Small crack in your wooden cutting board: repair or replace?
A small crack on the surface is no reason to throw out your wooden cutting board: oil the board regularly and keep it dry, and it usually does not get any bigger. If the crack runs right through the board or moisture stays in it, you are better off replacing it. You can no longer get a crack like that properly clean.
Wood is alive. It expands when it takes up moisture and shrinks when it dries. If that happens too quickly or too unevenly, tension builds up and the wood can crack. Not every crack is equally serious. The difference is in the depth.
What makes a wooden board crack?
- The dishwasher. Heat and a long time spent wet dry out the wood.
- Leaving it to soak. The wood soaks up water and then shrinks again.
- Heat close by. Next to the cooker, on the radiator or in full sun, a board dries too quickly.
- Too little oil. Dry wood is stiff and copes badly with tension.
Which crack do you have?
| What you see | What you do |
|---|---|
| Fine hairline crack on the surface, you can hardly feel it | Oil regularly and keep dry |
| Small crack in the end grain that does not run any further | Oil all sides and keep an eye on it |
| Crack that you can see on the top and the underside | Replace |
| Crack that water stays in or that turns dark | Replace |
Looking after a small crack
- Clean the board and let it dry completely, upright.
- Sand the surface lightly if it feels rough around the crack. Use fine sandpaper, 180 or 240 grit, along the grain. Remove the dust from the board.
- Oil the board generously, including the edges and the underside. Rub the care oil well over the crack with a cloth.
- Leave it to soak in for 4 hours and wipe off whatever is still on the surface.
- Keep up the rhythm: twice a month, or a little sooner if the wood turns dull.
If you want to seal the surface further, apply beeswax after the oil. It stays on the wood and keeps moisture out. You can read more about restoring in Sanding and restoring a wooden cutting board.
When to replace?
A crack that runs right through the board gets wet every time you wash it and dries badly on the inside. Food scraps and moisture stay behind in it. You cannot reach that with a brush and oil does not solve it. Replace the board in that case. You will find a new solid beech board among the boards.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still cut on a board with a hairline crack?
Yes, as long as the crack is shallow and the board dries quickly after washing. Wash it, dry it and stand it upright.
Does oil close up a small crack?
Not always. Oil keeps the wood supple and stops it from drying out further. The aim is that the crack does not get any bigger.
How do I stop my board from cracking?
Wash by hand, dry straight away, let it dry upright and oil twice a month. The whole rhythm is explained in Caring for a wooden cutting board.
My board is warped as well. Do the two go together?
Often they do. Warping and cracking both come from uneven drying. What to do about a slight warp is explained in Warped wooden cutting board.
