What worktops should i choose?
The most asked question in our showroom at R.O Surfaces, what worktops should i choose or what worktops are best.
the definitive answer is whatever you like!!!! Lets be honest nothing can touch the absolute beauty of natural stone, No single piece is ever the same, From striking quartzites to Callacatta gold marbles, but porcelain worktops, marble, quartzite and quartz worktops all have their place.
Brazilian blue quartzite
Having said that the market of porcelains and sintered stones are replicating the look of natural stones really well, some of the top brands such as Dekton, Neolith, Grespania have some porcelains that stood next to a slab of natural it would be hard to tell the difference until you are super close.
Quartz is another option for worktops and whilst durable and non porous the designs are named after marbles but in reality look nothing like the real deal. Quartz is still the biggest draw in the worktop market as manufactures of quartz spend millions and millions per year pushing it into showrooms magazines etc. Unfortunately with this comes the sales pitch to the showrooms and customers that quartz is far superior to natural stone which is completely untrue.
Heat resistance is far higher in granite, scratch resistance is hugely different in say a quartzite compared to a quartz worktop
Also the Quality of some of the quartz we are seeing is varying massively. If you are purchasing a new kitchen and are looking for quartz worktops ask questions about it, the big one is if the stone has NSF approval, If it has not do not touch it! the NSF Approval means that the stone is safe for food contact.
Ask how long the guarantee is for on the material, 15-25 years is good lifetime is preferable.
If you see a deal that looks to good to be true theres a reason, cheap quartz isnt good, good quartz isnt cheap!! On top of these points there is also huge law suits happening to the biggest quartz manufacturer in the world at the minute because of Sillicosis, a nasty airborne dust that is created during the fabrication of the stone.
So another check to make whilst shopping what is the fabricating facility like? does it have dust suppression, are they looking after the workers and creating the best environment to work in. That may be a bit trivial to the customer looking for worktops but is it profit over people company or is it a people first ethos.
Granite and Quartzites have burst back onto the scene the last 12 months as trends and fashions change. People seem to be coming away from small veined marble effect worktops and onto the more grand quartzites such as blue roma and Taj Mahal. You need to see these materials in order to appreciate just how spectacular they are. If you are going through a kitchen company for you new kitchen ask to see the full slab not just a small sample, as the samples are indicative of the stone they are not going to be exactly the same. Go and see your slab, feel the stone and see the depth of it, There's
so much variation in the patterns from one block of stone to the next. We are the leading suppliers of granite worktops and quartzite worktops in the North East of England. We have completed some absolutely stunning jobs in these natural materials that will last a lifetime.
Blue Roma Quartzite suppliers R.O Surfaces
What about Marble worktops???
Again from a sales point of view it gets absolutely trashed by sales people who have no clue what they are selling most of the time.
Marble is around 90 percent calcite stone which by nature is softer than granite and quartzite but its beauty is absolutely amazing. can it be use for worktops???? Of course!!!!!! just look around in Europe it is literally everywhere in Italy and Spain and still looks great even when its 100 years old!!
It does take a little more care than a quartz worktop for instance but the look and feel of it is worlds apart, and with anything technologies have advanced so much you can treat your marble to avoid etches for life!!!! Marble in bathrooms and for furniture is another way of using this beautiful material to its full potential. Callacattas and Carrara marbles make amazing high end bespoke bathrooms, vanities, and sinks and are absolutely timeless. If you would like to see some amazing marble slabs make a appointment with one of our team and come to R.O Surfaces to see the Marble Slabs in person
Breccia capraia marble
Callacatta Monet marble
Callacatta cohen gold marble
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