Sinks and Worktops
If you’re not sure what to choose; ask me for advice. We’ve been installing kitchens for twenty-five years so we know what works!
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| Granite | Corian | ||
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| Laminate | Undermount Corian sink bowl |
Wooden Worktops
For our wooden worktops we use only prime European hardwoods, like beech, which come from sustainably managed forests. Wood is harder to keep looking pristine but, given time and a little regular oiling, will acquire a rich patina that just can't be achieved with other materials. Did you know that wood has a unique bacteriastatic property, which makes it ideal for chopping boards and worktops? Tests on various worksurfaces left overnight show lower levels of bacteria on wooden surfaces than on other commonly used materials. It is thought that natural enzymes in the wood kill off the bacteria.
Granite Worktops
Solid granite is not only beautiful but extremely practical too: It has a higher resistance to heat than anything else and it will last forever. After all it already has!
Please look at our granite division www.caraco.co.uk
A Comparison of Worktop Materials
| Description | Water resistance | Heat resistance | Cut resistance | Damage resistance and durability | Cost * | |
| Laminate |
A thin but tough wearing layer on a chipboard core. Consistent colour |
Excellent but take care at joints |
Good. 180c |
Fair. Sharp knives will damage the surface | Fair. Difficult to repair | £600 |
| Tiled |
Ceramic tiles on a solid base. Tiles must be chosen and installed with great care to achieve a lasting result |
Good | Excellent | Excellent. Will ruin your knives if you don’t use a chopping board | Good. Difficult to clean. Difficult to seal to the wood edge | £2,000 |
| Solid Wood |
Solid wood in a variety of timbers. Colour variable. |
Poor. May warp and stain | Poor. Hot items will mark | Poor but kind to knives |
Scratches and marks easily. Can be repaired Very durable if you like the ‘lived in’ look. Better used away from work areas. |
£1,700 |
| Technistone |
Solid ‘engineered stone’ based on 95% quartz particles bound with polyester resin. |
100% non porous. Difficult to stain | Good. 180c | Excellent. Will ruin your knives if you don’t use a chopping board | Excellent. Small chips can easily be repaired. Very durable | £3,000 |
| Stainless steel | Very contemporary | 100% | Excellent | Easily scratched | Can dent. Goes uniformly grey in time but will last forever | £3,500 |
| Granite |
The real thing. 100% natural |
Slightly porous. Lighter colours can stain if not properly sealed |
Excellent | Excellent. Will ruin your knives if you don’t use a chopping board | Excellent. It’s been around for 3 million years already so it will outlast you and me | £3,000 |
| Marble |
Normally considered too soft for kitchen worktops, marble is much admired in bathrooms |
Marble is porous and will stain | Excellent | Fair. Sharp knives will damage the surface | Prone to staining and damage by acids. Not recommended for kitchen tops | £2,800 |
| Corian |
Solid ‘engineered stone’ based on 95% quartz with acrylic binder. |
100%Difficult to stain | Good. 180c | GoodSharp knives will damage the surface | Excellent. Can be repaired and refinished. Perfect for wet areas | £3,500 |
*Cost is approximate and based on the layout below
Sinks and taps
The humble sink probably gets more use than anything else in the kitchen (except perhaps for the corkscrew). Sinks can be as simple as grandmother’s or a complete workcentre with multiple bowls, bin and chopping board.
A Comparison of Sink Materials
| Material | Properties | |
| Stainless steel | Probably the ultimate sink material. Can be pressed in to many configurations, is Hygienic and easy to clean. Use in all circumstances. Scratches immediately and over time becomes a non shiny metallic grey | www.franke.co.uk |
| ‘Granite’ | Actually a very hard plastic. Extremely durable and practical. Probably the best bet if you want a coloured sink. Needs cleaning more frequently than other materials due to its lightly textured surface. | www.franke.co.uk |
| Ceramic | As in ‘Belfast’ sink.. Glazed fireclay is very solid. Easy to clean and resistant to chemicals but the surface, being quite literally glass, will scratch over many years use | www.franke.co.uk |
Click here to visit Franke for sinks
Taps
Never was the cliché: ‘You get what you pay for’ more appropriate than when applied to taps. Taps get heavy use so beware of cheap ones. Many taps (especially the cheaper ones) do not work well with our antique plumbing systems here in the UK. Let us help you. We like the range from Perrin and Rowe www.perrinandrowe.co.uk
If you do have high pressure hot water you might find one of the new taps with a rinse hose very useful
