Question 1

Which material is best for a kitchen worktop?

Accepted Answer

To be perfectly honest it is difficult to say. What we always do is help customers think through the particular needs and challenges for their kitchen. We want people who come to us to be clear about what our kitchen worktops both can and can’t be expected to do. Whichever kitchen worktop you choose, we will make sure that it fits your needs perfectly.

Question 2

What's the difference between Granite and Quartz?

Accepted Answer

Granite worktops are made from rock that has come out of the ground. Quartz on the other hand is manmade. It is properly called “engineered stone”. To make it, small pieces of natural stone, glass, mirror and other hard products are mixed with a petro-chemical resin and compressed. For some products dyes are injected so as to give the appearance of natural veining, but the product itself, however much like a natural stone it looks, is manmade.

Question 3

Is a Granite or Quartz worktop so much better than a laminate worktop?

Accepted Answer

We know that not everyone has a budget for solid stone, but you may be surprised at just how affordable some of our granite and quartz worktops can be. Don’t rule out the real thing for your kitchen. Our granite and quartz worktops really do bring the wow factor into your home, and laminate is left standing by real stone in our view. For class, practicality and durability, granite and quartz worktops take some beating.

Question 4

Can I pay for my worktops on finance?

Accepted Answer

Yes, please click the button below for more finance information.

Question 5

Why Quartz rather than Marble?

Accepted Answer

With increasing speed over the last few years there has been a high demand for marble-look quartz worktops, but why copy a stone which is relatively plentiful in nature?
 
Marble is a relatively soft stone and can be susceptible to acid attack. If you put even fairly mild household acids (including vinegar, lemon juice or wine) onto Calcite, it will fizz Carbon Dioxide and the surface will be eroded.
 
Good marble-look quartz worktops are a fair approximation to the real stone, but will not fizz and dissolve when you spill something on them. They will wipe clean and go on wiping clean, year after year.

Question 6

Can you send me a sample?

Accepted Answer

Yes of course. Our samples are £7.50 to cover p&p for a package of three samples. We would strongly suggest though that you pay a visit to our showroom at Forncett Street, Sheffield so that you can see the Granite or Quartz you like in a more natural and real life setting.

Question 7

Can you give me a quotation over the telephone?

Accepted Answer

Yes we can give you a quote over the telephone, but to be honest telephone quotes are never as reliable or accurate as quotes where we have seen a kitchen plan.

Question 8

What information do you need to give me a quotation?

Accepted Answer

It would be great if you could give us the following information:
 
Your full address.
Are there any access issues?
What sizes of worktops do you need? Send a plan if possible.
Do you need upstands?
Do you need any other pieces that may not appear on a plan?
Are there any special curves or edge profiles required?
How many and what types of cutouts do you require?
What colour and material types are you interested in?
 
Please give us a call if you need any assistance.

Question 9

What is templating?

Accepted Answer

Templating is where we make a mock-up, or model, for the kitchen worktop and it is required before any kitchen worktop can be installed. Following the templating process, the worktop is made to match the dimensions of the template, and then returned to site for installation.

Question 10

Will the price change after templating?

Accepted Answer

We pride ourselves on honouring our quotes. We do not gazump, hold back hidden extras or use “hard sell” tactics. This means that you have a full picture of the costs involved. The price will be the one we quote unless there are any unfoseen issues that we cannot avoid or details have been omitted, and we will always speak with you if this is the case.

Question 11

Can I upgrade my existing kitchen by adding Granite or Quartz?

Accepted Answer

Yes, lots of our customers do this. Good quality kitchen units can outlast a laminate worktop by many years so it makes sense to just replace the worktops. The trend towards painted units has helped with this option too; older units have a new lease of life with a coat of paint, and the kitchen can have a complete makeover with the addition of a new, high quality granite or quartz worktop.

Question 12

Will my existing kitchen units take the weight of the new granite or quartz worktops?

Accepted Answer

It is highly unlikely that you will have serious problems, but there are two areas that need to be considered:
 
Some older, budget units can be lacking in strength at the back. Because of the additional stress of the swinging door, the cheapest units tended to have most of the reinforcement at the front. In general, strengthening of the back of the unit with vertical internal battens or battens on the wall will help.
 
Any rot in the actual units needs to be dealt with, and probably by scrapping the units. Putting costly and weighty granite or quartz worktops on units that really need to go is a false economy.

Question 13

If replacing worktops, are there other issues with kitchen units which I should be aware of?"

Accepted Answer

Very frequently, due to poor original fitting or settling of the carcasses over the years, kitchen units are out of alignment. This issue becomes painfully obvious when templating and fitting new worktops. Any remedial or levelling work on your kitchen units should be done by specialists. Prior to templating, the units must be sound, able to bear the weight of stone, and well aligned and levelled. Adjacent units should be visibly at the same height, with overall height variation no more than 3mm. If on removal of the tops, the units do not meet these requirements, corrective work must be done before templating.

Question 14

Will the solid stone worktops be the same thickness as my old worktops?

Accepted Answer

No, not normally. Most laminate and wood worktops are around 40mm thick. Our granite and quartz worktops are around 30mm thick. We occasionally fit granite or quartz worktops which have greater tensile/flexural strength at 20mm thick, although this tends to be on extremely contemporary-style units which are less likely to have their worktops replaced for a while.

Question 15

When replacing worktops, can you template with the old worktops still on?"

Accepted Answer

To get the best fit possible and to properly evaluate what is under the worktops, we insist that the old worktops are removed for templating. If you have a templating visit booked and your old worktops are still on, please let us know so that we can abort the visit and arrange another time when the old worktops have been removed.

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