Granite Worktops - Truth, Lies and misinformation

Stonemason1985

P.s Blanco Zeus is a beautiful white. So white and so much better than the other imitations. That is one thing I will say about there pure white there is just something about it. Real class, real quality. When you put them against others the Silestone just has that edge.

A real real pain to keep clean tho.!!!
We use astonish cream cleaner on any stubborn deposits but lets get this straight it's not easy to keep looking pristine. One great trick that I use as a mason when I get a really dirty bit of quartz to clean up and cut something out of. I will use a Stanley blade on the surface taking off all of the excess crap (also works great for water marks). You will never scratch the stone just be careful and you will be amazed at how much gunk and crap comes of the surface. No matter what you use to clean it after scraping with a blade. It is important that the surface is free of any residues or greasy deposits. Otherwise you will just work them into the material and be left with smeary marks which is a common complaint when cleaning not only quartz but all natural stone.

Stonemason1985

Thanks cyclone. I am a CNC Programmer and machinist myself. My stone saw is the Rolls Royce of stone machinery and everything and I mean everything that leaves are workshop is perfect. Unfortunately there are a lot of small one man bands cropping up all over the country that have none of this machinery or attitude and will leave you disappointed.

suisidevw

Stonemason1985 wrote: »

If your only having two runs that will come out of one slab which should keep the cost down. The upstands will come off the bottom of the slab and be milled down to 20mm. Looking at the measurements the worktops are what 3m2? Going off other quotes I have seen through my company in the high end quartz. What you have been quoted seems a good competitive price to me.
What sink cut out? Undermount or drop in?
Flush mount hob or overhung?
How many tap holes?
Recessed drainer areas? All of these things will push the price up.

What I can do is I could get you a quote through my company going off those measurements you gave me. I know for a fact we will be the most expensive in the country so that could be a good comparison for you.

Yes. So the spec is two runs of 2.55m, one side with undermounted sink cutout, drainer grooves and induction hob cut out. Just one gap hole.

It seemed like a good price compared to others so I'm just being wary really! If you could confirm this by comparing what your company would charge it would be much appreciated.

It's either blanco Zeus or white storm which has a small fleck in it

Thanks

notanewuser

Everything else in my new kitchen is negotiable, but the Silestone Zirconium! Trust me to choose the most expensive. Going to be about £5.5k!

Stonemason1985

SSV and others who it may concern. Just a heads up. I know only just recently there are various fabricators that have bought "seconds" from Silestone. They have bought it cheap because Silestone are not offering the same warranty against the material. It has something to do with the curing process during manufacture at there home in Almeria, Spain. I have no idea exactly what was wrong with it but during testing It didn't meet there standards. So it is being sold at discount prices to various suppliers and fabricators all over the UK and the rest of Europe. Silestone want nothing to do with it tho and offer no warranty or any of there other after sales guarantees. And you will get no help from them in say a year or two when the material is badly warped or damaged from the light or water or any number of other things.
I know this because we have been offered this discounted material by our Silestone representative. He was quite upfront about it however we still didn't buy any. Some on the other hand have done and we are recently seeing a lot of cheap quotes from other companies in Silestone and me and others have discussed whether or not this "seconds" material could be the reason why.
So just a warning make sure that you are not being sold this. If you want to check. I was told after by a colleague, that it will not carry the Silestone branding on the underside of the slabs. So always ask to see the underside of your material and be sure that is a Silestone registered trademark slab. It always has the branding all over the bottom you can't miss it.

SSV I will get a rough quote for your comparison tomorrow. Like I say we are expensive but we are the best so you should know where you stand with your quotes.

suisidevw

Thanks SM.

The White Storm, the other option comes in cheaper at £1560 compared to £1700 +VAT.

I've been to where they work, it looks like a stone masons yard etc, they template etc and the quality if their two show kitchens in a small studio look good. I'm guessing that the price difference compared to another local seller is that they aren't in snazzy sales uniform of have ten kitchens on display. It was very much a work room!

suisidevw

And a sill ledge is £40 (he said he'd use part of the slab and polish etc and splash back in the same material £300, both inc of VAT

suisidevw

notanewuser wrote: »

Everything else in my new kitchen is negotiable, but the Silestone Zirconium! Trust me to choose the most expensive. Going to be about £5.5k!

Wowsers. How much is that for?!

notanewuser

suisidevw wrote: »

Wowsers. How much is that for?!

U shaped kitchen (with wide peninsular) plus L shaped utility - about 5.8 sq metres. Includes cut outs for 2.5 undermounted sinks plus induction hob, cut out to fit around a pillar, drainer grooves x2, 10cm up stands plus all the edge polishing etc.

Stonemason1985

notanewuser wrote: »

U shaped kitchen (with wide peninsular) plus L shaped utility - about 5.8 sq metres. Includes cut outs for 2.5 undermounted sinks plus induction hob, cut out to fit around a pillar, drainer grooves x2, 10cm up stands plus all the edge polishing etc.

Nice!! Zirconium is a beautiful material. All that mirror, honestly once it is fitted in looks spectacular. Funny stuff to cut and polish because of the mirror content but really nice stuff. Good choice.

Have you seen some of the other new Silestone mirrors? They are new materials for 2014 and they are incredible.