What are the pros / Cons of a granite kitchen worktop

[James Mawson]

We are replacing our kitchen, and are considering a granite work top, what
are the pros and cons of these work tops over the more traditional chipboard
laminate type? Apart from being lots cheaper?

Regards

James

[Mark B]

"James Mawson" > wrote in message
...
> We are replacing our kitchen, and are considering a granite work top, what
> are the pros and cons of these work tops over the more traditional
chipboard
> laminate type? Apart from being lots cheaper?
>
> Regards
>
> James

One disadvantage is people might think you are being a flash git.


mark b

[Andy Hall]

On Sun, 6 Jul 2003 20:21:42 +0000 (UTC), "James Mawson"
> wrote:

>We are replacing our kitchen, and are considering a granite work top, what
>are the pros and cons of these work tops over the more traditional chipboard
>laminate type? Apart from being lots cheaper?
>
>Regards
>
>James
>

Like chalk and cheese.

I had granite worktops and upstands fitted as part of my kitchen
replacement 2 years ago, and have certainly been happy with the
choice.

The main practical advantages are the durability, ease of cleaning and
flexibility.

The aesthetic appeal of natural stone materials can't be matched with
laminates, no matter how good they are.

We went for a Black or Nero Angola granite, which is a rich black with
crystalline structures of grey/silver and the occasional rich blue.
Furniture is French Oak, a slate floor and tumbled marble wall tiles.

It is really important to take time over selecting granite because the
cost suggests that you will be living with it for a while.

I was able to borrow a door and pieces of different granite from the
kitchen designer and already had pieces of floor and wall tile.
We put them in the room and looked at different combinations over
several days before deciding.

The hues that you get from granite will appear different under
different lights so I think seeing them at home is important. Having
said that, with granite being a natural material, you won't get
precisely the same as a sample anyway. For this reason, it's also
important to buy all the worktops at once.

One of the advantages is that granite can be machined. We have one
place where we wanted a small vegetable sink with a draining area.
This was easily done by having sloping grooves machined into the
worktop next to the sink, which is underhung. Vegetables can be
prepared on the draining area and in the sink and the peelings swept
into the sink. When the draining area is not in use for this, it can
be normal worktop.

A similar technique was used in the utility room with a Belfast sink.

http://www.albatops.co.uk/granite_ht/gworktops_inst.htm

shows an example in the photo which is quite similar to our
arrangement. We didn't use this supplier however.

People have said that the incidence of breakages of glass and china
are higher on granite than laminate. We haven't experienced that at
all. We aren't careless, but have had things fall onto the granite
and not break, while on laminate they have.

Another thing that I feel is important is to have the granite supplier
visit and template for the worktops, as well as coming and fitting
them. That way one organisation takes responsibility for the whole
process including scribing in the shapes etc.

After fitting, a sealant is applied, although granite is not very
absorbent anyway. For daily cleaning, hot soapy water is fine,
although we tend to use a steam cleaner, which is also a good way to
clean the undermounted sinks.

You can also get special polishes which are worth using periodically.

If your budget runs to it, I don't think you would be disappointed,
but do take your time when choosing.






..andy

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[Andy Hall]

On Sun, 6 Jul 2003 21:36:34 +0100, "Mark B"
> wrote:

>
>"James Mawson" > wrote in message
...
>> We are replacing our kitchen, and are considering a granite work top, what
>> are the pros and cons of these work tops over the more traditional
>chipboard
>> laminate type? Apart from being lots cheaper?
>>
>> Regards
>>
>> James
>
>One disadvantage is people might think you are being a flash git.
>
>
>mark b
>
>
Now why would they think that?

..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

[Bob Minchin]

James Mawson wrote:

> We are replacing our kitchen, and are considering a granite work top, what
> are the pros and cons of these work tops over the more traditional chipboard
> laminate type? Apart from being lots cheaper?
>
> Regards
>
> James

Granite is very durable but so are ordinary laminates if you take care of them
(ours are still good after 20 years).
Granite will be totally unforgiving if you drop any glass or china on it!
If you are working on a budget then granite is not worth it IMO.

[Tony Halmarack]

On Mon, 7 Jul 2003 08:58:44 +0100, Peter Twydell >
wrote:

[...]
>>I don't know about the value of granite as a worktop, but I do know someone
>>who had it as the top of a table on the terrace. Eventually, it ended up
>>covered with a thick felt pad and a table cloth, to prevent the frequent
>>loss of crockery and glassware.
>>
>>Colin Bignell
>>
>>
>Glassware breakage is unpredictable.

Not in this household it isn't. Glassware here often collides with other
objects and the results are usually pretty much the same.

>One of our crystal glasses fell
>from coffee table height onto a parquet floor and just bounced. An
>identical glass, or it might have been the same one, fell a short time
>later from the same surface onto a thick Berber rug, smashing into
>several pieces.

--
Tony Halmarack

[sw]

James Mawson > wrote:

> We are replacing our kitchen, and are considering a granite work top, what
> are the pros and cons of these work tops over the more traditional chipboard
> laminate type? Apart from being lots cheaper?

Talking with a stonemason whose firm supplies granite worktops, he
commented on the large number of people who are disappointed several
years later when they discover that scratches, chips, etc in the granite
due to normal wear can't be properly repaired in situ, as the process
that gives the high gloss finish requires heating as well as polishing.

regards
sarah

--
Waist deep, neck deep
We'll be drowning before too long
We're neck deep in the Big Muddy
And the damned fools keep yelling to push on

[BillR]

Bob Minchin wrote:
> James Mawson wrote:
>
>> We are replacing our kitchen, and are considering a granite work
>> top, what are the pros and cons of these work tops over the more
>> traditional chipboard laminate type? Apart from being lots cheaper?
>>
>> Regards
>>
>> James
>
> Granite is very durable but so are ordinary laminates if you take
> care of them (ours are still good after 20 years).
> Granite will be totally unforgiving if you drop any glass or china on
> it!
> If you are working on a budget then granite is not worth it IMO.
To look right everything else in the kitchen has got to be of the highest
quality.
I've seen it done in a bachelor pad. Stainless steel on the walls instead of
tiles etc, the works.
Looked fabulous but he hardly did any cooking.
Granite worktop on MFI kitchen units would look naff.
Like the boys who spend £2k on car audio when car is only worth £500.

[Andy Hall]

On Mon, 7 Jul 2003 09:39:28 +0100, (sw) wrote:

>James Mawson > wrote:
>
>> We are replacing our kitchen, and are considering a granite work top, what
>> are the pros and cons of these work tops over the more traditional chipboard
>> laminate type? Apart from being lots cheaper?
>
>Talking with a stonemason whose firm supplies granite worktops, he
>commented on the large number of people who are disappointed several
>years later when they discover that scratches, chips, etc in the granite
>due to normal wear can't be properly repaired in situ, as the process
>that gives the high gloss finish requires heating as well as polishing.
>
>regards
>sarah

Except that scratches and chips require a great deal of abuse beyond
normal wear and tear to the surface to achieve provided that the
original material is of good quality.

We use ours for a cutting surface when cooking and have not marked it.

Equally, we do take care of the surface per the recommendations.



..andy

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[Andy Hall]

On Mon, 7 Jul 2003 20:20:11 +0100, "Lawrence Milbourn"
> wrote:

>Of course, Granite is a source of Radon gas! Commonly found under the
>floors in Devon and the Lake District among other places.

Kitchens aren't exactly unventilated, which is what's important...

..andy

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[geoff]

In message >, Andy Hall
> writes
>On Mon, 7 Jul 2003 20:20:11 +0100, "Lawrence Milbourn"
> wrote:
>
>>Of course, Granite is a source of Radon gas! Commonly found under the
>>floors in Devon and the Lake District among other places.
>
>Kitchens aren't exactly unventilated, which is what's important...
>

.... And I very much doubt that the average kitchen work top has the
thousands of cubic metres in it to release any appreciative quantity of
Radon
--
geoff