Countertops Part I - The Dude Abides

A couple weeks ago, Curt found a guy selling used wooden bowling lanes on craigslist. Now, we had already agreed on a different countertop, but after seeing these bowling lanes, I immediately wanted to buy all four of the lanes this guy had at $400 apiece and do our entire kitchen. After seeing them in person, I was even more convinced, especially the one that had been sanded and lacquered. I was not happy that Curt didn't love them as much as I did. Bowling lanes are so freaking cool, and even in a few of my favorite restaurants in Denver. Lanes in bigger cities can go for much higher than this guy was charging and I knew it was a steal, not to mention cheaper than any other countertop option we looked at. And green! Recycled! When sanded down, they look a lot like butcher block (these lanes don't have the markers, which I preferred). And in person, the sanded lane looked a lot like the exposed wooden beam running through our kitchen. I thought they would be the perfect contrast to everything else in the kitchen that would be new and modern. Curt was not convinced, but we mulled it over and after a week, came to a compromise: we would buy a single lane and use half for the island (we'd already planned on using butcherblock there anyway) and half on the part of the counter that forms the peninsula dividing the kitchen from the dining area. Back we went to meet this guy and pick up our lane.


Curt and I have encountered plenty of interesting, unique and downright bizarre people during this year-plus-long house project. That's to be expected when buying things used, discounted, online or otherwise a little out of the ordinary. So far, I can easily say Tom has taken the cake. He was, however, extremely cool. He lives in the building situated right next to the yards for the annual Denver Stock Show. Inside the building, it looked like an episode of Hoarders, but even weirder. After we looked at his sanded lane inside, he walked us outside and around the building where he had piles and piles of wood, scrap metal, carts, kitchen equipment, old cars, school buses and other oddities. While we were eyeing everything, he told us how he came to live in the building and how he wants to start a commune. Tom told us he's having a party this summer to showcase his wife's art so I hope we get to go back. I'm interested in more of his treasures.


He and Curt uncovered one of his bowling lanes and Curt used a saw to cut it in half so we could get it home (they came 22 feet long and 42 inches wide). Tom used his forklift to haul both halves onto our trailer and home with us they went. They made it up to Breck, but they were too heavy for Curt and another guy to carry up our stairs. Curt put one across some sawhorses and on Sunday I painted a chemical solvent on them to remove some of the glue that was used to hold down the durable surface on top of the lane that Curt peeled off. They've also been sanded now and you can see how much they look like beautiful butcherblock. I'm beyond excited to put them in. This weekend, Curt is going to load it back on the trailer and drive it out of the garage, around the back of the house and up an incline so they can walk it through the back patio doors and into the kitchen. 

Makeshift firepits

This is with the outer plastic layer peeled off - the white stuff is glue

A lot less glue after slathering it with an adhesive remover

After sanding, no glue! So pretty. We have to cut a bit of length off so we will remove that damaged portion in the lower right corner.