Hey Junita! I’ll just answer your questions here in case anyone else is wondering the same thing 🙂
Like you, I really considered all our counter top opinions. I had originally thought I wanted marble but after researching a lot about colonial homes I decided to stick with butcher block which is true to the colonial style and it does not have to be babied as much as marble. I also spoke with a couple people who have had butcher block counters for years. We decided to try the butcher block on our island first and see how it went before doing the entire kitchen. I searched and searched on how to seal it so that it would last. Just about every thing I read said that Waterlox was the way to go. It’s the most heavy duty and does not have to be reapplied every 6 months-a year like the oil does. It’s not sold in most home improvement stores. I ordered mine on Amazon. It’s a little pricey but it’s great stuff! I applied four coats of the Waterlox like recommended by the manufacture and so far so good! I even left an instant popsicle maker out on the island to de-thaw and completely forgot about it. It sat there for three days with a huge water puddle under it… I was certain it was going to mess the counter top up but it was perfectly fine! No stains, bubbling, nothing! I don’t set hot pans directly onto the counter top. I always use a trivet but I also did that with the laminate counter tops that used to be there as well. I have not had any staining and I do try to keep any water puddles wiped up. We dry pots and pans on a towel by the sink weekly and it hasn’t been a problem at all. I’ve had only a good experience. I just clean them with a damp, soapy rag and make sure there is not a lot of standing water on them anywhere. I know if they do stain they can be sanded and resealed. I don’t see us needed to reseal them anytime soon. The people that I know that have used Waterlox have not needed to reseal their counter tops or for at least a few years. I hope this helps. Let me know if you have anymore questions. 🙂