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A Quick Guide To Choosing Solid Worktops For Your Kitchen

By: William Penworthy


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Solid worktops have become increasingly popular in recent years, not just for the restaurants and hotels, but for people's homes. Whether redecorating or redesigning a kitchen, or designing a kitchen for a new build property, solid worktops offer a range of advantages that go far beyond the exceptional style and design which they inevitably contribute towards the overall look of the kitchen.

Kitchen worktops can easily be overlooked as simply a large blank area to cover with something that looks fairly pretty, and many people would admit to spending longer discussing the style of doors on the cupboards than the kitchen worktops.

Indeed, a recent survey suggested that people spend as long discussing and choosing the type of tile to have on the wall above where the worktop is to be fitted as discussing and choosing the worktop itself.

Of course, if you've already decided on solid worktops then you may choose a solid worktop which suits your decor or planned design. But there is a great deal more to kitchen worktops and in particular solid worktops.

For example, there are many different types of solid worktop, and the different materials often mean widely different benefits and advantages, as well as options and long term benefits. Long term is one of the key points to consider when thinking about solid worktops, because kitchen worktops need to be chosen carefully for the long term. You don't want to have to replace your kitchen worktops every few years, and cheaper worktops can often let down the entire kitchen very quickly.

Laminate kitchen worktops will very quickly begin to peel, discolour and tear, with the seams or joins becoming very much more conspicuous very quickly. Not only does this look scruffy and old, letting down the whole of the kitchen, but such damage and wear is inevitably going to represent a health risk, with bacteria swarming in even the smallest cracks, chips, tears or under peeling corners.

Kitchen worktops suffer outrageous damage, from heavy pots and pans, boiling liquids, acidic substances and sharp knives all doing their worst on a daily basis. It's no good having a kitchen worktop that just looks pretty and costs very little unless all you intend to do is use it to make the occasional tepid cup of tea and a fairly unadventurous peanut butter sandwich.

If you intend to use your kitchen for anything more demanding than this, then you need to consider solid worktops simply because they will provide a solution that will withstand even the toughest kitchen environment, providing years of good use, without looking worn or damaged, and significantly improving the hygiene value of the worktop.

So if you're considering solid worktops for your kitchen, what are the options and different materials you might come across, and how do you choose between them?

Acrylic worktops are the best selling kitchen worktops at the moment, largely because of their versatility. Corian is a name you may have heard of, and represent what many agree to be the best solid worktops available. Corian can be cut, glued, moulded and even vacuum formed, creating fluid shapes which can curve in almost any direction and be sculpted to create a unique and truly useful worktop that incorporates cooling racks, splashbacks, bowls and even the sink in a complete seamless worktop.

On the other hand you may be tempted by natural materials such as quartz. When it comes to solid worktops, you can't get much tougher than quartz, one of the hardest minerals on the planet. Quartz worktops are naturally non-porous, have a smooth sheen and are available in a wide range of colours and styles.

Granite is another natural material with a very unique appearance. Granite worktops may sometimes have natural cracks, pits and natural fissures, all of which add to its unique charm, but you won't have a perfectly smooth surface.

Finally when it comes to solid worktops you have stainless steel, a popular choice for many years with restaurants and chefs, but increasingly in recent years many homeowners have opted for stainless steel kitchen worktops because when combined with striking bold coloured tiles, they look extremely trendy, and of course offer a very durable surface.

So when it comes to choosing solid worktops the advantages are clear, and the options are many. Why not have a browse at some of the solid worktops available and discover the ideal worktop for your ideal kitchen?

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

Solid Worktops | www.kitchensfitted.co.uk | Kitchen Worktops

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