stone - dont fancy that, waste of resources, hard to work with. Heavy
(I have to be able to move one)
wood - looks durable but scratches? Then there's stains, turmeric or
saffron, beetroot? Hot pans?
laminate over chipboard - the old cheapo solution, but isnt it best?
--
Mike
Remove clothing to email

If you want sheer utility - stainless steel - same as professional
kitchens.

On 27 Nov, 13:41, Mike... wrote:
stone - dont fancy that, waste of resources, hard to work with. Heavy
(I have to be able to move one)

Can't disagree about the weight, but why a waste of resources?
They're only wasted when you throw them away...

Edward

Following up to wrote:

but why a waste of resources?
They're only wasted when you throw them away...

whats the average life of a fitted kitchen? 5 -10 years or something,
when you see stone with fossils in or something it seems a waste to
me.
--
Mike
Remove clothing to email

"Mike..." wrote in message
...
stone - dont fancy that, waste of resources, hard to work with. Heavy
(I have to be able to move one)
wood - looks durable but scratches? Then there's stains, turmeric or
saffron, beetroot? Hot pans?
laminate over chipboard - the old cheapo solution, but isnt it best?

I'm happy with mine. We tried slate - never looked good and scratched
easily. We originally had pine but the soft parts scrubbed away leaving it
very textured.

Nothing wrong with laminate as a working surface: durable (I've been using
ours for about ten years and it gets hard, daily use; easy to clean; smooth;
lots of designs ...

Mary
--
Mike
Remove clothing to email

"Mike..." wrote in message
...
Following up to wrote:

but why a waste of resources?
They're only wasted when you throw them away...

whats the average life of a fitted kitchen? 5 -10 years or something,
when you see stone with fossils in or something it seems a waste to
me.

Our slate had fossils in it, it had been a bath panel. It's now a bath panel
again at a son's.

No idea of the life of a fitted kitchen, I've never had one, but I bet the
next owner of a house would throw out a stone counter :-(

Mary

On 27 Nov, 13:41, Mike... wrote:
stone - dont fancy that, waste of resources, hard to work with. Heavy
(I have to be able to move one)
wood - looks durable but scratches? Then there's stains, turmeric or
saffron, beetroot? Hot pans?
laminate over chipboard - the old cheapo solution, but isnt it best?
--
Mike
Remove clothing to email

Don't disagree. Just got an Ikea "custom" worktop which is laminate
top with a wooden edging; looks perfect in our kitchen, and cost about
40% of a stone worktop.

Matt

In uk.d-i-y, Mike... wrote:
Following up to wrote:

but why a waste of resources?
They're only wasted when you throw them away...

whats the average life of a fitted kitchen? 5 -10 years or something,

But use better materials and it will last a lot longer than that. I was
surprised the other day to realise that our kitchen (solid wood units,
granite worktops, limestone floor) is now ten years old, because it
feels as if it's still in its infancy.

--
Mike Barnes

wrote:
On 27 Nov, 13:41, Mike... wrote:
stone - dont fancy that, waste of resources, hard to work with. Heavy
(I have to be able to move one)
wood - looks durable but scratches? Then there's stains, turmeric or
saffron, beetroot? Hot pans?
laminate over chipboard - the old cheapo solution, but isnt it best?
--
Mike
Remove clothing to email

Don't disagree. Just got an Ikea "custom" worktop which is laminate
top with a wooden edging; looks perfect in our kitchen, and cost about
40% of a stone worktop.

Matt
Stainless steel is hell to keep clean, just touching them leaves a mark.
I think the best is laminate, though choose a smooth, not textured
finish, for ease to clean.

"Mike Barnes" wrote in message
...
In uk.d-i-y, Mike... wrote:
Following up to wrote:

but why a waste of resources?
They're only wasted when you throw them away...

whats the average life of a fitted kitchen? 5 -10 years or something,

But use better materials and it will last a lot longer than that.

Unless a new owner doesn't like it ...

I was
surprised the other day to realise that our kitchen (solid wood units,
granite worktops, limestone floor) is now ten years old, because it
feels as if it's still in its infancy.

Our kitchen is much as it was in 1937 ...

Mary

Broadback wrote:

I think the best is laminate, though choose a smooth, not textured
finish, for ease to clean.

But not glossy, whatever you do... those get scratched by being *looked* at.

David

"Lobster" wrote in message
...
Broadback wrote:

I think the best is laminate, though choose a smooth, not textured
finish, for ease to clean.

But not glossy, whatever you do... those get scratched by being *looked*
at.

?

Ours hasn't got scratched over several years of hard use. It still wipes
with a damp cloth, no scrubbing ever needed.

I don't know what make ours is, it was an offcut given to us by a neighbour.

Mary

Mary Fisher wrote:
"Lobster" wrote in message
...
Broadback wrote:

I think the best is laminate, though choose a smooth, not textured
finish, for ease to clean.
But not glossy, whatever you do... those get scratched by being *looked*
at.

?

Ours hasn't got scratched over several years of hard use. It still wipes
with a damp cloth, no scrubbing ever needed.

I don't know what make ours is, it was an offcut given to us by a neighbour.

Well I'm sure we must be talking about different things then!
David

"Lobster" wrote in message
...
Mary Fisher wrote:
"Lobster" wrote in message
...
Broadback wrote:

I think the best is laminate, though choose a smooth, not textured
finish, for ease to clean.
But not glossy, whatever you do... those get scratched by being *looked*
at.

?

Ours hasn't got scratched over several years of hard use. It still wipes
with a damp cloth, no scrubbing ever needed.

I don't know what make ours is, it was an offcut given to us by a
neighbour.

Well I'm sure we must be talking about different things then!
David

Perhaps - but does it really matter?

:-)

Mary

On Nov 28, 1:53 pm, "Mary Fisher" wrote:
"Lobster" wrote in message

...





Mary Fisher wrote:
"Lobster" wrote in message
...
Broadback wrote:

I think the best is laminate, though choose a smooth, not textured
finish, for ease to clean.
But not glossy, whatever you do... those get scratched by being *looked*
at.

?

Ours hasn't got scratched over several years of hard use. It still wipes
with a damp cloth, no scrubbing ever needed.

I don't know what make ours is, it was an offcut given to us by a
neighbour.

Well I'm sure we must be talking about different things then!
David

Perhaps - but does it really matter?

Well yes probably to the OP because if he were to end up with whatever
you have, it sounds like he'd be fine; which is more than I can say
about the glossy laminate stuff which I'm on about...!

David

On 27 Nov, 19:38, "Mary Fisher" wrote:
"Mike Barnes" wrote in message

...

In uk.d-i-y, Mike... wrote:
Following up to wrote:

but why a waste of resources?
They're only wasted when you throw them away...

whats the average life of a fitted kitchen? 5 -10 years or something,

But use better materials and it will last a lot longer than that.

Unless a new owner doesn't like it ...

I was
surprised the other day to realise that our kitchen (solid wood units,
granite worktops, limestone floor) is now ten years old, because it
feels as if it's still in its infancy.

Our kitchen is much as it was in 1937 ...

Mary

Really. Was the house built in 1937, or was the kitchen "refitted"
then ?
Any chance of a description or some photos ? I've demolished the back
of our old kitchen to make way for an extension (the old wash-house
and pantry area). There is still an old ceramic soap dish recessed
into the kitchen wall behind the current sink unit, so I guess there
would have been a white sink their originally, but it is quite low
down.
I wish I could go back and see what houses were originally like. It's
a real mystery when you see some of the old lead pipes and rubber
wiring wind around the house and appear in strange places.
Simon.

Broadback wrote:

I think the best is laminate, though choose a smooth, not textured
finish, for ease to clean.

My present kitchen came with the house, and must be about 25
years old. The worktops are a slightly textured wood-effect
laminate. No prizes for fashion, but that are easy to clean,
don't show marks, and display no visible signs of their age.

We are planning a re-fit, and if I can get a similar quality in
granite-effect, I will probably use it.

Chris
--
Chris J Dixon Nottingham UK


Have dancing shoes, will ceilidh.

"sm_jamieson" wrote in message
...

Our kitchen is much as it was in 1937 ...

Mary

Really. Was the house built in 1937, or was the kitchen "refitted"
then ?

Built then.

Any chance of a description or some photos ? I've demolished the back
of our old kitchen to make way for an extension (the old wash-house
and pantry area). There is still an old ceramic soap dish recessed
into the kitchen wall behind the current sink unit, so I guess there
would have been a white sink their originally, but it is quite low
down.

There was one of those recessed soap dishes over our bath but it was broken
when we replaced the bath :-( We do have a recessed toilet roll holder in
the lav wall.

There was a deep Belfast sink with a rotting wooden draining board, they've
been replaced with a stainless steel double drainer sink, still in the same
place. The taps came out of the wall behind the sink, through the tiles. All
the tiles are still there, so are the threaded tap holes but we have a pair
of swan necked taps for the sink now, the originals would have been in the
wrong place.

A floor to ceiling cupboard with glass doors was altered to make an overhead
cupboard for infrequently used items, the counter was shortened so that a
high fridge could be put under the cupboard.

There were shelves along the inner wall, they're still in use but without
the sliding doors, they're just open now. The cupboards under the counter
had sliding doors too, one had to go to accommodate the washing machine so
that has a swing door now. Washing was done originally in a gas boiler with
wringer, they're both in the garden now serving different purposes.

A ch boiler has been added on a wall, a 90cm cooker instead of the old
standard small one and a hood over it. I don't think there were any power
points, there are now eight, so really quite a lot has been done - but it
could be restored very easily to the original. The pantry is exactly the
same as ever, with its green tiles on the stone and two tiers of shelves. I
refuse to remove the tiles, both in the kitchen and in the bathroom and I
wouldn't be without the pantry.

We have no more lead plumbing in the house, it was perforated when we moved
in, I think the fireback boiler is still there though. We also re-wired the
house so it has no more twin flex or rubber sheathed wire - some in steel
conduits. It was an interesting exercise.

I know that most houses in the street have virtually been gutted to make
them 'modern'. I'm not modern so why should I live in a 'modern' house? Some
modern appliances are desirable, their presence doesn't usually interfere
with the fabric of the house.

I wish I could go back and see what houses were originally like. It's
a real mystery when you see some of the old lead pipes and rubber
wiring wind around the house and appear in strange places.

Yes, It's fascinating. Even more so when you look at a building which is
centuries old - and in ruins! But it's amazing how much can be gleaned from
what's left.

Mary

"Lobster" wrote in message
news:214c252e-400f-4769-b9aa-

Ours hasn't got scratched over several years of hard use. It still
wipes
with a damp cloth, no scrubbing ever needed.

I don't know what make ours is, it was an offcut given to us by a
neighbour.

Well I'm sure we must be talking about different things then!
David

Perhaps - but does it really matter?

Well yes probably to the OP because if he were to end up with whatever
you have, it sounds like he'd be fine; which is more than I can say
about the glossy laminate stuff which I'm on about...!

No - what I meant was does it matter that a shiny surface remains shiny? I
mean - how much time do you spend looking at it ?

:-)

Mary

"Mary Fisher" wrote in message
t...

"Lobster" wrote in message
news:214c252e-400f-4769-b9aa-

Ours hasn't got scratched over several years of hard use. It still
wipes
with a damp cloth, no scrubbing ever needed.

I don't know what make ours is, it was an offcut given to us by a
neighbour.

Well I'm sure we must be talking about different things then!
David

Perhaps - but does it really matter?

Well yes probably to the OP because if he were to end up with whatever
you have, it sounds like he'd be fine; which is more than I can say
about the glossy laminate stuff which I'm on about...!

No - what I meant was does it matter that a shiny surface remains shiny? I
mean - how much time do you spend looking at it ?

Just purchasing a kitchen ( .

The salesman was kind enough to say "don't buy the shiny ones, they scratch
too easily and look rubbish after a while". We have gone for a more matt
effect instead. On inspecting the ones in the showroom, the shiny ones were
scratched and did look rubbish.

Can't afford Corian or other things unfortunately.


--
Bob Mannix
(anti-spam is as easy as 1-2-3 - not)

"Bob Mannix" wrote in message
...

Just purchasing a kitchen ( .

You have my sympathy ...

The salesman was kind enough to say "don't buy the shiny ones, they
scratch too easily and look rubbish after a while". We have gone for a
more matt effect instead. On inspecting the ones in the showroom, the
shiny ones were scratched and did look rubbish.

But I still ask how much time would be spent looking at it?

Can't afford Corian or other things unfortunately.

No idea what that is. Ours is a granite look-alike, it cost us nothing. In
August we spent time with millionaire friends in Aberdeen, they had shiny
granite tiles on their huge hall and kitchen floor but their kitchen
surfaces were exactly the same as our counter - I looked underneath and saw
the base :-)

Mary

On 28 Nov, 16:55, "Mary Fisher" wrote:
"sm_jamieson" wrote in message

...



Our kitchen is much as it was in 1937 ...

Mary

Really. Was the house built in 1937, or was the kitchen "refitted"
then ?

Built then.

Any chance of a description or some photos ? I've demolished the back
of our old kitchen to make way for an extension (the old wash-house
and pantry area). There is still an old ceramic soap dish recessed
into the kitchen wall behind the current sink unit, so I guess there
would have been a white sink their originally, but it is quite low
down.

There was one of those recessed soap dishes over our bath but it was broken
when we replaced the bath :-( We do have a recessed toilet roll holder in
the lav wall.

Same when I did the bathroom. The dish went half way through the wall.
I presume nextdoors was in a different place, since I would have
otherwise encountered the back of her dish (which she says is still
there). I fill the gap with half a brick well-mortared in !


There was a deep Belfast sink with a rotting wooden draining board, they've
been replaced with a stainless steel double drainer sink, still in the same
place. The taps came out of the wall behind the sink, through the tiles. All
the tiles are still there, so are the threaded tap holes but we have a pair
of swan necked taps for the sink now, the originals would have been in the
wrong place.

We had such a cold tap coming out of the wall in the wash-house (which
was originally "outside" off a roofed porch area, but had been walled
in at some point). A hot tap had been added via a precarious length
copper pipe all connected with very bulky compression joints.


A floor to ceiling cupboard with glass doors was altered to make an overhead
cupboard for infrequently used items, the counter was shortened so that a
high fridge could be put under the cupboard.

We have such a cupboard all with solid doors which will go when the
new downstairs toilet goes in, but SWMABO has insisted I try and move
it. It's build in, so that may be tricky !

There were shelves along the inner wall, they're still in use but without
the sliding doors, they're just open now. The cupboards under the counter
had sliding doors too, one had to go to accommodate the washing machine so
that has a swing door now. Washing was done originally in a gas boiler with
wringer, they're both in the garden now serving different purposes.

A ch boiler has been added on a wall, a 90cm cooker instead of the old
standard small one and a hood over it. I don't think there were any power
points, there are now eight, so really quite a lot has been done - but it
could be restored very easily to the original. The pantry is exactly the
same as ever, with its green tiles on the stone and two tiers of shelves. I
refuse to remove the tiles, both in the kitchen and in the bathroom and I
wouldn't be without the pantry.

The lady next door still has her panty (I'll leave in that typo !) -
it has a very large air brick to outside (typo is getting funnier
now ...). I thus realised the point of the covered porch at the back -
all carefully thought out by the designers. The kitchen had two doors
next to each other, one for the pantry and one was the back door. A
large airbrick vented the pantry into the covered porch, which
provided shelter from the sun for the south-facing kitchen.

We have no more lead plumbing in the house, it was perforated when we moved
in, I think the fireback boiler is still there though. We also re-wired the
house so it has no more twin flex or rubber sheathed wire - some in steel
conduits. It was an interesting exercise.

I know that most houses in the street have virtually been gutted to make
them 'modern'. I'm not modern so why should I live in a 'modern' house? Some
modern appliances are desirable, their presence doesn't usually interfere
with the fabric of the house.

One thing we are not doing is knocking through back and front rooms,
which probably 70 percent of the houses have done in the street. I'd
like to build a larger porch and enlarge the hall area, but we'd have
to lose the original front door with stained glass, which would be a
shame.


I wish I could go back and see what houses were originally like. It's
a real mystery when you see some of the old lead pipes and rubber
wiring wind around the house and appear in strange places.


Yes, It's fascinating. Even more so when you look at a building which is
centuries old - and in ruins! But it's amazing how much can be gleaned from
what's left.

Mary

Simon.

On Tue, 27 Nov 2007 17:41:28 +0000, Mike Barnes wrote:

In uk.d-i-y, Mike... wrote:
Following up to wrote:

but why a waste of resources?
They're only wasted when you throw them away...

whats the average life of a fitted kitchen? 5 -10 years or something,

But use better materials and it will last a lot longer than that. I was
surprised the other day to realise that our kitchen (solid wood units,
granite worktops, limestone floor) is now ten years old, because it
feels as if it's still in its infancy.

Those are good materials.
Our kitchen is ordinary materials but at their better end.
So 18mm cupboards and 38mm worktops and doing fine after 17 years.




--
Ed Sirett - Property maintainer and registered gas fitter.
The FAQ for uk.diy is at http://www.diyfaq.org.uk
Gas fitting FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/GasFitting.html
Sealed CH FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/SealedCH.html
Choosing a Boiler FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/BoilerChoice.html

"sm_jamieson" wrote in message
...

snip old stuff and possible typos

refuse to remove the tiles, both in the kitchen and in the bathroom and I
wouldn't be without the pantry.

The lady next door still has her panty (I'll leave in that typo !) -
it has a very large air brick to outside (typo is getting funnier
now ...).

Ours has a small casement window, part glass, part perforated zinc sheet.

I thus realised the point of the covered porch at the back -
all carefully thought out by the designers. The kitchen had two doors
next to each other, one for the pantry and one was the back door.

There's posh!

Mind you, there was a door on the outside wall which was for the coal store,
underneath the stairs and behind the pantry. Never thought about making it
into a separate entrance to the pantry, a bit OTT ...



We have no more lead plumbing in the house, it was perforated when we
moved
in, I think the fireback boiler is still there though. We also re-wired
the
house so it has no more twin flex or rubber sheathed wire - some in steel
conduits. It was an interesting exercise.

I know that most houses in the street have virtually been gutted to make
them 'modern'. I'm not modern so why should I live in a 'modern' house?
Some
modern appliances are desirable, their presence doesn't usually interfere
with the fabric of the house.

One thing we are not doing is knocking through back and front rooms,
which probably 70 percent of the houses have done in the street.

A lot of our neighbours have done that. We like to have retreats, especially
when the children were at home.

I'd
like to build a larger porch and enlarge the hall area, but we'd have
to lose the original front door with stained glass, which would be a
shame.

Do you need to? Our front door has its original light which is a smaller and
round verson (a galleon) of the hall and landing lights. We built a porch
but the front door is still there.

Mary

On 28 Nov, 19:54, "Mary Fisher" wrote:
"sm_jamieson" wrote in message

...

snip old stuff and possible typos

refuse to remove the tiles, both in the kitchen and in the bathroom and I
wouldn't be without the pantry.

The lady next door still has her panty (I'll leave in that typo !) -
it has a very large air brick to outside (typo is getting funnier
now ...).

Ours has a small casement window, part glass, part perforated zinc sheet.

I thus realised the point of the covered porch at the back -
all carefully thought out by the designers. The kitchen had two doors
next to each other, one for the pantry and one was the back door.

There's posh!

Mind you, there was a door on the outside wall which was for the coal store,
underneath the stairs and behind the pantry. Never thought about making it
into a separate entrance to the pantry, a bit OTT ...





We have no more lead plumbing in the house, it was perforated when we
moved
in, I think the fireback boiler is still there though. We also re-wired
the
house so it has no more twin flex or rubber sheathed wire - some in steel
conduits. It was an interesting exercise.

I know that most houses in the street have virtually been gutted to make
them 'modern'. I'm not modern so why should I live in a 'modern' house?
Some
modern appliances are desirable, their presence doesn't usually interfere
with the fabric of the house.

One thing we are not doing is knocking through back and front rooms,
which probably 70 percent of the houses have done in the street.

A lot of our neighbours have done that. We like to have retreats, especially
when the children were at home.

We don't have children yet, but figured someone doing homework in one
room, TV in the other etc.


I'd
like to build a larger porch and enlarge the hall area, but we'd have
to lose the original front door with stained glass, which would be a
shame.

Do you need to? Our front door has its original light which is a smaller and
round verson (a galleon) of the hall and landing lights. We built a porch
but the front door is still there.

We don't need to, its just I like large hallways, adds to the spacious
feel I guess. At the moment the porch is just the enclosed arch at the
front. I would remove the original inner door and build a new porch on
the front, so the hall gets longer.
Our stairs are quite near the front door at present and it would give
more space for putting on coats etc, and its a nice place to put the
Christmas tree ! Anyway, it's the extension out back next year. I've
now got the foundations poured (dug by hand for various reasons !), so
bricklaying starts next year when the weather is better and the
evenings lighter.
Simon.

"sm_jamieson" wrote in message
...

....


One thing we are not doing is knocking through back and front rooms,
which probably 70 percent of the houses have done in the street.

A lot of our neighbours have done that. We like to have retreats,
especially
when the children were at home.

We don't have children yet, but figured someone doing homework in one
room, TV in the other etc.

Very wise. We didn't have a tv (still don't) but we had five children in
seven years and needed to have somewhere quiet for us. The children need to
get away from parents too.


I'd
like to build a larger porch and enlarge the hall area, but we'd have
to lose the original front door with stained glass, which would be a
shame.

Do you need to? Our front door has its original light which is a smaller
and
round verson (a galleon) of the hall and landing lights. We built a porch
but the front door is still there.

We don't need to, its just I like large hallways, adds to the spacious
feel I guess.

It would be nice, but how much time do you spend in the hall? In your
situation I'd concentrate on the living areas. We all have different needs
and ideas though, I'm not preaching.

At the moment the porch is just the enclosed arch at the
front. I would remove the original inner door and build a new porch on
the front, so the hall gets longer.
Our stairs are quite near the front door at present and it would give
more space for putting on coats etc,

That's certainly a bonus. It becomes even more important when there are
children, prams, toys and ... Oh how glad I am that ours have flown :-) Not
that we hzve any more space, in fact there seems to be less ...

and its a nice place to put the
Christmas tree ! Anyway, it's the extension out back next year. I've
now got the foundations poured (dug by hand for various reasons !), so
bricklaying starts next year when the weather is better and the
evenings lighter.

Well done! We're still thinking about an extension -first mooted 42 years
ago :-)

Mary
Simon.