Granite Worktops

[Guest franticfisherman2]

sorry to be boring guys and gals - wor lass wants a new kitchen and fancies those horrendously expensive real granite worktops. Are they any good? i.e. will they chip or scratch easily - does anyone have any experience of them? thanks for your help.................

[barry luxton]

sorry to be boring guys and gals - wor lass wants a new kitchen and fancies those horrendously expensive real granite worktops. Are they any good? i.e. will they chip or scratch easily - does anyone have any experience of them? thanks for your help.................

Been on site where they fit 'corian' work tops. Even the sink and drainer is made to look like granite , marble, they are quite expensive, if they get seriously damaged, you can give the company a ring and they would do a repolish, They also have resin fillers that can match any colour, superb, hard wearing. I do not have further info, try through gogel. Or look below, cheers

Edited February 24, 2007 by barry luxton

[Newt]

Corian is the way to go IMO. Not cheap by any means but long lasting and with the colour/design through the full thickness rather than some sort of surface treatment, a bit of damage can be buffed out pretty easily.

 

If I had a choice of granite or Corian at no charge to me, I would opt for the Corian.

[severus]

I just installed new kitchen cabinetry for a client; they had another company install black granite on the countertops. Great looking stuff, but I didn't care for the seam connecting two sections. Also, granite is a porous surface unlike Corian or laminate products, so care has to be taken not to stain it or ruin it by exposing it to oils, etc. On the other hand, it looks fantastic, particularly with the tile backsplash they selected. I can post a photo or two next week if you wish.

[Vagabond]

We have a kitchen worktop cut out of a solid piece of garnetiferous gneiss (that's a granite that has been subjected to extreme heat and pressure after it was formed) My son-in-law's family used to own a masonry business, so we got it at cost. (Do you remember it from your visit Newt?)

 

We have had it over twelve years now, and its as good as new. No problems with staining, and it has had a range of things spilt on it over the years - strong coffee, pickled beetroot, bilberrys etc. All of them wipe off easily.

 

Granite is only porous if it has weathered or cracked.

[Yogi]

Not sure about scratching easy but I would imagine they would be heavy so no dropping it on your foot when ure fitting it.

 

Yogi.

[Vagabond]

I would imagine they would be heavy so no dropping it on your foot when fitting it.

 

 

Too right, took two of us to lift it into place once I had fixed the (very strong) supports

 

 

Here is a pic of one corner

 

 

.....and here is a closeup.

 

The reddish brown crystals are the garnets.

 

BTW It is no good burgling our kitchen with a cold chisel and hammer - the garnets are not of gem quality

Edited February 25, 2007 by Vagabond

[Bonzo]

We have used corian in our buildings, not that impressed with it, you have to be really careful what you use to clean it as it can react against some chemicals.

Its a good strong product that can be formed to suit any worktop area, its not cheap.

[Newt]

We have a kitchen worktop cut out of a solid piece of garnetiferous gneiss (that's a granite that has been subjected to extreme heat and pressure after it was formed) My son-in-law's family used to own a masonry business, so we got it at cost. (Do you remember it from your visit Newt?)

Aye Vagabond. I do indeed and thanks for the photos - brings back some good memories.

[Guest franticfisherman2]

thanks a lot everyone! some good info there. I think we (she) might be going down the expensive route!

tis true, it does look fantastic in the showrooms, especially the black with sparkly bits (pyrites) in it. Thanks again