Worktops

Wood – oak, beech, walnut and iroko all need special attention, but it does depend entirely on the finish if you go for. For example if you go for an oil based protection (which is most widely used) there is a lot of upkeep and you do have to be very clean at work as they may stain and change colour, with age. You can use a matt or silk extra hard floor lacquer which for most kitchens repels everything. Generally, wooden worktops are placed where they soften the kitchen, but don’t take those constant every day knocks and abuse.

Marble (generally not for kitchens) – too porous and soft for kitchen use. Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite. Marble may be foliated. In geology the term “marble” refers to metamorphosed limestone, but its use in stonemasonry more broadly encompasses un-metamorphosed limestone. Marble is commonly used for sculpture and as a building material.

Granite – One of the most commonly used materials for worktops is granite. This material is very resilient. Granite is a natural rock that is cut in its natural state and is then polished for use in homes. Maintenance after each use is suggested to prevent staining with granite. To clean granite, use warm water and soap to help keep its shine. Such a strong material is difficult to scratch and is able to resist temperature changes. Because it is natural stone, granite doesn’t provide as wide of a range of colour options and each piece is different, therefore, the exact piece should be viewed and planned.

Quartz – worktops are fabricated from natural quartz, one of the hardest minerals found in the Earth, and small amounts of glass or metallic flecks are added to create variety, resulting in beautiful worktops. Other advantage of quartz is that it is a non-porous material, its texture does not allow bacteria to grow and resists against stains, protecting your family and making kitchen clean-up easy. For this reason, quartz worktops never need to be sealed. Aside from the durability that quartz provides, this material is beautiful and its wide variety of colour options are sure to catch your eye. Your options are nearly endless as quartz ranges from natural colours such as whites, blacks and browns to other colours such as golds or blues. The design of a quartz worktop not only brings character to your kitchen but offers performance advantages that exceed other traditional materials.

Ceramics – Part of a new and revolutionary product category that came about in the last decade to meet more demanding architectural and design needs. It is not at all what is known as traditional “ceramic” or “stoneware” but rather evolved from these materials to the point that a new type of surface was created which was non-existent up until that time. The smartest, toughest material going.

What are Ceramics made of?
Composition: 100% natural based on 3 groups of elements:
1. Minerals from granite: quartz and feldspar which provide the product with hardness and strength.
2. Minerals from glass and silica that provide chemical stability.
3. Natural oxides that offer chromatic properties.