square edged kitchen worktops

[sm_jamieson]

Right, thinking about kitchen worktops. Getting kitchen from B&Q (painted wood, good price with 60% off !). But worktop will come from somewhere else - their lamintes look a big crap, and I've heard they can be poor quality. I'm after square edged worktops, since the design requires a modern style sit-on sink unit to butt up against the side of the main run of worktop (no corner mitre required ;-) I also require a radiused corner at one end. Don't want to spend out on granite etc. I believe there is a new type of laminate around with square edges that can be radiused etc. Anyone know of this, or any good suppliers? Thanks, Simon.

[Mike Clarke]

Have you considered "solid" wood as an alternative? More expensive than laminate but much cheaper than granite and you can easily shape the end to suit your needs.

We installed Ikea NUMERAR (about £50 per metre) about 18 months ago and are happy with it. It's a bit wider than many at 620mm so might need a bit trimming of the edge to fit your B&Q units.

[sm_jamieson]

I dont think SWMBO wants wood. It wouldn't match the oak table that will also be in the kitchen. It seems it must be black. Simon.

[Tabby]

Wood can be stained black, and varnished gloss if wanted. I don't see how you're going to achieve it with laminate. There are also some tough solid black plastics, but ISTR the cost being high.

NT

[Donwill]

I used a firm called Toprite Worktops, Telford. 01952 588 589. I made a drawing of what I wanted, they manufactured and delivered .I fitted them myself in 2007. They are laminated tops with various radiuses. No problems so far.

If I've managed to reference them properly there are three pictures on this site.( phew, I hope)

[stuart noble]

The laminates don't seem to come with edge strips any more (or at least the B&Q ones don't), so not sure how you would do your radiused end.

I think the square edged must be more difficult to manufacture because of having to wrap the formica or whatever round two 90 deg corners. The B&Q one we had to send back was certainly not well laminated along the front edge

[Piers Finlayson]

May be a silly question, but what about if you used an oak kitchen worktop? Matching the exact shade may be challenging, depending on what you have already.

[Andy Cap]

Wickes do what looks like a decent quality square edged worktop. It looks more like Formica than the plasticky looking bog-standard ones. I was going for the black slate and it costs about £170 for 3 metres.

In the end, I was persuaded to go for the cheaper option and I've been regretting it ever since. It's suffered more little chips in a few months, than our previous one had in over twenty years.

I have no idea if it can be radiused. You'd need to ask.

[sm_jamieson]

worktops. Getting kitchen from B&Q

Are you sure its laminate. It looks like solid surface. Any idea how much you payed. From their website: Top Rite Surfaces are specialist fabricators of solid surface worktops for commercial and domestic applications.

Simon.

[fred]

In article , sm_jamieson writes

I've seen them in Ikea and John Lewis, obviously Ikea are a supplier but I don't know where John Lewis get theirs.

Btw, I'm with you in liking rect edge worktops, the edges appear to be postfixed and can be added in a slightly contrasting colour which I like.

[andrew]

We used a Maia solid surface worktop in the last kitchen fit. It's square edged, radius-able, and usually very expensive.

manufacturers sell oddments through ebay though - from =A349 a length.

A

[sm_jamieson]

The idea arrived because we wanted a sit-on sink unit which needed to go bang into the corner. and thought, why not just butt it up to the side of a square edge laminate. The ikea worktop may be worth a look at. I believe its 620mm which could give more overhang and might help with the butting up of the sink unit. Simon.

[Donwill]

worktops. Getting kitchen from B&Q

No I'm not absolutely sure that it's laminate(define please), it just looks and feels like a standard kitchen top slightly granulated, not shiny but the heat bonded edge strip may be a different plastic I don't know. The surface is pretty hard wearing no scratches in nearly 4 yrs of use. I've been looking for the price, I think it was approx £700 for 3 made to measure tops, the first is the Breakfast bar 700 x1750 and the top joined on to that at right angles is 650 x 3350 into which I cut a hole for the sink and gas hob, the third is a wedge shaped shelf top fitted on the opposite wall of the kitchen and measures approx 1900 in length, is 250 at its narrowest end and 600 at the wider end. I'm absolutely sure that the core is chip board. Hope that helps Cheers Don

[sm_jamieson]

tchen worktops. Getting kitchen from B&Q

Ah, it'll be the type with a chipboard core and 5mm strip of solid surface material bonded on. Laminate usually is taken to mean the 1mm plastic layer on chipboard. Simon.

[Cod Roe]

particular the width? I'm thinking of something similar in a long but narrow kitchen.

Thanks

[sm_jamieson]

I've heard solid surface are not actually all that heat proof (less so than laminate) and scratch quite easily. I've just noticed B&Q sell a curved edge laminate breakfast bar. I could cut that down maybe ....(strokes beard) Simon.

[Donwill]

, The width varies, I was trying to gain more width in the dining area so I followed the boundary. I'll dig out a plan and tack it on the end of the thread later. Cheers Don

[Baz]

If near Bath.

Colour. Any Shape. Any Size.

Baz

[Skipweasel]

Ugh - why does everything have to be black these days?

[Donwill]

I've uploaded a plan here

arch wall as seen in the pics is not shown in the plan it was something I added later. Don