Granite Worktops - Truth, Lies and misinformation

cyclonebri1

Alan,

Just how long have granite worktops been available?
and have you any idea how the earliest installations are holding up??, just out of interest.
I guess it's a case of most folks moving out of their homes before it becomes an issue???

Alan_M_2

Granite (and marble) worktops have been around for centuries, just visit Italy for a look see.

The form that we understand now started becoming more popular as the tool technology advanced to make the fabrication of the raw material less specialised and restircted solely to experienced masons.

A good granite installation is only as solid as the base to which it's fitted. However if this is solid, there is no reason the installation would comfortably outlive the occupants, or multiple occupants even.

m10nrj

Hi Alan,
A newbie here! Great post . Any suppliers around Gt Yarmouth -Norwich area. Many thanks

Alan_M_2

m10nrj wrote: »

Hi Alan,
A newbie here! Great post . Any suppliers around Gt Yarmouth -Norwich area. Many thanks

There's a firm near Norwich who are very pleaseant to deal with:-


http://www.hbglass.biz/

Anne3333

Does anyone know if you use 20mm granite for worktop whether you need to provide extra support underneath, such as waterproof mdf? I am thinking in particular because of the cut-outs for the undermount sink and induction hob?
Thanks

Alan_M_2

20mm is used as standard in the USA (and a lot of Europe), generally with the edge doubled up to make it look 40mm thick.

The type of granite chosen will determine if this is viable or not and how much reinforcement is necessary.

So yes it's quite possible, but it won't be any cheaper than 30mm. In fact it may be a little more expensive if reinforcement work is required.

phoebe1989seb

Hi Alan,

Looking for some advice please regarding the choice of granite for a kitchen island unit. In our last two houses we have had Baltic Brown worktops and islands, but in our new house we thought we'd go for something a little more daring. We have been to stone circle in Basingstoke and saw a gorgeous granite (Laponia - a greeny/blue and cream) and have a quote for this for a 30mm deep island (1600 x 1000). As an alternative we also wanted a quote for a colour that might better stand the test of time and the only one that really matched our colour scheme was a Marron - but this of course is a marble.

The guys at stone circle said the Marron would be fine as long as we were careful, ie didn't chop on it, watch out for spills etc and as it's just DH and I at home now and we are very careful, we thought this would be ok........but now I'm having my doubts. Another supplier (shaw stone) whom we have yet to visit, notes on their website that marble is not recommended for use as a kitchen work surface so I'm now beginning to doubt what stone circle have said.........

However, the Laponia quote has come in at 4x the price of the Marron :eek:

We are only having this in the kitchen island though as we intend to have teak worktops.

So really, to sum up, is Marron marble suitable for an island unit and also are there any other suppliers you would recommend in the Wilts/Dorset/Hants area please?

Many thanks for your expert opinion and for such an informative thread

Phoebe x

Alan_M_2

It's not a case of "suitable" it's more a case of "expectations".

Of course marble can be used in a kitchen, why not, the Italians have been doing for centuries. The thing is, the Italians like it looking aged and beaten up as if the stone has been there for centuries.

In the UK we are obsessed with perfection (of natural products).

Marron will look stunning as a centre piece. However, it will mark, it will stain, it will scratch and it will chip. To some that adds beauty, to others that is simply not acceptable.

The overwhelming majority of UK customers fall into the not acceptable category, so generally installers simply say the product isn't suitable. They don't want to be field the call 3 months down the line saying the top is marked, stained, scratched and chips and we're going to sue you if you don't put it right!

So you now see why many firms would prefer not to get involved.

In summary, of course you can use it for the island, but be aware it would primarily be a decorative piece and if you wanted it to reamin looking as good as the day it was fitted, you'd need to cover it whislt it was being used.

phoebe1989seb

Thanks for your very helpful response Alan - I think that whilst we as a couple are very careful, the risks involved in keeping the marble pristine are probably too great even for us! Whilst my DH is more accepting of imperfections, I hold my hand up and admit to being more of a (unrealistic) perfectionist

We will just have to work out whether we can justify spending just under £2k on the top for an island unit in the Laponia granite or whether to revert back to a less expensive type such as our old faithful, the Baltic Brown!

Very many thanks again........

mbftw

Just a quick note re Diapol (https://www.diapol.co.uk) as I spent some time trying to find a granite supplier.

Our kitchen - priced up with 30mm star galaxy from magnet - the worktop itself priced at £4000. This included one undermounted sink, one tap hole, one hob hole, one set of 5 drainage grooves and two curved worktop ends (following curved units).

Diapol autoquote came to £2300.

Phoned up diapol on a monday morning, spoke to a very helpful Jason who helped to organise a site visit by Paul on wednesday. he did all his measuring, and quoted £1875+vat. kept me informed via email (along with Lia) with what was happening re production delivery etc. granite fitted 16 days after measuring.

Fantastic finish, no chips no errors. faultless.

A thoroughly professional outfit from start to finish. no hesitation to recommend

hope this helps someone!!!

asln