choosing a recycled hardwood benchtop, including:

Hardwood benchtops are really durable, especially when made from the dense and long-lasting hardwood timbers that are found on this continent. Our benchtops are made from a range of reclaimed Eucalyptus species which have already stood strong for decades and will last for many more decades yet.
Nothing beats the look of a timber benchtop! We group our Aussie hardwoods by colour so you can figure out the tones that will bring out the best in your kitchen, bathhroom, or any other room. If you’re not sure what will look best, you can visit us in store to see timber’s astounding natural range of colours.
Our linseed-oil finish is not only long-wearing, but easy to reapply when your bench starts to look a little too loved! Just apply another coat or two of a linseed-based oil or other drying oil and wipe off any excess after 10 minutes and you’ll have breathed fresh life into your bench – no sanding or harsh chemicals required.
While Australian hardwood is dense, it can still be much lighter than engineered surfaces or natural stone – if weight or access is an issue, a timber benchtop can be a way to save your back as well as your budget.
A timber bench is easy to install, and can be done by independent builders or DIY renovators with easily available tools.
And last but certainly not least, recycled timber benchtops are good for both the planet and your wallet.

We may sound quite enthusiastic about it, but we started this business because we couldn’t get enough of timber surfaces and wanted to share them with the world. All our benchtops are made from 100% reclaimed wood, which would have otherwise ended up in landfill, and are made to your design and specifications. The gallery below has some photos of our previous work, and shows the range of colours that are available.