Can anyone recommend a good brand of laminate worktops, please? Because of the washing machine, they have to be 630mm deep (or breakfast bar) and 3.6 or 4m long. At first, Duropal looked good then I saw a thread on some forum saying they chip when cut.
I was thinking about getting custom IKEA ones but their stores are closed.
Many thanks.
1/. All chip when cut if you don't know how to do it 2/. They are all perfectly OK or a pile-o-crap depending on your standards. I think I have installed 6 kitchens using cheap as chips coated chip. They are all ok - never noticed a difference
If you put an upstand and a shelf along the back to fill the gap, you can save money and get away using standard depth ones.
Owain
I installed a Formica (brand) post-formed worktop about twenty years ago and it still looks good.
All chip if sawn. Cut oversize & trim with a router.
None are good, they're all made from chipboard which swells & disintegrates when wet. They're just cheap. Accept it, seal it as well as you can, keep it as dry as practical. Or build with something decent like concrete, stone, tile etc. Those have their own issues.
NT
Chip when cut, do you mean the surface? Is this not why we tend to use tape over the cutting area and use a saw with less aggressive action though. Anything laminated tends to, um delaminate!
Brian
Which of course begs the question, why is not the standard the same depth as an appliance in the first place? Brian
A hipster friend has concrete. Don't get concrete! :)
My washing machine sticks out 30mm or so. Not really a problem.
You can always carve out the plaster behind the washing machine to make room for the pipework.
Previous occupants didn't believe in wasting money plastering the walls behind units in the first place.
Midn you, if I go back far enough I'll have a handy ledge in the bathroom to put things on!
Owain
I don't know but in this case, the Beko washing machine isn't the standard depth.
Except mine's an integrated washing machine. I bought it without realising it's an issue. Yes, I thought about carving out the plaster. I'm hoping that'll be a last resort.
Thanks, that's a good idea. I was wondering about an alternative to tiles, anyway.
Tell us more. Sounds too porous for my liking.
It is polished concrete, ie the top surface is a very smooth grey. I didn't see it being made, but I assume that concrete is a misnomer. I very much doubt it has any big bits of aggregate in. It could be made in different layers, I suppose, but I suspect it's actually ply with a coat of fine sand and cement.
It's wonderfully heat proof, which as far as I can see is the only good thing that can be said for it. And it hasn't cracked in half, so that's good, too!
Where it falls down is that it's porous, as you say, and it shows stains. It's not sealed, and I expect that any seal wouldn't be heatproof.
Plus, I don't like the colour.
Here's one I watched the other week ... they can be sealed, but I still don't like the look.
I'm not quite sure what sand/cement mix he used, but it's obviously very fine, so not concrete at all.
I'm impressed with how much work is involved in the process. At the end, you either love it, or you don't. I don't. So, all that effort and expense ... and it ends up a bit meh.
Also, I assume the seal is just a two part varnish, so that's not very heat-proof, which rather negates the purpose of the concrete in the first place.
They claim to be still open for click and collect and home delivery.
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