Gloss or laminate?????

GT60

Hi i have read on here about gloss worktops and knifes, kids etc.but i cant find it and it was only the other week..(getting old i guess)
So what do we get a nice gloss duropal top or another version duropal top.
Thanks Niall

GT60

Pretty Please

TomsMom

Before we bought our present house we looked at another one which had recently had a kitchen makeover with nice glossy worktops. In fact, my son had fitted the kitchen and his workmate the worktops and a nice job they'd made of it too. It had only been in about 3 months and my goodness how the nice glossy worktop had been scratched and boy did it show! Not even a family living there, it was a lady who lived on her own.

When our kitchen was done in the house we eventually bought we had black granite effect textured worktop, we'd had a brown mottled textured one in the previous house and after 13 years it still looked as good as new.

We've lived in this house now for 10 months, just two of us, and this worktop is showing scratches. Difference between this and the previous house is that the sun shines through the window here and highlights every mark on the worktop, the sun never got onto the worktop in the other house so you assume the scratches were there but they couldn't be seen.

It seems that whatever you put down on whatever worktop has the potential to scratch it - crockery, dishes, etc. Glossy worktops will show scratches up more than textured ones. I can't comment on granite or anything like that, only the Duropal type.

Duropal says this on their website

Enhanced High Gloss (HS)
HS is a fashionable yet enhanced performance gloss finish designed to both complement the effect of the decor and provide improved abrasion resistance when compared to standard gloss finishes. All gloss surface finishes will scratch, and will also show scratches more easily. Additional care should be taken accordingly in both installation and use.

GT60

Thanks for that i knew i had read it somewhere.
So Gloss worktops are a big NO NO.

Niall

BoxerfanUK

We've got Duropal Gloss and they look fantastic, BUT, they are a pain to keep that glossy look and yes they do scratch very easily. Ours are pretty scratch free because we don't cut anything on the worktops themselves and we do look after them but unless you wipe them down with a damp cloth and then dry them with a microfibre cloth they show lots of smears.

My advice, from experience, they look great, but go for a matt or satin finish instead.