Which Kitchen Worktop? Pros and cons?

[glm1977]

untruth said:

Wozy68 said:

I'd agree, I'm not a great lover personally either.

Out of interest, Wozy, what do you recommend usually? I'm having the same thoughts about what to do.

I have had granite, and it was lovely to work on, but I feel like a good laminate is immeasurably cheaper and it isn't ridiculous to replace it once in a while either.

Thought you were quoting Wozy to then take the piss out of his love life.... Sorry long day and juvenile mind.

[RevHappy]

Bluebarge said:

I've also heard that Corian doesn't cope with heat very well - pouring boiling water down a Corian sink is not a good idea, for example.

It's good for about 160, it you worried they do a steel based sinks as well.

[RevHappy]

Ok not the mass market but I'd say near the top the market share is currently 70% made made stone, 30% corian for worktops. Natural stone, wood, steel and glass are generally only used as accent in bars and splash backs.

[Slaav]

untruth said:

Wozy68 said:

I'd agree, I'm not a great lover personally either.

Out of interest, Wozy, what do you recommend usually? I'm having the same thoughts about what to do.

I have had granite, and it was lovely to work on, but I feel like a good laminate is immeasurably cheaper and it isn't ridiculous to replace it once in a while either.

Bearing in mind my post at the start.... Would you mind explaining in idiot language what's so great about laminate?

I was heading down the Granite route and now having very serious doubts looked online and they seem to look good (laminate) but no idea what the feel like etc

Thanks and sorry for requesting the 'Janet and John' info

[untruth]

My experience of decent laminate:

+ Super easy to clean
+ Very very affordable
+ Lightweight, less difficult to deal with

- Not super durable, will get knife marks over time.
- It de...laminates

I think the main bonus is surely that it's cheap enough that it can be replaced multiple times before you reach the equivalent cost of granite. I guess it truly is buy cheap buy twice.

(I still want granite or similar though, it's great).

Example - we have the WORST 90s kitchen that we inherited with our house - everything is falling apart, but the laminate is still in excellent condition.

Edited by untruth on Thursday 28th August 22:32

[vxsmithers]

RevHappy said:

Bluebarge said:

I've also heard that Corian doesn't cope with heat very well - pouring boiling water down a Corian sink is not a good idea, for example.

It's good for about 160, it you worried they do a steel based sinks as well.

We had a corian sink put in at work with a boiling tap next to it. It took one week before the white sink turned brown and scale like due to the hot water being put down it. They cut it out and put a new one in and the same happened again. The cleaner also had nothing better to do than clean it all day resulting in a horrible shiny scratched appearance all over the matt white counter top. In a kitchen that's never used it looks great, not so if you have a cleaning fetish

[RevHappy]

vxsmithers said:

RevHappy said:

Bluebarge said:

I've also heard that Corian doesn't cope with heat very well - pouring boiling water down a Corian sink is not a good idea, for example.

It's good for about 160, it you worried they do a steel based sinks as well.

We had a corian sink put in at work with a boiling tap next to it. It took one week before the white sink turned brown and scale like due to the hot water being put down it. They cut it out and put a new one in and the same happened again. The cleaner also had nothing better to do than clean it all day resulting in a horrible shiny scratched appearance all over the matt white counter top. In a kitchen that's never used it looks great, not so if you have a cleaning fetish

Sorry the 160 is a bit missleading on Hot tap as the drips give a thermal shock to point if used a lot in office situations. Hence they should have spec'd a steel base. The cleaning company should educate its operatives on how to care for it.

[vxsmithers]

RevHappy said:

vxsmithers said:

RevHappy said:

Bluebarge said:

I've also heard that Corian doesn't cope with heat very well - pouring boiling water down a Corian sink is not a good idea, for example.

It's good for about 160, it you worried they do a steel based sinks as well.

We had a corian sink put in at work with a boiling tap next to it. It took one week before the white sink turned brown and scale like due to the hot water being put down it. They cut it out and put a new one in and the same happened again. The cleaner also had nothing better to do than clean it all day resulting in a horrible shiny scratched appearance all over the matt white counter top. In a kitchen that's never used it looks great, not so if you have a cleaning fetish

Sorry the 160 is a bit missleading on Hot tap as the drips give a thermal shock to point if used a lot in office situations. Hence they should have spec'd a steel base. The cleaning company should educate its operatives on how to care for it.

Agreed, but it shows how this type of material can be ruined fairly easily with heavy handed / repetitive or incorrect use that other worktops would not have had issue with.

I also like the look of glass worktops which haven't been mentioned, but they are even more impractical unless you like 'patina' on glass, and mostly not fit for purpose in a used kitchen

[Paul Drawmer]

untruth said:

My experience of decent laminate:

+ Super easy to clean
+ Very very affordable
+ Lightweight, less difficult to deal with

- Not super durable, will get knife marks over time.
- It de...laminates

I think the main bonus is surely that it's cheap enough that it can be replaced multiple times before you reach the equivalent cost of granite. I guess it truly is buy cheap buy twice.

(I still want granite or similar though, it's great).

Example - we have the WORST 90s kitchen that we inherited with our house - everything is falling apart, but the laminate is still in excellent condition.

Edited by untruth on Thursday 28th August 22:32

I've only ever had laminate worktops; but in the 44 years that I've owned houses, I've never put knife marks in laminate. That's probably because I respect my knives too much. I have just installed a new kitchen with Duropal tops. (4m lengths £87.75 +VAT) I decided that it was worth paying a specialist to install them, and the joints are brilliant.

I've never had a laminate worktop delaminate, but then I don't put things out of the oven onto the bare worktop.

We inherited a high gloss laminate in this house. Ended up pretty matt where we kept using it for bread making - the scrubbing up does it in, but no problem on non glossy laminate.

Part of choosing a worktop depends on your preferences for appearance, maintenance, wearability etc. People use kitchens in different ways, and have differing tolerance levels on maintenance requirements.

If you want the show kitchen look and are prepared to spend effort looking after it, then any worktop will look good for years.

Different types of worktop have their strengths and weaknesses - none of them will take all types of abuse.

I can't see the value in the extra costs of granite or its substitutes over laminate, I'd rather spend the money elsewhere.
And much as I like wood, for me it just isn't fit for purpose as a worktop. Far too much effort required.

Good job we don't all like the same thing.

Edited to add.. In our last house we installed a section of tiled worktop (very unfashionable) - but it's a surface that you can put oven hot dishes onto without a problem. The grout still cleaned up Ok after 8 years scrubbing!

Edited by Paul Drawmer on Friday 29th August 07:33

[Neil - YVM]

vxsmithers said:

RevHappy said:

vxsmithers said:

RevHappy said:

Bluebarge said:

I've also heard that Corian doesn't cope with heat very well - pouring boiling water down a Corian sink is not a good idea, for example.

It's good for about 160, it you worried they do a steel based sinks as well.

We had a corian sink put in at work with a boiling tap next to it. It took one week before the white sink turned brown and scale like due to the hot water being put down it. They cut it out and put a new one in and the same happened again. The cleaner also had nothing better to do than clean it all day resulting in a horrible shiny scratched appearance all over the matt white counter top. In a kitchen that's never used it looks great, not so if you have a cleaning fetish

Sorry the 160 is a bit missleading on Hot tap as the drips give a thermal shock to point if used a lot in office situations. Hence they should have spec'd a steel base. The cleaning company should educate its operatives on how to care for it.

Agreed, but it shows how this type of material can be ruined fairly easily with heavy handed / repetitive or incorrect use that other worktops would not have had issue with.

I also like the look of glass worktops which haven't been mentioned, but they are even more impractical unless you like 'patina' on glass, and mostly not fit for purpose in a used kitchen

Corian is finished on site and sanded/polished.
It can be re-sanded to correct the over polished areas, so your worktop isnt permanently ruined.

[Slaav]

Thanks again all.

To aid my search and decision process, I have been giving this all plenty of thought; FFS, I dreamt last night and a scene was in a kitchen!!!

1) I am not a maintenance frisk
2) regular oiling or TLC is unlikely
3) I like to be able to take pots and pans off heat/gas and place directly on work tops for plating up.
4) our house is some way from a show house so imperfections are fine
5) hate to admit it but I want people to like it - I touch and feel work tops....
6) would consider splash backs in same (but thinner obviously) material up to cupboards
7) cost is (within reason) not a major issue as it's a small kitchen so won't be 22m of Worktop
8) although now being completely tanked now, have had historical issues with slight damp at one end of kitchen but this should now be sorted.
9) one wall of kitchen will be bare Cotswold stone - look/texture etc

It is our home but we are not here 7/7 and no kids so won't need to be ultra heavy duty.

Now, what to do ?

[Wacky Racer]

We had a lovely new large kitchen fitted, (£20,000 plus) with all new appliances seven years ago with a fairly dark patterned laminate and it is like the day it was fitted and was ONE EIGHTH the cost of Granite.

Not one knife mark anywhere...obviously you have to use your common sense, use a wooden chopping board, not put Scalding hot pan bottoms on it, but that applies to any worktop really.

I think granite just seems to be the "in" thing, like vinyl roofs were on cars in the seventies.

Why follow the sheep?

Obviously it's your decision, but it's only a worktop after all, money does not grow on trees.....

[Neil - YVM]

From your comments and for a traditional style kitchen Granite is the answer.

And if you want people to comment, go for something slightly out of the normal Blacks. and maybe one with a larger pattern. All down to personal choice, I still think the most popular stones look great, Absolute, Star Galaxy, Impala, etc, but I see them continually, so we choice a very different option, Bordeaux - which is red and very swirly, but accept it may not be everyones choice.

[Paul Drawmer]

Slaav said:

Thanks again all.

To aid my search and decision process, I have been giving this all plenty of thought; FFS, I dreamt last night and a scene was in a kitchen!!!

1) I am not a maintenance frisk
2) regular oiling or TLC is unlikely
3) I like to be able to take pots and pans off heat/gas and place directly on work tops for plating up.
4) our house is some way from a show house so imperfections are fine
5) hate to admit it but I want people to like it - I touch and feel work tops....
6) would consider splash backs in same (but thinner obviously) material up to cupboards
7) cost is (within reason) not a major issue as it's a small kitchen so won't be 22m of Worktop
8) although now being completely tanked now, have had historical issues with slight damp at one end of kitchen but this should now be sorted.
9) one wall of kitchen will be bare Cotswold stone - look/texture etc

It is our home but we are not here 7/7 and no kids so won't need to be ultra heavy duty.

Now, what to do ?

3) Is a problem. Use a pan rest, chopping board or get a tiled worktop!
6) I have Duropal worktops and Duropal splash backs full height up to the wall cabinets above. Their splash backs are 9MM MDF faced both sides. Tricky to fit with cut outs for sockets etc, but gives a really clean finish. I didn't match the worktop, but used a plain white. Covers up all sorts of bad finish underneath! I had blocked up a doorway, and left the plasterboard bare under the splashbacks.

[Wozy68]

glm1977 said:

untruth said:

Wozy68 said:

I'd agree, I'm not a great lover personally either.

Out of interest, Wozy, what do you recommend usually? I'm having the same thoughts about what to do.

I have had granite, and it was lovely to work on, but I feel like a good laminate is immeasurably cheaper and it isn't ridiculous to replace it once in a while either.

Thought you were quoting Wozy to then take the piss out of his love life.... Sorry long day and juvenile mind.

lol. You been talking to my wife?

Back to worktops ....... If you can look after them (ie no or well behaved kids)I like wood. Not cold to the touch, doesn't take a huge amount of looking after after initial few months oiling and it ages well. I'd even put it around a sink, just keep a cloth handy to wipe off excess water each time.
Timbers? Easy choice of two. White Maple or Iroko, IMO easily the best timbers to use.
Use a large chopping board to cut things on and jobs a good un. I'd always oil to finish as well, as you then always sand it back in years to come if needed.
When I say wood tops, I mean long planks jointed in width, not the small block timber ones that you can buy off the shelf.
Proper timber worktops cost, but should be no more than middle of the road granite. 40MM thickness look the bizz.

We never install laminate tops, (people just dont order it) I actually like them though. If its from a decent maker, it should not delaminate and is 'feel' wise a half way house between wood and granite. I wouldnt diimiss it.

Edited by Wozy68 on Friday 29th August 12:54

[paulrockliffe]

Do you recommend full-stave for aesthetic reasons or for another reason?

We've just fitted iroko and went for the short blocks because they were cheaper. We took the 'deluxe' option which was 90mm wide staves rather than 40mm and 40mm thick.

Aesthetically I think the shorter blocks look better if there's good variation in the colour of the staves, but full stave would look better if the colour is consistent.

[ascayman]

Wozy68 said:

lol. You been talking to my wife?

Back to worktops ....... If you can look after them (ie no or well behaved kids)I like wood. Not cold to the touch, doesn't take a huge amount of looking after after initial few months oiling and it ages well. I'd even put it around a sink, just keep a cloth handy to wipe off excess water each time.
Timbers? Easy choice of two. White Maple or Iroko, IMO easily the best timbers to use.
Use a large chopping board to cut things on and jobs a good un. I'd always oil to finish as well, as you then always sand it back in years to come if needed.
When I say wood tops, I mean long planks jointed in width, not the small block timber ones that you can buy off the shelf.
Proper timber worktops cost, but should be no more than middle of the road granite. 40MM thickness look the bizz.

We never install laminate tops, (people just dont order it) I actually like them though. If its from a decent maker, it should not delaminate and is 'feel' wise a half way house between wood and granite. I wouldnt diimiss it.

Edited by Wozy68 on Friday 29th August 12:54

Do you have any pics of ones that you've done? ill be needing a new kitchen shortly and hadn't considered a wood work top.

[The Moose]

Wacky Racer said:

We had a lovely new large kitchen fitted, (£20,000 plus) with all new appliances seven years ago with a fairly dark patterned laminate and it is like the day it was fitted and was ONE EIGHTH the cost of Granite.

Not one knife mark anywhere...obviously you have to use your common sense, use a wooden chopping board, not put Scalding hot pan bottoms on it, but that applies to any worktop really.

I think granite just seems to be the "in" thing, like vinyl roofs were on cars in the seventies.

Why follow the sheep?

Obviously it's your decision, but it's only a worktop after all, money does not grow on trees.....

I hope it was a large kitchen!!

I like the fact that money doesn't grow on trees, but you dropped over £20k on your kitchen

[Wozy68]

ascayman said:

Wozy68 said:

lol. You been talking to my wife?

Back to worktops ....... If you can look after them (ie no or well behaved kids)I like wood. Not cold to the touch, doesn't take a huge amount of looking after after initial few months oiling and it ages well. I'd even put it around a sink, just keep a cloth handy to wipe off excess water each time.
Timbers? Easy choice of two. White Maple or Iroko, IMO easily the best timbers to use.
Use a large chopping board to cut things on and jobs a good un. I'd always oil to finish as well, as you then always sand it back in years to come if needed.
When I say wood tops, I mean long planks jointed in width, not the small block timber ones that you can buy off the shelf.
Proper timber worktops cost, but should be no more than middle of the road granite. 40MM thickness look the bizz.

We never install laminate tops, (people just dont order it) I actually like them though. If its from a decent maker, it should not delaminate and is 'feel' wise a half way house between wood and granite. I wouldnt diimiss it.

Edited by Wozy68 on Friday 29th August 12:54

Do you have any pics of ones that you've done? ill be needing a new kitchen shortly and hadn't considered a wood work top.

Not great pics on this PC, but this one is Iroko which has been bleached to give the timber a greyer appearance



This one is also in Iroko, but natural with an oiled finish. It gives a lovely warm feel to a kitchen. Either top should last a lifetime, both are 40M thick.



This one is oiled also. Notice the colour samples painted on the end of the Island by a customer. Decisions decisions



They started in our workshop from timber like this (The blue ended stack)

[url]


40MM again but without any finish on it yet, note the 20MM thick oak worktop under stuff on the righthand wall.
It seems most of our customers order Iroko for timber worktops on Islands

|http://thumbsnap.com/zbCEAQn4[/url]

HTH

Edited by Wozy68 on Friday 29th August 14:23

[irocfan]

The Moose said:

Wacky Racer said:

We had a lovely new large kitchen fitted, (£20,000 plus) with all new appliances seven years ago with a fairly dark patterned laminate and it is like the day it was fitted and was ONE EIGHTH the cost of Granite.

Not one knife mark anywhere...obviously you have to use your common sense, use a wooden chopping board, not put Scalding hot pan bottoms on it, but that applies to any worktop really.

I think granite just seems to be the "in" thing, like vinyl roofs were on cars in the seventies.

Why follow the sheep?

Obviously it's your decision, but it's only a worktop after all, money does not grow on trees.....

I hope it was a large kitchen!!

I like the fact that money doesn't grow on trees, but you dropped over £20k on your kitchen

dude kitchens these days cost a fkin' fortune ours isn't even a big kitchen and we were looking at quotes of £20k