I am currently renting a house which has wooden kitchen sides, these sides however has one split due to water damage. Is this due to insufficent sealing?

Solid wood worktops/end panels require 3-4 coats of oil prior to installation and will need care and maintenance every year or so. Solid wood worktops are also very susceptible to moisture, once water is allowed to come into contact with the wood for an extended period of time then you will see splitting. To answer your question one would need to know the time scales involved, from installation date, water damage (start and end dates) and when splitting first occurred. I hope this helps, Regards, Oliver Guest Joinery

Do you mean solid wood worktops ? Solid wood worktops are something that require a lot of maintenance depending on the use of the kitchen. Dry patches appear in the oil where they are used the most so they need re-sealing every few months in the first year or so. The humidity in a kitchen can be all over the place too, couple that with spillages and water from the sink etc..... unsealed wooden tops wouldnt fair well. Is the split over an appliance ? Maybe a boiler or dishwasher ? Something that gets warm ? Regards, Steve. Benahn Installations.