Quartz worktops

lg13mza

Annie1960 wrote: »

Thanks everyone for your suggestions.

I have sent off several online requests for quotes, and am also looking ar Corian.

I have a while to make up my mind as I won't be ready to template for about a month.

We previously had 'get-a-core' which we were sold as a cheaper alternative to corian (its was around 6mm top on chipboard substrate). It scratched like hell. I used to have to polish it with a rotary car polisher around 3 times a year. I wouldn't have it again. And judging by the prices we were quoted when we were doing our new bathroom, quartz was not really any more expensive than corian.

Annie1960

lg13mza wrote: »

And judging by the prices we were quoted when we were doing our new bathroom, quartz was not really any more expensive than corian.

The quotes that I've been getting show that corian is more expensive than quartz.

Annie1960

RosesInTheHospital wrote: »

I used a company called Luna stone - based in WGC, herts. Very good price and the stone & fitting was high quality. Went for 'Platino' which was light and had so many compliments! In our new house, I'm wanting to go for for 'Bianco Luminoso' as I nearly chose this last time!

* and no problems with staining or marks at all... not like our current black marble which shows up all watermarks!

Looks like this is the same company, as the address is the same.

http://quartzworktopsdirect.com/factory_showroom.html

There are two different websites, but one address. I'm off out to visit this afternoon.

Annie1960

I visited and there was a temporary person there who did not know that much about the quartz worktops. I got some samples, but most of them have sparkly bits in them, which I don't like.

I then came home and phoned the main number on the website. I spoke to a man who was very off-putting. I had a short list of questions, and he kept interrupting me before I had finished and answered different questions to the ones I was trying to ask.

He appeared to be the owner of the business, and I don't really think I would like to do business with him as he didn't listen, and I think there would be a lot of scope for misunderstandings.

In the end I did not bother going through the last couple of questions, as it was a waste of time.

I'm still feeling a bit shell-shocked after my conversation with him.

I would be interested to know what others think about this claim on the Lunastone website means:

'LunaStone can match many of the well-known generic quartz stone colours.'

http://www.lunastone.co.uk/maintenance

EssexExile

Annie1960 wrote: »

I've had a look on the lunastone website, and it states you must not stand on the quartz worktop.

In the past people have stood on my worktops to do things such as hang blinds. How can the blinds be hung or cleaned if you can't use the worktop to reach?

As said before I've had Caesarstone for a decade. I've stood on it & nothing terrible happened. I wouldn't stand on the overhang at the end of the breakfast bar or the unsupported bit over the dog's bed but I wouldn't if it was any other worktop either.

Annie1960

[QUOTE=moneyistooshorttomention;72549714

I'd be interested to know if the Silestone sample is one of the easier ones to clean tumeric off - just in case. I use tumeric, red wine and pomegranite in my kitchen.

[/QUOTE
The one that the stains did not come off completely is one of the Silestone ones, White Storm.

However, the stains came off the other Silestone ones, and the Natural Stone Surfaces ones.

Annie1960

EssexExile wrote: »

As said before I've had Caesarstone for a decade. I've stood on it & nothing terrible happened. I wouldn't stand on the overhang at the end of the breakfast bar or the unsupported bit over the dog's bed but I wouldn't if it was any other worktop either.

The two areas where my windows are are behind the sink and next to the hob, which I suspect will be weaker areas because they will be cut out.

Saver-upper

There was a post on here months ago,where OP was saying their worktop (which I am sure was quartz,not marble) had been cracked by someone standing on it while doing some work.

moneyistooshorttomention

Saver-upper wrote: »

There was a post on here months ago,where OP was saying their worktop (which I am sure was quartz,not marble) had been cracked by someone standing on it while doing some work.

It would be useful to see that post if anyone has a link - though one of the thoughts crossing my mind re the "someone standing on it" front would be that there would be a huge difference between, say, myself standing on it and a 21st century size (ie fat) man standing on it (ie he would weigh stones heavier than I would).

I guess what has to happen is they have to have one foot on a stepladder immediately in front of the units and the other foot on the kitchen windowcill?

NB; I did have a standard size workman standing on my kitchen worktop whilst painting the kitchen and then he subsequently sat on another bit of my worktop at one point and it was okay. Both bits of the worktop are "supported" (ie by side panels) and the kitchen units are reasonably sturdy quality ones.

Alexd52

We have just had a DEKTON work top installed. This is from natural materials and is supposed to be totally heat and scratch resistant and also does not stain.