did anyone get a really good deal on their granite worktops?

[nowwearefour]

if so, where from? that's it really. looking for advice as we look to replace our kitchen that is literally falling apart! also tips on solid oak flooring sources would be great!

someone must have, surely?

I got them for free. My mate laid granite tiles in a room so enormous that the offcuts were enough to do my tiny kitchen!

Sorry really not helpful, I know, but I am really pleased with them!

The best thing to do is google places and then call around. It helps if you have an idea of what you would like or a specific name as then you can directly compare prices. It might be a bit of a chore but it maybe worth it!

Try worktop4u I got a good price on Corian there. Went and saw an example of their work which was excellent, mine aren't fitted yet though!

thanks sounds like a tip!

We imported our granite from India after being quoted £5,000 to have it supplied and fitted in the UK.

Seriously.

And it wasn't difficult either.

We were concerned it might crack in transit so ordered twice the amount. Our kitchen is large (35m squared) and the granite cost £1500.

The granite was delivered from the ship to a company who could cut it. They visited our kitchen before it arrived and made a template. They then cut the granite and delivered and fitted it.

We sold the spare granite for £600 on ebay so actually it cost us £900 for the granite and £1000 for the cutting and fitting - total saving of £3,100!

that's fantastic - can you give the website ?

We used a company called something like Diapol. It was about half the cost of other companies and they did a good job. This was in London.

The cheapest place I found for solid oak flooring is UK Flooring Direct. Much cheaper than buying from the likes of B&Q and probably much better quality! Flooring Supplies.co.uk is also good price-wise.

Do you have granite tops at the moment? If not, make sure your floor is up to holding them - we planned to get them in our kitchen but apparently we'd have needed to get the floor reinforced because it adds hundreds of KGs on top of the weight of the oak flooring, kitchen units, appliances etc, so the floorboards underneath could have literally collapsed under the weight. It's not something I ever considered (our old house had a concrete floor) and I was quite annoyed because I'd spent weeks trying to find a decent price, only to find out I couldn't have them! It would have cost hundreds to reinforce the floor, so in addition to the cost of the worktops themselves it just wasn't worth it. I've spoken to quite a few people since who have had the same issues, so I think it's quite common in older houses.

Actually it worked out quite well because it completely put the stoppers on any kitchen planning and we haven't done anything yet, so at least our two monster lovely dogs only destroyed the old units during their chewing phases! But when we finally get round to doing it, I think we're going to get solid wood tops instead. Not as tough as granite, but at least they can be sanded and resurfaced if they start to look a bit worn. I have concrete floor envy!

thanks these are all amazing tips. we do now have an older house so will get kitchen fitter to talk to me about whether our floor will hold up granite worktops. i will check out diapol - thanks. Koalasar - how did you find the Indian company? would be seriously interested in that idea! and thanks for the flooring tips mrsL123.

I will ask DH about the company when he gets in. The company was in Madras.

By sheer luck, DH was working with a guy from Madras so he arranged for his father to visit the granite supplier and vouch for the quality of the stone before we actually paid for it. It took a bit longer than anticipated because the road from the quarry to the port was washed away in a bad storm (!) but once it was on the ship, we were able to track it's progress. I think it took about 8-12 weeks to arrive.

Thanks koala. Think that company might be in for a bit of a boom now! were you able to choose the colour etc that you wanted?

Yes - they had every colour you can imagine.

sounds brilliant koala

The only thing I would say about granite is that your kitchen units need to be really strong to support the weight.

We renovated our house but knew that it wasn't our "forever house" so although we went for granite worktops, we fitted a kitchen with MDF base units and solid wooden doors.

The kitchen has been in for 4.5 years now and over the last six months we've noticed a gap appearing between the worktop and the splashbacks behind the sink. The granite seems to slope backwards which emans the water runs back towards the gap. I am assuming this is due to the weight of the stone resting on the units.

Thanks. interesting. we did it in our old house and had great units. we werent planning to put in expensive units this time but will think about it further. esp if the granite is so much cheaper!

Okay, the company was called Novantique. I think the guy who arranged it was called Denis. We actually found them on ebay I think but the address we were corresponding with was:

[email protected]

hope this helps!

thanks so much koala!

actually he spelt it Dennes!

We're in the process of doing our kitchen and have found some really good advice on the internet.
We're getting worktop quotes at the moment and recently had a Corian price worktop4u who are mentioned on here but I'm put off by such a big deposit, 40%, even though the price is fairly competitive.
I've also heard that quartz worktops are better than corian and I'd like to know if anyone has any advice on these and of any companies that don't ask for large deposits if you order.

We used Diapol a few years back and were mostly happy with the results. They certainly were excellent value and did a good job of templating and fitting. We went for absolute black though and he wasn't able to get us a 3 meter piece which meant we had a join in the middle of our run. It was the sort of thing that no one else noticed, but I saw every time. In retospect and with my next kitchen, I would make sure the company was supplying pieces big enough for what wasn't a very big kitchen anyway.

There are indepenent, kitchen planners/designers that are one man bands who have a good reputation. imo explore this as it's their sole reputation and they can have very good relationships with suppliers for example, granite. No more expensive, often less, and beautifly crafted. No middle man. You should be able to see examples of their work, at least from photos but more importantly from phoning a former customer, ideally local. This is what we did as we were planning from scratch, an empty shell. Do exlore this as you can get some free advice and "storm" what you think you want vs the suggestions of an expert that has seen it all. It is a competitive market and there are good deals out there if you have the time to work it out and do your research.

Re: Solid Oak Flooring. If you have a good seasoned general builder/trades person ask their advice & be prepared to go to a antique reclaimation yard as this is their stock in trade, they all know each other and you can get the effect you are after, don't be shy, show them photos etc and ideally they will accommodate you. The more questions you ask, the less you pay in my experience.

Decided to go for quartz worktops from T Foley Interiors. We're having the black with mirror fragments and they're coming to do a template on Wednesday after the kitchen's finally in.
Price is competitive and we paid a 10% deposit which I think is reasonable and they also leave 10% balance after fitting. We like the set up after speaking with them and a friend of my husband recommended them after buying their tops a couple of years ago.
Can't wait to try out some recipes on my new range cooker with spice rack pull outs each side. Next thing after the kitchen is the flooring and I quite like the look of Amtico that my friend has just had.

Hi all. Hopefully a little bit of advice here...I have worked with several companies out there dealing with the supply of granite, Quartz, Timber and Corian worktops and they all work the same! A lot of the companies mentioned are internet based and work on a link with a supplier basis. Some of the companies work at the manufacturing factories and some merely pass on the work to the manufacturer s for a "handling charge". Certain companies will look after the customer and be honest with them from the start; advising if a joint is needed (as a rule, anything over a 3m length in Quartz or granite needs a joint)beforehand. It is very important to either go to the factory and speak direct with the manufacturer s or speak to previous customers for peace of mind.

Having a retainer (10% or otherwise) is a little something but doesn't give anything further after the installation has taken place. They key thing here is to feel at ease right the way through the process from start to finish and beyond. Most products - Technistone, Diresco, Corian, Himacs etc have a 10 year warranty and gives peace of mind for the next 10 years. Companies that can and will give countless customer details to speak to are definitely the way to go or pay on the credit card for protection with section 75.

As a skint mum, I will advise anyone regarding worktops with any queries they have and how to save money where possible and things to be wary of if looking down this route!