Forums › Kitchen DIY Forum › Kitchen Design Issues › KITHEN TOPS
This topic has 2 voices, contains 6 replies.
| Author | Posts |
|---|---|
| Author | Posts |
| July 29, 2003 at 10:03 am #5024 | |
 mgarry |
DOES ANY ONE KNOW ABOUT INSITU CONCRETE WORKTOPS (AND FLOORS). WE WOULD LIKE TO FIND OUT THE POSSIBILITIES FOR FINISH AND ALSO WHO WOULD BE ABLE TO CONSTRUCT SUCH ITEMS – OBVIOUSLY HIGH STANDARDS ARE NEEDED |
| July 30, 2003 at 9:47 pm #5025 | |
 timfoley |
Concrete worktops are a recent addition to the solid surface sector and specialist trade suppliers for kitchen surfaces are in their infancy yet do exist. surfaces includes various edge profiles, These quartz surfaces require far less maintenance than concrete or granite, are available in many finishes and can be fabricated in a similar fashion. |
| September 14, 2003 at 1:57 pm #5038 | |
|
mgarry |
TNANKS FOR YOUR ANSWER; THAT KIND OF RULES IT OUT FOR US. BEING A STRUCTURAL ENGINEER I AM AWARE OF TECHNIQUES FOR INDUSTRIAL CONCRET FLOORS THAT WOULD GIVE A SUPER SMOOTH FINISH AND ALSO AN ALMOST INFINITE VARIETY OF COLOURS. VARIOUS AGGREGATES CAN BE ROLLED INTO THE CONCRETE AS WELL. AND OF COURSE THE FLOOR COULD MATCH PERFECTLY! HOWEVER THIS DOESN’T SOUND AS THOUGH IT IS ADAPTABLE TO KITCHENS |
| September 15, 2003 at 4:55 pm #5039 | |
|
timfoley |
It would seem from your knowledge of concrete that adapting it to suit the kitchen market shouldn’t pose too many problems particularly if you can achieve a super smooth finish with a large palette of colours to boot. http://www.kitchensfitted.co.uk/ChoiceC … rktops.php As with granite, seamless joints are not possible and my own feeling is that this is the only advantage that Corian has over Quartz. |
| September 16, 2003 at 4:01 pm #5040 | |
|
mgarry |
thanks for your answer |
| September 17, 2003 at 4:42 pm #5041 | |
|
timfoley |
In comparing costs I have chosen the highest price categories for each and the retail cost relates to a linear metre of standard 600mm worktop. Corian 38mm (13mm corian fitted on a substrate) £339 +vat There are many variants that affect cost such as edge profiles, polished cutouts etc but generally Quartz is comparable in cost to Granite and both are around 6-7% cheaper than Corian. All engineered stones are 96% quartz and 4% polymer binder which gives the material stain resistant qualities greater than that of Granite or Corian. Colour matching is excellent as is it’s resistance to scratches. Unlike Granite it requires no sealing or polishing and it comes with a ten year guarantee. As Quartz is a new surface addition to the UK it is relatively untested yet its technical qualities and aesthetics are certain to make it an attraction to those who value the reflective properties that give a worksurface a more classy finish that requires little maintenance. Corian may offer seamless joints and greater design possibilities but I would be prepared to compromise on this in favour of a surface that is more visually pleasing and more resistant to the potential damage suffered in the kitchen. |
| July 4, 2004 at 1:51 pm #5437 | |
|
timfoley |
On the subject of solid surfaces, I had an interesting discussion yesterday with a Corian representative. As with all representatives who are doing their job correctly he was not too impressed with the recent speight of solid surface competitors and raised an extremely important point that consumers should bear in mind when making a choice. Although Corian may be a little more expensive it can only be fabricated/installed through an approved network of trained fabricators/installers working to a company bible and quality standard. More importantly, it is only available through their network of approved fabricators. This is not the case with certain of their competitors and it pays to investigate this before choosing your preferred surface. |
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
