Forum home The potting shed
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

kitchen worktops

I have to replace my one and only small workshop, I'm thinking about granite , always liked the natural stone 

I'm looking for others opinions please.. good or badimage.

«13

Posts

  • For a moment there I thought the kitchen spammers were back - so glad to see it's you Cangran image

    I've not had a granite worktop but friends and relatives who have are very happy with them.  I must say I prefer natural wood, but it does take a lot of looking after. 

    At the moment we have the kitchen that came with the house and it's just ordinary whatever worktops are made of these days.  It's a dark speckle to look like granite - I must say I'd have chosen a lighter plainer colour - this is very difficult to see small things on, like pools of water, drips of oil etc, and it's hard to make it look clean, even when it is.  So if you're going for granite, I'd say go for one of the lighter shades. image


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • I had a granite worktop in a previous house and it was lovely, One thing though, it takes no prisoners, broke countless wine glasses and a jam jar (full) once and a couple of china plates, you have to treat it with respect, a lesson I quickly learned. Great for rolling pastry though, nice & cold. image

    • “Coffee. Garden. Coffee. Does a good morning need anything else?” —Betsy Cañas Garmon
  • Lily PillyLily Pilly Posts: 3,845
    We have okra really hard wood and needs waxing tho I am not as diligent as I used to be. This is my 6 th kitchen and I like it the best
    Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
    A A Milne
  • GemmaJFGemmaJF Posts: 2,286

    I went for granite worktops when we had the kitchen put in 7 or 8 years ago, love them, so easy to keep clean and looking like new. I'm really glad I made the choice to go with them and would do again if it suited the property.  image

  • AshdaleAshdale Posts: 149

    We had a new kitchen with oak work tops about 5 years ago.  We love the look of them but, as others have said, you have tolook after them to keep them looking good. They are especially difficult around the sink area.  I would go for them again if I was replacing the kitchen but I might consider having granite around the sink area and wood for the rest.  I know some folk do that. 

  • granmagranma Posts: 1,933

    It should have read worktop and not workshop,image

    Don't have workshop,image

    I'm.   Retired

    image 

  • Some of the man-made alternatives are in fact more expensive than granite - e.g. Corian - but they can be made to suit quite quirky spaces and have no visible joins/seams, so few places for germs etc to lurk.  As some of you probably know, I still work (for an estate agent) and over the years have probably seen more kitchens than most people!  I absolutely agree with one of the earlier posts which explains the problems with wooden surfaces, especially around the sink/taps, so wouldn't recommend it.  The other things to think about are the type of sink you have, and also to allow some sort of "upstand" at the rear of the worktop where it meets the wall.  If there's no "upstand" you eventually get marks on the wall itself where cleaning cloths and counter-top spills leave marks.

     

    If you have a Belfast or Butler's sink (mounted beneath the worktop surface) there can be nasty things lurking there, especially when the sealant isn't done neatly - I've seen some truly disgusting things where this particular aspect hasn't been considered. There are "belfast-type" sinks which are made so that they actually sit on top of the worktop and this seems to be a better option.  I think they're made in France.

     

    You can get granite in lots of different colours now - and some of them look really lovely and are quite forgiving in that they don't show every single grain of spilt sugar!  For my own part I wouldn't want black granite.  - not only because it shows every little streaky mark when you wipe it, but it also reminds me of our family's  grave - the headstone's black granite!

  • I agree with Edd on this one, I live in Aberdeen, the granite city, sadly granite is not quarried in the UK anymore so the carbon footprint with this stone now is quite high. Also its an expensive stone to buy. We got a nice artificial black worktop with white flicks in it from B&Q

  • GemmaJFGemmaJF Posts: 2,286

    I get no streaks on granite if I finish off with a bit of dry kitchen roll, they polish up like new image

  • Alan4711Alan4711 Posts: 1,657

    Havent even got a kitchen yet, were still altering rooms ,I saw on the TV cleaning Ladies used believe it or not WD40 or baby oil to for a nice finish on Granite, WD must smell a bit though,image

Sign In or Register to comment.