kitchen worktop

jamboambo1

i have been looking at kitchen worktops and am considering a quartz worktop ,
However, just wondering if anyone has come across polyform polerey laminate. WOuld love to know what peoples thought are on it as a kitchen worktop .
I don't know where I could purchase it either. Any info appreciated

Candlemania

I'd say fake material will always look and feel fake. Have you seen it at somebody's house or only online? Don't be deceived by the photos online... Are you considering a stone or wood imitation?

The difference though is that the laminate worktop will cost you something around €300 and the quartz one €3000...

But the authentic look and feel of the material are really worth it. I was also considering the quartz, but eventually went for the slightly cheaper solid oak and the effect is stunning. We got it oiled instead of varnished, so it has this nice satin finish instead of being glossy and surprisingly it doesn't absorb any stains (although I'm wiping them off, just in case ;-)

FishOnABike

Can't beat the convenience of being able to put hot saucepans straight onto a stone worktop without having to worry about marking or damaging it (we've got dark granite) Just don't ever put a hot pyrex dish onto a cold stone surface - unless everybody in the immediate area is wearing full body armour.

BoardsMember

FishOnABike wrote: »

Can't beat the convenience of being able to put hot saucepans straight onto a stone worktop without having to worry about marking or damaging it (we've got dark granite) Just don't ever put a hot pyrex dish onto a cold stone surface - unless everybody in the immediate area is wearing full body armour.

Really? Would a solid stone worktop not be ok with a very hot dish? We never take care in this regard, everything goes straight on our marble top.

Candlemania

BoardsMember wrote: »

Really? Would a solid stone worktop not be ok with a very hot dish? We never take care in this regard, everything goes straight on our marble top.

I think what FishOnABike was saying was that it's the very hot dish that's not ok with the solid stone worktop, not the other way round (very hot Pyrex glass can explode when you put it on a cold stone worktop).

Anyway, looking at the direction this discussion is heading towards, I bet the next person will say they have a solid gold worktop and that will beat everyone else's.

If the person who started this discussion was interested in the expensive options, he/she wouldn't be asking where to source this polyrey laminate from...

Marcusm

Candlemania wrote: »

I'd say fake material will always look and feel fake. Have you seen it at somebody's house or only online? Don't be deceived by the photos online... Are you considering a stone or wood imitation?

The difference though is that the laminate worktop will cost you something around €300 and the quartz one €3000...

But the authentic look and feel of the material are really worth it. I was also considering the quartz, but eventually went for the slightly cheaper solid oak and the effect is stunning. We got it oiled instead of varnished, so it has this nice satin finish instead of being glossy and surprisingly it doesn't absorb any stains (although I'm wiping them off, just in case ;-)

You do realise that a quartz worktop is not a natural stone worktop but is made from crushed bonded quartz and glass? If you put a hot pan on a, for example, marble worktop I can guarantee that it's going to mark and stain it.

Candlemania

Marcusm wrote: »

You do realise that a quartz worktop is not a natural stone worktop but is made from crushed bonded quartz and glass? If you put a hot pan on a, for example, marble worktop I can guarantee that it's going to mark and stain it.

First of all, you probably misunderstood what I meant by saying "authentic". Basically, I meant anything but plastic (laminate).

Secondly, do you know what glass is made of? It's also made of quartz (apropos "bonded quartz and glass").

Engineered quartz it's made from 90-95% ground natural quartz and 10-5% of polymer resin and pigments.

For me, it does have the look and feel of a natural material, but that's just my opinion and everyone can have their own.

I was only giving advice based on my own experience and I would appreciate if people stuck to the original question and help this person by giving some useful information on either quartz or polyrey laminate.

BoardsMember

Marcusm wrote: »

You do realise that a quartz worktop is not a natural stone worktop but is made from crushed bonded quartz and glass? If you put a hot pan on a, for example, marble worktop I can guarantee that it's going to mark and stain it.

Our marble hasn't marked or stained with anything.

Marcusm

BoardsMember wrote: »

Our marble hasn't marked or stained with anything.

Lucky you! Natural marble is fragile and porous. Anything acidic or oily reacts with it. Equally heat can change the composition. Either you've been lucky or everyone else I know with a marble countertop (including me) has been extremely unlucky.

Marcusm

Candlemania wrote: »

First of all, you probably misunderstood what I meant by saying "authentic". Basically, I meant anything but plastic (laminate).

Secondly, do you know what glass is made of? It's also made of quartz (apropos "bonded quartz and glass").

Engineered quartz it's made from 90-95% ground natural quartz and 10-5% of polymer resin and pigments.

For me, it does have the look and feel of a natural material, but that's just my opinion and everyone can have their own.

I was only giving advice based on my own experience and I would appreciate if people stuck to the original question and help this person by giving some useful information on either quartz or polyrey laminate.

Both glass and quartz are silica based and quartz can be used in the manufacture of glass but glass is no more quartz (being non crystalline) than butter is cream!

On the flip side I had natural wood worktops for 10 years and can confirm that it is a lovely material, easy to keep clean and resistant to staining by liquid. Make sure however that water never penetrates or infiltrates - such as near sinks. This can cause expansion and degradation. Oiling regularly (I us d Danish oil) helps keep it moisture repellent!

BoardsMember

Marcusm wrote: »

Lucky you! Natural marble is fragile and porous. Anything acidic or oily reacts with it. Equally heat can change the composition. Either you've been lucky or everyone else I know with a marble countertop (including me) has been extremely unlucky.

I think they put a seal on it when they installed it. Would that explain the lack of staining?

Spanish Eyes

I have what many would call ordinary "marble effect" laminate worktops. They are there twenty years now and not a mark on them.

I'm getting a new kitchen later in the year and I will be going for a similar thing.

shel64

I had a beautiful black granite worktop on my island, only thing i had a problem with was I never got the shine back after cleaning it, I know that you cant use strong detergents on it and used only washing up liquid, on the rest of my work space I had laminate dark wood effect, they also stood the 13 years of use from a 6 person family (including teenagers) , just get good quality if you get laminate,

BoardsMember

shel64 wrote: »

I had a beautiful black granite worktop on my island, only thing i had a problem with was I never got the shine back after cleaning it, I know that you cant use strong detergents on it and used only washing up liquid, on the rest of my work space I had laminate dark wood effect, they also stood the 13 years of use from a 6 person family (including teenagers) , just get good quality if you get laminate,

I've never felt a laminate I'd be happy with. They just don't feel solid and quality like stone does. They may be as or more durable, I'd prefer to wait to do a kitchen up until I could afford a decent stone top than put a laminate in.