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Original poster

Help me pick a kitchen worktop please

16 replies

BonyM · 15/07/2009 08:13

We are having an extension plus new kitchen and I am obsessing about worktops at the moment.

Love the look of wood but have discounted as the general consensus is that it is a lot of upkeep and I would be terrified of the dds wrecking it.

Am currently favouring Apollo quartz which is cheaper than granite and supposedly more hardwearing, easier to clean etc., but last night came across slate worktops while googling. The slate looks lovely but I can't seem to find any info on maintenance etc. Anyone know if it scratches easily?

If we go for granite it would be one of the lighter colours which are supposedly easier to keep looking nice (plus black granite seems to be everywhere!).

Any comments on quartz, slate, granite gratefully received!

OP posts:
Original poster
BonyM · 15/07/2009 11:56

Bump

OP posts:
ApplesinmyPocket · 15/07/2009 12:16

I have wood in the utility room (looks nice, I love it, but it's showing signs of wear where it gets repeatedly damp by the sink.)

In the kitchen I have the ubiquitous black granite. I thought I'd gone to heaven when I first saw it (after formica) and seven years on I haven't changed my mind. I absolutely love it. It is a doddle to clean - you can roll out pastry on it, gently chop on it, and it looks absolutely stunning, blackly gleaming beside the pale maple units I have.

The only thing is, really trendy people on property programmes now seem to turn their noses up at granite (not that I care) and slate is probably the New Granite if you want to be really up to the minute, but I don't know anything about it (am sure someone else will.)

Good luck in your choice!

eggsonthebeach · 15/07/2009 12:25

After obsessing about our own worktops in a very similar fashion, we decided we wanted slate, but had concerns about maintenance.

In the end we went for a slate-style laminate, and after obsessing that for a while, chose one from Homebase that has a bit of texture to it and a matte finish. After initially being very biased against laminate, we are very happy with it.

What's the rest of your kitchen going to be like?

GrendelsMum · 15/07/2009 14:55

I'm a big fan of laminate - and I have to say that part of the fun is shocking snooty people in kitchen shops by insisting you really don't want to have granite.

Corian might be a good alternative?

Original poster
BonyM · 15/07/2009 21:32

Hmm, Corian a bit pricey I think. The units we are having are painted ash - second from the bottom - Meldon (but with different handles!)

Would love to hear from anyone who has slate.

Dh would go for laminate - we have it currently and it is fine actually apart from the island unit where all the edges have chipped and peeled (and it's only about 5 yrs old). We don't plan on re-doing it again in a hurry so I want something that's going to last a long time.

OP posts:
sinclair · 16/07/2009 03:12

I saw slate recently and it was lovely, not sure what the maintenance issues are, or how it compares price wise to stone. KItchen designer who happened to be there (I work in interiors and was a client's house) said it was from Wales FWIW. We have granite but honed which suits me better than polished as never looks dirty.

jeanjeannie · 16/07/2009 11:00

We are in the process of DP making ours in polished concrete. It's got sparkly bits in it - God, I hope it looks ok!

Corian is lovely but yes, a bit pricey. I bet slate looks lovely - I'd also like to to hear if anyone has it.

HolyGuacamole · 16/07/2009 11:10

We have wood on the worktops and black sparkly granite on the central island thingamy. The granite is easy to keep nice, a clean with soapy water, rinse and dry with an e-cloth. Love it and it looks brill, not a single mark on it and it gleams like a mirror.

TBH I like the wood too but it is marked in a few places where something hot has been put on it. We have had it for about 18 months. The wood is varnished and I'm hoping this year to sand it all down and oil it as I'm not keep on the shiny look, even though it is meant to be matt . It's nice to have a good solid wooden worktop, it looks nice but I'd say it's defo not as practical as the granite.

Don't know anything about slate but wondered if it might be susceptible to watermarks if you live in a hard water area? Just a guess, I don't know if that's the case?

GrendelsMum · 16/07/2009 13:46

Could you go for laminate on the worktops but granite / slate on the island? That might get round your issues of peeling corners. I was told by our kitchen designer that peeling corners are more likely with particular edge shapes, though I don't remember which, I'm afraid.

lalalonglegs · 16/07/2009 13:56

I had slate - very hard-wearing, don't imagine you could scratch it with any ease but you do have to be careful with accidental spillages: lemon juice bleaches it white (although, in our case, we rubbed olive oil into it and that restored the original colour).

I'd choose Corian or concrete ( jeanjeannie - are you having to reinforce cupboards; is it shockingly expensive?) if I was doing a kitchen now. I currently have wood and don't seem to have problems everyone complains about.

jeanjeannie · 16/07/2009 15:11

Lala - oh the concrete saga!! DP is a carpenter/builder so he's built everything himself in the kitchen but yes, we're going to reinforce the utilty room IKEA work units as we're having it in there too.

He's being wanting to do it for ages as clients keep asking - so we're doing it ourselves to get an idea! We've got literally hundreds of tablets he's made with varing dyes, mixes and hardcore all finished off with a diamond polisher! He's become like a possessed artist! A glass mix on an almost black concrete is our fave so far.

We see the expense coming not in the materials so much but the labour - as there is a mould involved. Early days yet - we'll keep you posted and hopefully one day - a picture Not holding breath for a while as he's building a timber framed office with a green roof (another project he's yearned for!) so our kitchen is on hold

HerHonesty · 17/07/2009 12:02

slate is a bit of a nightmare, it takes lots of maintenance like wood.

dont have black granite if you have hard water. its a nightmare tbh.

saw zinc on a programme once, looked brilliant but depends on what type of kitchen you have.

saw a kitchen with white sealed marble which also looked good.

Original poster
BonyM · 17/07/2009 14:59

Ok - so slate is very hardwearing but a nightmare to maintain?

Granite seems to be very popular and lowish maintenance - if we go for it then it will be a paler colour as not keen on the black (and our kitchen is north facing so needs to be as light as possible)

Anyone have quartz?

OP posts:
morethan · 28/08/2010 20:10

HI! yes i have had quartz worktops just put in after much research and searching they are fantastic! i have bright green , originally wanted a bright blue but went for green as soon as a saw it. very easy to maintain and looks terrific.

MixedupMartha · 28/08/2010 22:52

I have black granite (8 metres of worktop so bloody loads of it).

TBH it's fantastic, BUT - (1) I think black will look dated in 5 years time and (2) I'd buy a lighter colour next time because black shows the streaks.

We are about to move house and my first priority in the new place will be gettign some granite tops in. I'm going to go for a biscuit colour this time. It's so convenenient - can't recommend it highly enough!

TDaDa · 29/08/2010 10:30

Used to have granite in previous house. Worked well but even granite needs a bit of maintenance with some sort of cream (ideally)

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