What type of benchtop is best?
Changing your benchtop can completely transform your kitchen. If your cabinets are still in good shape then there is no need to do a complete refurbishment. If your cabinets are in good shape but the drawer and door fronts are dated then there are options to just change those. Talk to us before leaping into changing everything.
But what type of benchtop is best? Natural, engineered or ultracompact stone? Or should you go for acrylic solid surface? There are benefits to all!
Stone benchtops are in general, highly scratch and crack resistant. If you look after your stone benchtop it can last a lifetime. Stone is not indestructible. It can chip if something heavy is dropped on it, or if something hard is knocked into the edge such as a pot. Stone is resistant to some levels of heat. Some natural stones and all ultra-compact surfaces are highly heat resistant to the point you can put a hot pot straight off the stove directly onto the surface. Engineered stone is not as resistant and excessive heat will result in the stone discolouring and/or cracking. Luckily these days there are several companies that can repair most chips and cracks. To prevent discolouration of your stone, mop up anything corrosive such as lemon juice or anything highly coloured such as turmeric within half an hour.
The beauty and depth of natural stone is unbeatable. Isn’t natural stone hard to take care of? No not any more! The modern sealants used these days mean you can treat natural stone the same as engineered. Some softer natural stones are more prone to chipping and breaking along veining but this is something you can ask about and choose durability if necessary.
Engineered stone is man-made stone, which means there is consistency of colour and pattern with every slab. Engineered stone comes in a huge variety of colours and patterns. Newer engineered stone is coming through with some UV resistant colours that can be used outside. Modern engineered stone is now low-silica or completely silica free which has been a major factor in reducing our fabricators risk of silicosis. This is a lung condition that coal miners used to get. We are independently accredited showing that our processes mean that workers have very low risk of harm in our factory.
Ultracompact surfaces come with a slightly higher price tag but the benefits justify the spend. These are products such as Dekton; large format porcelain tile such as Laminam, Florim or Ascale; and Neolith. These surfaces can be used inside and out, on floors, walls and benches. They are naturally highly resistant to chipping, cracking and heat – the only caution you need to take is on the edge where knocking things into the edge may cause chipping. If using for your kitchen benchtop, there is no problem putting your pot straight from the oven or hob straight on to the surface which is so convenient! With Ascale large format porcelain they go one step further by being able to mount your convection hob underneath the porcelain for the sleekest look yet! Dekton is so hard that you can literally sharpen your knives on it.
But it’s not all about stone. Acrylic solid surface is what you go to for sexy curves and seamless look. Modern solid surface even comes with veined options which gives you the look of stone with the flexibility of acrylic. We are able to heat solid surface and bend it in a process called thermoforming. This means it is the surface of choice for benches with round ends or curves. Yes solid surface scratches more easily, but after a quick repolish it can be brought back to as-new.
Come and chat with us if you have questions, if we don’t know the answer – which after 30 years in the business still can happen – we will find out for you!