My wife is very keen on having granite worktops in our kitchen. I have done a kitchen before but this one needs the floor, ceiling and everything in between replaced, the walls replastered and changes to the gas, electric and water. Bit much for me!
Before we commit to spending an obscene amount of money for the granite worktops are there any downsides to granite? We plan on having the sink under and ground-out grooves for the drainer so it can double as workspace.
TIA for any assistance
Invisible Man coughed up some electrons that declared:
They're heavy - very very heavy - so best to be sure about your cabinets.
But all the ones I've seen look good, are very practical WRT to food prep and the owners seem very pleased with them.
There's an intermediate solution, which is a granite capping (about 5mm) over another substrate. Sometimes sold to dress up old mouldy worktops and sometimes sold in their own right. I've been down to a place in T Wells that specialises in these and I don't see anything wrong with them, provided the substrate of choice is stable (you could use heavy ply for a generally abusable substrate or just a bit of cheap ordinary worktop). They stick lips on the front so you don't see anything of the base material.
Downside is you can't get round edges - just square.
I'd be interested if anyone's got experience of these in real life.
On the plus side, in either case, they have to be made to measure ("templated") so that's one fiddly job you don't need to do. Get the units in and correct, and the company will do the rest.
Cheers
Tim
Light colors and some types will stain from coffee and wine, I have fairly dark color which wont stain.
I'd find a reason if I were you, or even invent one. How much beer could you buy for the price of a granite worktop?
Light colors and some types will stain from coffee and wine, I have fairly dark color which wont stain.
My next-door neighbour who had them fitted last year says they won't be having them again because of the staining problem.. Michael
We used to not live near a pub. One foul Sunday night we drove to a pub because the weather was too bad to walk. Conversation ended up with something like "If only we lived near a half decent pub". That conversation has cost us about 70k so far with probably another 25k to go. Where we have moved we now have 2 pubs within 200 yards of the house and 2 others in the village. I love my real ale but the doctor, children etc. would probably prefer we spent a lot more time and money on the house and somewhat less ensuring that our village pubs do not close for lack of business. We do have a small kitchen. In reply to your question 1,500 to 2,000 pints.
after a single drink because we were driving with
None of that is any problem at all.
Hmmm
When I got my kitchen done the supplier / fitter charged me £ 1,000 just for the chipboard worktops. Then one day my teenage daughter left a sopping wet dishcloth over one of the big expertly done mitre joints. It swelled up and the chipboard bubbled.
The cost of granite from a small independant supplier / fitter was £3.4k for the dearest pattern dark blue granite (about £1000 less for the cheapest) plus £500 for templating and fitting. Full thickness stuff, no messing about.
We've never looked back.
One thing, square or arris edges on Granite are vulnerable to getting chipped. Some sort of rounded chamfer is better.
Derek
Thanks for the info on the chips Derek.
Another 'plus' as sold to us was that you can have a granite upstand along the rear edge of your worktops, (approx 100-150mm), which costs virtually nothing extra and saves you the cost/hassle of tiling.
You'll have noticed rounded chamfers on Granite bar tops.
One word about the price.
Granite has got a lot cheaper in the last 3-4 years because they are now sourcing it from 3rd world countries paying 3rd world (Indian or Vietnamese) wage levels.
However, no doubt they'll want to be paid in a proper currency and not mickey mouse "John Bull Printing Outfit" pounds so I think it will be going up in price like most imported commodities if it has not done so already.
Derek
We had a length of 4m plus and didn't want joins. Going above 3m turned out to be prohibitively expensive even before the weight and logistics of fitting it (none of which might trouble you)
Our friends have fairly standard black granite and find more chips out of glass, crockery etc. if they put things down carelessly - it's a very unforgiving surface in that respect. They also managed to crack theirs in a small way with an ill-placed hot pan. It generally looks great though.
In the end we went for this surface:
seani coughed up some electrons that declared:
Yes, granite et al are mentally expensive...
lighter wood and it required regular oiling and didn't like standing water (went black)?
Cheers
Tim
considering cherry wood
Anna
The place I got it from went up to 4.5m IIRC, but no sign of them on ebay now.
They need oiling with Danish wood oil, a good few goes the first time, and the no problems. Haven't noticed any darkening yet and I was warned about that as well, but there isn't much direct sunlight in the kitchen and I was lead to believe that accelerates the process.
After well over a year, the beading effect is wearing off a bit, but liquids still just wipe off and don't stain.
I think it would take more maintenance if I went down the "carving a drainer into the surface" route, although I think that approach looks great.
In the event the sink we used just replaces a section of worktop, so no trickiness with cutting holes and undermounting etc - it's the same depth and thickness on the edges as the surface. As it's all effectively one big seamless splashback it very low maintenance for cleaning. I wouldn't have the 1/4 additional sink again, but the Mrs loves it, so what do I know?
:
I'm not sure if this was the place I got mine from via ebay (I think so), but they go up to 5m:
That cherrywood looks nice - I like the idea of anything that changes colour with age.
Michael Jackson?
PeterC coughed up some electrons that declared:
I'd rather have my children sitting on a cherrywood worktop!
Oh but I wouldn't want it falling to bits so quickly
Thanks to all those who have replied. Much appreciated
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