How much do kitchen worktops cost?
The most effective kitchen worktop is one that'll be practical, functional and work with the general look and theme of your kitchen so it's worthwhile considering what'll look good in your kitchen design early on.
Along with the functional aspect, budget will of course come right into play when choosing the most effective kitchen worktop for your space. And with a lot of kitchen worktop materials on the market it could be a bit of a minefield picking the right one. Kitchen worktops could be a real focal point, plus you'll be looking at it each and every day so you'll need to get it right!
From pocket-friendly laminate to warm, rich wood; from industrial steel to top quality marble, we've pulled together the pros and cons of the finest SILESTONE CALACATTA GOLD WORKTOP available.
When finding the most effective kitchen worktop for the room it's advisable to begin by asking yourself a couple of questions about how you utilize your kitchen. It'll help you gauge which form of worktop materials to consider that'll complement both how you employ your kitchen and the type of it.
How often would you cook and prepare food?
Do you employ lots of pans when cooking and need a worktop that'll cope with hot pans?
Who uses the kitchen? Could it be a family space? Can you entertain a whole lot?
Do you like easy to completely clean materials, with little upkeep?
Wooden kitchen worktops do need much more looking after (particularly after installation), for example, so make maintenance a key consideration.
And, if you want to pop your hot pans straight on your kitchen worktops as opposed to the hob or perhaps a trivet then you might decide for a temperature resistant, natural material like granite for your kitchen worktop (although care should still be used in order to avoid thermal shock).
High gloss materials will highlight grubby marks so if you've little hands making their mark at home be aware that you might be wiping the outer lining down a fair bit.
What are the various kinds of worktop material?
While we haven't listed each form of worktop material below, we've highlighted the most typical you will discover in modern kitchens, so you possibly can make the best decision on the most effective ones to take into account for the kitchen.
Hardwood – Hardwood is really a beautiful kitchen worktop material that's less costly to buy than natural stone and some acrylic. You can find wood worktops in a myriad of striking colours and grain styles, and no two pieces are ever the same. The greatest downside is that natural wood stains and scratches easily. In addition, it requires maintenance at the very least twice annually to keep it in an excellent condition.
Laminate – This really is the most versatile worktop material, as it could be produced to look like other materials but doesn't cost as much. Laminate can be easy to steadfastly keep up and clean and is antibacterial, provided that it's not badly damaged. The key downside is that the buying price of laminate can vary. The less you spend, the less natural your worktop will look. Moreover, laminate never quite feels exactly like an all-natural or composite worktop.
Composite/quartz/acrylic – Man-made composite materials are crafted from natural ground minerals which can be mixed with resin or acrylic for a tough, non-porous finish. The very best composite and acrylic worktops offer most of the charm and unique appearance of natural material with no maintenance. Acrylic worktops, sometimes called by the brand Fenix or Corian, may not always be as expensive as quartz blends, so can be a better choice if you're looking to pay less.