Wooden Kitchen Worktops

Another option is solid wooden worktops. Wooden worktops usually are more expensive than laminate but not as expensive as Granite worktops or quartz engineered stone worktops. The advantages of wooden worktops are that they can look amazing when new and can be shaped to suit your kitchen. The disadvantages are however that of all the worktops I will discuss they require the most amount of maintenance. They need regular oiling in order to stop them drying out, splitting and warping. They may also burn or discolour if hot pans are put on them.

In summary wooden worktops offer a nice alternative to laminate so long as you are prepared to put the work in to keep them looking good.

Robert Shaw

Kitchen worktop options

So, what are our options when it comes to kitchen worktops and what are the advantages and disadvantages?

Lets start with the the most popular, laminate worktops. The biggest advantage of laminate which is also the reason it is the most popular is price, there is a wide spectrum of quality of laminates but generally they will be your cheapest option. The other advantage is the wide choice of colours available.

The disadvantages are durability. Although laminate kitchen worktops are fairly durable in their own right they are no where near as durable as say granite worktops or quartz worktops. Over time the area which is used the most will begin to wear out and if water gets under the laminated surface the chipboard underneath can swell or warp.

Another disadvantage is basically laminate worktops don't exactly have the wow factor and you are limited by the shapes available.

In summary laminate worktops are okay but given the choice most people would prefer a better kitchen worktop if cost were not a factor.

Robert Shaw

Choosing your materials

Over the next several blogs I intend to run through the whole process of granite worktops and quartz worktops from the idea stage right through to fitting and aftercare.

So let's start at the decision stage, you've decided to have either a completely new kitchen or refurbishing an existing kitchen. Obviously the choice of worktop is crucial as not only will this take the most wear and tear but will also be the centre piece of the kitchen. So the worktop not only needs to be durable to last the coming years and decades of work being done on it but also look fantastic and stay looking that way over the many years.

In my next blog we'll look at the various different options for kitchen worktops.

Shaped granite worktops

Quite often people ask me if we can put a curve on the end of a breakfast bar or the end of a run. Of course we can. I have to remind people that we are producing a bespoke product and they can have any shape they want within reason. We are after all dealing with a big slab of stone. At the the end of the day if Michael Angelo can carve David from a block Carrara marble then sure we can curve the edge of granite worktops.

Also, as we use highly accurate CNC machinery the shapes we produce are millimetre accurate. So let your creative flair show and don't just stick to boring old straight lines.

Robert Shaw

Granite windowsills

Quite often when we turn up at a customer's house to carry out the templating we will notice that the windowsill in the kitchen is bare.

When we ask what is going on the windowsill the customer often says they aren't sure, maybe they'll tile it or buy an MDF windowsill to put there. It always seems to be a after thought. Well my solution would be to have a granite windowsill matching your granite kitchen worktop.

As with the granite backsplash I spoke about in my last blog I think it ties in with the granite worktops (your not using too many different materials), it looks great and is practical as it easy to keep clean and won't be effected if it gets wet from condensation etc.

Robert Shaw

Use a granite backsplash in your new kitchen

In your lovely new kitchen you will need something behind your hob to stop splashes spoiling your wall.

You could tile but then you've got the problem of the grout lines getting dirty. Stainless steel is an option but feedback I have received from customers is that stainless steel backsplashes are difficult to keep clean.

Glass is nice but in my opinion the best option is a granite backsplash matching your granite worktops. Practical as there are no grout lines and they look fantastic too.

Robert Shaw

Upstands for granite worktops

Upstands are the strips of granite that are fixed to the wall at the back of the granite worktop. They are usually about 100mm high and 20mm thick although you can have them any height you want from about 50mm up.

I always recommend them as in my experience walls, even in new houses, are never straight and the upstands will cover any gaps at the back of the granite worktop. When installing we have a tolerance of up to 10mm at the back which is often needed in order to get the worktops into position. Therefore if you're not tilling they are essential.

You can tile down to the top of the upstand or fill any gaps behind the upstand with decorators caulk and paint it the same colour as the wall. Besides the practical reasons for upstands there is also the fact that they look great and really finish off a beautiful granite worktop.

Robert Shaw