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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