Worktops

When considering your worktops in your kitchen the options can be overwhelming. First off, consider whether you want a stone finish or a softer wood finish.

Corian is mineral based product and it is not only repairable but non porous, which means stains will not penetrate the surface. The other benefit to this product is that it is mouldable and seamless, this means you can’t feel the joins and, in some finishes, you can’t see them either. Other benefits to this product are that it is easy to clean and with moulded upstands and splashbacks there are no joints to allow the growth of mould and build up bacteria, making it a very hygienic material. It also comes in a variety of colours, not just natural shades of whites and browns, but also green, orange and red. You can also have a sink moulded into your worktop with that seamless finish.

Dekton is a completely stain proof material for worktops made from a combination of quartz, porcelain and glass. It is highly scratch resistant and UV resistant. Dekton is also more resistant to abrasions giving way to more longevity in the product. It is also extremely hard as a material meaning that once it is installed it would take considerable effort to damage it and allows for some ultra-thin options which are very on trend with handle-less kitchens today.

Quartz is a manmade product that has been made from natural stone. It comes in either a smooth gloss finish, smooth matt finish or even in textured finishes. It is both hard wearing and easy to keep clean and therefor very hygienic. The great thing about this product compared to natural stones is that it is no longer porous so it is very hard to stain, and sinks can also be made from it to create a consistent finish. Quartz is available in a variety of stone finishes; concrete finishes and some funky colours are available too.

Wood worktops also have a broad range to choose from and you can achieve the lighter or darker colours you may prefer your kitchen to have. Ash is a lighter brighter wood; Oak gives a mid-brown colour and Wenge gives a rich dark almost blackish colour. The benefits to using wood for your work tops is that they are both natural and beautiful, however it is worth keeping in mind that to sustain the woods natural beauty it requires an upkeep of care, you will need to oil them. Due to the high maintenance aspect of timber we often use timber exclusively for seating breakfast bar areas where the softer look and feel is beneficial to where people sit and put crockery down often and then use a stone based product for the rest of the kitchen working areas that don’t require the high level of maintenance timber does when coming in to contact with cooking oils and water.

A much more cost-effective option is a laminate worktop. The good thing about laminate worktops is you can get the look of both wood or stone with out the cost. They are also not porous so require less upkeep than solid wood worktops.