Which Kitchen Worktop? Pros and cons?
Discussion
Can't find any links or threads so asking for real world advice pls?
Wood - impractical and needs TLC
Marble / Granite - great but spills etc an issue???
Composites - just always seem a cheap solution? Especially in a traditional style kitchen?
Etc etc.....
Thanks in advance for any pointers!
Wood - impractical and needs TLC
Marble / Granite - great but spills etc an issue???
Composites - just always seem a cheap solution? Especially in a traditional style kitchen?
Etc etc.....
Thanks in advance for any pointers!
Slaav said:
Can't find any links or threads so asking for real world advice pls?
Wood - impractical and needs TLC
Marble / Granite - great but spills etc an issue???
Composites - just always seem a cheap solution? Especially in a traditional style kitchen?
Etc etc.....
Thanks in advance for any pointers!
Wood - can look fabulous in a traditional style kitchen, can be sanded to remove marks, etc. But does need periodic maintenance - if oiled, to keep at it's best, especially around the sink.Wood - impractical and needs TLC
Marble / Granite - great but spills etc an issue???
Composites - just always seem a cheap solution? Especially in a traditional style kitchen?
Etc etc.....
Thanks in advance for any pointers!
Granite - Looks great, hard wearing, heat resistant, spills only really an issue if a light colour. Natural, so can have variation in appearance, which either adds to the character or is an issue dependent on your view.
Quartz - Looks Great, hard wearing, heat resistant, sealed so no spill issues, consistent pattern / colour. Available in different styles to granite.
Corian - Looks man made, reasonably hard wearing, can be re polished to remove marks, joints are invisible, allows seamless jointed sinks. No spill issues.
Excluding laminate worktops, Timber is the least expensive, the other 3 options are broadly similar in price.
Edited by Neil - YVM on Wednesday 27th August 18:26
Neil - YVM said:
Wood - can look fabulous in a traditional style kitchen, can be sanded to remove marks, etc. But does need periodic maintenance - if oiled, to keep at it's best, especially around the sink.
Granite - Looks great, hard wearing, heat resistant, spills only really an issue if a light colour. Natural, so can have variation in appearance, which either adds to the character or is an issue dependent on your view.
Quartz - Looks Great, hear wearing, heat resistant, sealed so no spill issues, consistent pattern / colour. Available in different styles to granite.
Corian - Looks man made, reasonably hard wearing, can be re polished to remove marks, joints are invisible, allows seamless jointed sinks. No spill issues.
Excluding laminate worktops, Timber is the least expensive, the other 3 options are broadly similar in price.
I was told by a kitchen design place that Corian can also be repaired, so if you knock a corner off a worktop by dropping a pan on it, you can have it fixed. The moulded in sinks also look pretty cool. It's currently top of the list for our forthcoming kitchen re-furbishment (worktops and splash backs).Granite - Looks great, hard wearing, heat resistant, spills only really an issue if a light colour. Natural, so can have variation in appearance, which either adds to the character or is an issue dependent on your view.
Quartz - Looks Great, hear wearing, heat resistant, sealed so no spill issues, consistent pattern / colour. Available in different styles to granite.
Corian - Looks man made, reasonably hard wearing, can be re polished to remove marks, joints are invisible, allows seamless jointed sinks. No spill issues.
Excluding laminate worktops, Timber is the least expensive, the other 3 options are broadly similar in price.
I got oak last year. It looks amazing and I have kept it looking really nice.
But...
I have bloody tried my hardest to keep it this way. Even one drop of water left around the sink after washing up will soak in and eventually turn things black. Im constantly going round with a tea towel mopping up even the smallest of drops spilled.
One cup was left on the drainer with a wet bottom (obviously I claim by the missus and she claims by me ) and we now have a lovely black ring on the corner which will NOT rub off. I will have to sand it down again next year and oil but its a pain.
They do however look brilliant when in top condition but I would not get again. To much effort.
But...
I have bloody tried my hardest to keep it this way. Even one drop of water left around the sink after washing up will soak in and eventually turn things black. Im constantly going round with a tea towel mopping up even the smallest of drops spilled.
One cup was left on the drainer with a wet bottom (obviously I claim by the missus and she claims by me ) and we now have a lovely black ring on the corner which will NOT rub off. I will have to sand it down again next year and oil but its a pain.
They do however look brilliant when in top condition but I would not get again. To much effort.
Edited by vescaegg on Wednesday 27th August 13:59
vescaegg said:
I got oak last year. It looks amazing and I have kept it looking really nice.
But...
I have bloody tried my hardest to keep it this way. Even one drop of water left around the sink after washing up will soak in and eventually turn things black. One cup was left on the drainer with a wet bottom and we now have a lovely black ring on the corner which will NOT rub off. I will have to sand it down again next year and oil but its a pain.
They do however look brilliant when in top condition.
Would not get again. To much effort.
We hope to have an oak top installed later this year, and have a small test piece to knock about in the kitchen before saying yes to the final installation. I've managed to mark it (wet baking tray), and got the black marks out using oxalic acid. It'll need re-oiling, but does mean that it doesn't immediately need sanding back.But...
I have bloody tried my hardest to keep it this way. Even one drop of water left around the sink after washing up will soak in and eventually turn things black. One cup was left on the drainer with a wet bottom and we now have a lovely black ring on the corner which will NOT rub off. I will have to sand it down again next year and oil but its a pain.
They do however look brilliant when in top condition.
Would not get again. To much effort.
I used iroko instead of Oak for it's oil content. I used Sadolin IP67 instead of oil. Doesn't look quite as nice as an oiled top, but it looks much nicer than any similarly priced options and seems to be a good compromise between the look and the maintenance involved.
It's only been in a week, but hopefully it will alst as well as people have suggested it should.
It's only been in a week, but hopefully it will alst as well as people have suggested it should.
Paul Drawmer said:
I like laminate. It's does the job extremely well, and is cost effective without looking cheap.
I really don't see any advantages in spending more for a product that will require more looking after. Spend the money on storage solutions.
I agreeI really don't see any advantages in spending more for a product that will require more looking after. Spend the money on storage solutions.
I've just replaced my kitchen, removing the old wooden worktops which had faded, split and discoloured.
I went for a higher quality laminate as the other options - Corian, Quartz, Granite - had such a high price difference it made no sense in a sub £10k kitchen.
If you're doing something higher in price, then look to the more quality materials.
Muzzer79 said:
Paul Drawmer said:
I like laminate. It's does the job extremely well, and is cost effective without looking cheap.
I really don't see any advantages in spending more for a product that will require more looking after. Spend the money on storage solutions.
I agreeI really don't see any advantages in spending more for a product that will require more looking after. Spend the money on storage solutions.
I've just replaced my kitchen, removing the old wooden worktops which had faded, split and discoloured.
I went for a higher quality laminate as the other options - Corian, Quartz, Granite - had such a high price difference it made no sense in a sub £10k kitchen.
If you're doing something higher in price, then look to the more quality materials.
They will always be the best value for money option, and not a bad option at all.
But if budget allows, I personally would have granite or quartz.
Riff Raff said:
I was told by a kitchen design place that Corian can also be repaired, so if you knock a corner off a worktop by dropping a pan on it, you can have it fixed. The moulded in sinks also look pretty cool. It's currently top of the list for our forthcoming kitchen re-furbishment (worktops and splash backs).
Yes, within reason Corian can be repaired. Not my favourite surface, but the moulded in sinks do look great. Also as no ridges, so nice and easy to clean. Neil - YVM said:
Muzzer79 said:
Paul Drawmer said:
I like laminate. It's does the job extremely well, and is cost effective without looking cheap.
I really don't see any advantages in spending more for a product that will require more looking after. Spend the money on storage solutions.
I agreeI really don't see any advantages in spending more for a product that will require more looking after. Spend the money on storage solutions.
I've just replaced my kitchen, removing the old wooden worktops which had faded, split and discoloured.
I went for a higher quality laminate as the other options - Corian, Quartz, Granite - had such a high price difference it made no sense in a sub £10k kitchen.
If you're doing something higher in price, then look to the more quality materials.
They will always be the best value for money option, and not a bad option at all.
But if budget allows, I personally would have granite or quartz.
If you spend a bit of time looking around and doing your research (not buying from Howdens/Wickes etc) you can do stone for not a lot more than laminate...
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