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For my money, nothing beats the stained concrete tops I've seen.

So over time when the epoxy is scratched/gouged and the lead is exposed - will we be serving lead poisoning for dinner?

I'll stick w/ stainless steel, formica and wood, thanks.

Intentionally putting lead in the kitchen countertops?
Are people really this stupid? or is this for the China market where they put poison and lead and so forth in everything anyway...

I'm with bepsf, I'll stay with UNLEADED.

hey why not asbestos countertops? atleast they wouldn't melt whenever you rested a hot bowl of soup on them.

ditto bepsf...this looks like a bad, bad, bad idea. and maybe it's a beautiful material to look at, but the second image shows how awful the seaming is between pieces. yuck. plus lead is so soft, i have to imagine it's really going to dent and scratch easily, which will wreck that soft, buttery look in short order.

Would these lead countertops pass housing codes? I mean with all the thousands of dollars spent to remove leaded paint from walls, and most people don't eat off their walls...

Hello, this is Corey Springer from Wüd Furniture. To clarify: The epoxy resin that we use in our Pb-R surface is cast between 3/16’’ -1/4’’ thick and encases the lead on all sides. The epoxy resin will outlast all of us and probably even our children. The resin in virtually impenetrable and completely non-porous so there is absolutely no risk of any leakage. The lead that we use is in a solid state and does not pose any danger at all as it is used. There is no way that you can chip, crack or dent the epoxy coating to even come close to the lead. We have been developing this material for over 3 years now and have many clients who have this product in their homes and there has never been any issues. However, I understand that the idea of lead is of concern to people, but if you saw the material in person you would quickly realize that this material is not a threat, but a beautiful addition to the solid surface market! In addition, we use the resin to encase all types of metals and woods, including, stainless steel, zinc, copper, etc.

@ny13 --
So now that Corey has allayed my minimal fears about lead poisoning...

- How does one dispose of this epoxy resin?
- What are the byproducts of manufacturing the epoxy resin that will outlast all of us?
- C'mon, LEAD?

What's the benefit of lead instead of say, encasing bamboo? Maybe you should lead with that. Just sayin'.

For me, the concern is that someday in many years, each and every one one of these countertops will be discarded when something new is installed or a building is demolished. Is there a method for recycling them? What happens if someone tosses them broken into a landfill or unknowingly rips them out during a housing renovation without realizing what they are? I don't doubt that they look wonderful, but this seems like a highly irresponsible material choice. Everything has a finite lifetime - what measures are being taken to ensure that these counters will remain a safe choice from the beginning to the end of their use?

Thanks for clarifying Corey!

This seems like it is a bad bad marketing mistake for Wud.

Bad idea indeed. Epoxy (depending on quality) is also not the nicest material for food contact. Zinc or copper would be infinitely better materials.

ok first of all i know this product very well, so if you dont actually know what you are talking about then you should just bow out from commenting on here..
...to begin with its not going to melt when you rest your hot soup on it as SPT said, thats a hasty comment to make, does the plastic your microwave door window is made of melt when you cook your Ms. Pauls fish sticks init?
...secondly you have to try to scratch it, it doesnt scratch easily, ill bet i would scratch your dining table or your corian counters before you could scratch this epoxy resin..
it is epoxy.. aka hard stuff,
...if you know anything about lead you would know that it is not harmful in an inert state, you would have to ingest it somehow to be harmed and due to the fact that it is completely encased in resin you or your new child couldn't even touch it if you wanted to.
...also take a look at the material safety data sheets on epoxy resin.. http://www.systemthree.com/msds/MSDS_SystemThree_Resin.pdf

you'll notice that it has a rating of 0 reactivity
\a health rating of 2
a fire rating of 1
and a flash point of 300° f
under physical/chemical characteristics it says: v.o.c. none

now thats not to argue that the chemicals used to make it are good for the planet but if you are prepared to stop brushing your teeth with a plastic toothbrush, stop using mass transit or personal,(do you know how many plastic parts are on cars, not to mention the fuels needed to run them, just look at the plum of black smoke when the bus leaves the stop..give up meat because of all the methane the cows produce, and the water that the government subsidizes to the cattle farmers to raise cattle, instead of giving incentives to grow cash crops that could feed the world 3 times over, i could go on, but unless your willing to go all the way don't sit on your laptops (also a huge culprit to landfills and carbon footprint)at starbucks critiquing materials that you think you are experts on , grab your latte and actually do something yourself.

my point with that is that its pretty hypocritical to slam something so blindly when none of us are completely guilt free and this product is leaving a carbon foot print but its gonna last a hell of a lot longer than the 20 laptops that roiughly make up the same surface area that will be sitting in a landfill seeping battery acid into the soil..

so get off your trendy Green high horse and actually start caring about truths and real things,

This countertop thing is getting out of hand. Do we really need to continually create new counter materials?

Sorry, it looks interesting but I'd never do it.

I think this is a cool product - I know that many of my clients would want a surface that looks like metal but won't scratch easily. Plus, you can never have too many options in the design world, clients always want to see new and unique products. I would definitely present this to my clients and let them decide whether they want to use lead or other materials.

I assume this is a publicity stunt and Wüd doesn't seriously expect to sell a lot of these things (with the Pb core). They are most likely correct that the risks are actually minimal to non-existent. But looking at the immediate reaction here, I think it would be hysterical to watch someone try to sell a house with a few dozen sq ft of these countertops. The first mention of 'Pb countertop' would probably eliminate 95% of the buyer pool.

If we shouldn't some in contact with this inner lead, why use it at all. Better safe than sorry. Recycled paper, glass and concrete are all more attractive and eco-friendly.

If Corey or some other knowledgeable person is still there, maybe he could explain what advantages the lead component imparts. Is it ease of fabrication? Cost? Weight? Durability? I'm having a hard time understanding why zinc, cold-rolled steel, nickel alloy, or even anodized aluminum couldn't provide the same grey metal look without arousing inevitable concerns (even if unjustified) about the safety of the lead.

I had the opportunity to purchase some custom furniture from Wud a few years ago when they were first starting out. Having moved since it is still my favorite piece. I went to the Brooklyn Design show and checked out their new stuff and while not everything is my taste there are some beautiful pieces. One of which I would love to own if I could afford it. Furniture can get pretty boring and I see no reason why people should not experiment with different materials. I would want to check it out in person before passing judgment.

Since nearly everything is mimicked in plastic laminate, why not photograph the lead surface and create a faux lead laminate? NOT!

Lead & Food X Common Sense = NO

Don't care WHAT OldRamen1 says....what next?

How about a lovely glowing uranium core....encased in "safe" epoxy of course.

you people (hdtex) dont seem to understand that there is no contact with the lead ever ever ever
and the epoxy & food X common sense equals = no bacteria hiding places and

stay away from the zoo because the tiger behind the glass is dangerous

p.s. i hope you all dont assume that its solid lead under there, its 1/16 thick, wrapped around a board which is why (to answer amed studios question) they cant use nickle or cold rolled steel or the others try to clad it around a board

Oh I am sorry, but epoxy is not as strong as its being made out to be.

The epoxy could not stand up to the sharp point of a knife, the lead would buckle and the epoxy will be damaged.

Yes its a solid piece of lead (wrapped around a slab of wood) however, lead is capable of leaching out (ie, roman aqueducts lined with lead anyone)

No, I'm sorry, it looks pretty and I'm sure the epoxy coating will provide some measure of protection, but my kitchen gets a hard workout, I'd never consider it as a counter top material.

In an ideal world I'm sure it would be safe, where it is babied, but, how many people baby there kitchens and actually like to cook?

How much testing was actually done on the skin sensitivities people might develop from constantly resting their elbows and hands against the epoxy? Or on household cleaners which could contain solvents which would slowly wear the epoxy away, when vinegar itself is a strong enough solvent to clean your tools off after applying it?

I don't appreciate flippant attitudes from people trying to win support for what they know is a perceivably dangerous product which a lot of the time will come into direct contact with people's food and skin. epoxy is a known irritant people develop allergies to and i never would eat off of my windsurfer so why would i want to eat off of this which is basically the same material? -- there's a reason people who work with the material avoid all physical contact and wear respirators the entire time. You don't see them doing that with poured concrete.

as for the microwave... who ever said microwaving was a healthy way to prepare food? or that i even liked using one? ... as a matter of fact i don't trust plastics for anything to do with food anymore. there was just a huge recall for plastic water bottles that were leeching toxins into the water they were MADE to contain. So don't act like we are all being foolish here. you stand to make a lot of money off of this so why would we believe anything you provide? Show me independent proof and evidence that these materials are safe. Don't just act the salesperson. Being one myself, I know all the games.

actually i don't stand to make any money its not my product... i'm just saying know what you are talking about before acting like you do. i'm glad to hear you don't like microwaves either, but that was not the point.. and those people wearing protection to work with epoxy is while its uncurred, also the epoxy resin does its off gasing (leeching as you call it) with in the first 24 hours


im not trying to sell anything here (i have no stake in this company ) i just dont like when people judge something so harshly without actaully seeing the produce in person.. you are going on 3 little pictures... that doesnt give you an understanding what this product really is.. i just think if you saw it you might have a different or at least more informed understanding and opinion

Darwin! Darwin!

I'm with amed --

I don't why you couldn't use zinc for the same look...

My question is still disposal -- what happens when these are in a landfill?

Also, how do the benefits of this product outweigh whatever costs/risks there may be?

What happened to the 30 comments that were here a little while ago?

(Never mind, they're back now. Weird...)

Don't think I'll be using these in my remodel but I really like the inset reveal they've created between the countertops and the cabinets.

I'm planning on pouring my own concrete slabs and might try to incorporate something similar.

I would like to add a few more comments/ facts to this debate. We developed this product originally for use as surfaces on free standing pieces of furniture like coffee tables, media consoles etc…This is our first introduction of it as a countertop. We at Wüd appreciate and respect all the thoughts and concerns voiced in this comments section. There are some facts that need to be clarified to further explain this product.


The reason we began using lead flashing (which is 1/16 inch thick) is b/c of its natural beauty in both color and texture. Secondly, because of its workability. That being said, we have never limited our process to lead and we encase many other materials in the resin such as copper, zinc, steel, wood etc. The idea behind this process is to create a new surface that is heat, stain and scratch resistant while providing clients with a look that they like (most often metal) but without the hassle of maintaining it. Because we encase the whole top with resin through and through, this is a beautiful, durable, and safe product that is completely unique. We do understand people's instinctive apprehension towards lead, even when it is completely encased and impossible to touch, and that is why this was only an introduction to a potential new surface for countertops. We believe that many metals and wood, such as zinc, steel, copper, etc would be just as beautiful encased in resin and not leave people with any concerns for use as a countertop, desk, etc. Therefore, we will absolutely encase those metals in resin for use on surfaces.

From an environmental standpoint, most homes have more lead than would ever be used in these kitchen countertops (and the lead in the homes is certainly not encased in a protective seal). For example, in the bathroom in your apt as a shower pan, or on the roof of your house around your drains, etc. Where does all of that lead go when they tear your house down or demolish your apt building? Most likely to the landfill…That result all depends on the company or person in charge of the demolition of that building. We bring all of our lead cut-offs to the scrap metal yard so it can be recycled and re-used for its everyday product usage. In addition, Wüd does not use any endangered woods for its furniture.


Again, thank you very much for all of your concerns and ideas.

So...there are other lead materials in some older buildings, therefore it is acceptable to produce more? This is an extremely irresponsible argument.
It is ridiculous to throw responsibility on the demolition company or renovators, and expect them to know of the environmental hazard of this item 20-50 years down the road, let alone tackle the cost of recycling such a throughly processed item (in fact, stripping all the epoxy off to get to the lead to recycle it would probably create MORE waste than just throwing the thing in a landfill).
You recycle your lead scaps - which I assumed you did, since you're dealing with uncontaminated lead that is not yet encased in anything. I'm still waiting to hear how a lead countertop encased in epoxy is supposed to be discarded without posing a public health hazard? What do I do if I move into a house that has these and I want to get different countertops?

again the disposal issue is a weak argument, how many lap tops are in landfills now because people just had to have the new ones that are coming out, or cell phones, and what about any other counter top surface that you might throw out, none of it will break down over time.. lead is a natural element and therefore has been in nature long before us however plastic such as the resin has not, but for that matter what are you going to do with corian 20 to 50 years from now, or formica, personally i still have the same formica counter tops that were there since the 70's, i think people should be less prone to replace than use what they have, i think thats the real issue,
and also there is lead in glass, computer monitors batteries that run your lap tops, i have had the same desk top pc for 6 years and it works just fine,
why arent you taking this energy ,that you are putting forth to some very small company that is just a few guys, and aim it at something like McDonalds which is one of the biggest producers of trash in the world not to mention contributing to the dumbing down and fattening up of society.. or any other cause that is so much more threatening, how about the pharmaceutical company's that lobby to get more vaccines and give schools incentives to have more kids diagnosed with ADHD in order to get them on there drugs,

i see a lot of effort to debunk some silly kitchen counter tops (which lets face it aren't going to be in a lot of homes) when this effort could do a lot more elsewhere