Minerelle Worktops

[fluffys]

Can anyone tell me are these worktops hard/expensive to fit (any more than ordinary laminate) and is this a specialist job or should any good kitchen fitter be able to handle.

If anyone knows anyone in the North west area who could do this job please let me know!

Thanks

 

[fitter]

Any decent fitter SHOULD be able to fit these, you might have trouble finding one that has fitted them.

They tend not to be very popular, mostly because they are not promoted, so very few people know of them.

I have never fitted them but was at a job when the supplier did so, he treated them the same as laminate worktops and when finished they looked pretty good and a lot cheaper than Corian.

 

[TexMex]

I've done a pretty thorough search on the net and have noticed quite a few suppliers advertising them as "no need for templating" and "easy to install". I also found a german site that gave some more detailed information (but I think this was a different product of the same name).

I still havn't found any specific information as to how to fit them, but there seems to have been a few installers, jumping on the bandwagon, suggesting that they need to be "templated" or "fitted by specialists".

I'd rather believe the information just given by fitter than these other "specialist installers", and I've just decided what my next kitchen worktops are going to be

 

[fluffys]

Well.... the product itself looks good having seen it in kitchen showrooms and its reasonably inexpensive to buy online at £300 for a 4m length BUT finding someone prepared to take on the fit is not easy!

Apparantly having spoken to a couple of worktop fitters it shouldnt be a problem to fit but most of them, as you say fitter, havent touched it before and I am reluctant to be a guinea pig

I think MFI do a similar product (but more expensive) so Im going to see if I can get any fitter details off them. Fingers crossed

 

[chappers]

I fitted one for a freind a while back it was no harder then a regular worktop its the filling and polishing that takes the time and skill (so he told me I left that to him)
There is some good info out on the net on fitting minerelle.
Must admit after he had finished it it looked the biz.

Get a kitchen fitter to cut your joints and then finish it yourself.

 

[solidsurfacebuff]

Minerelle, is a quality product that should be fitted by a trained installer.

Fitting should be straight forward enough for a qualified fitter of kitchen worktops, however the tops are not "finished" when they leave the factory and need to be carefully sanded and polished to get the right finish.

Details of all tips FAQ's etc. can be found on the minerelle website

Training is available free of charge to any qualified worktop fitter who requests it and will be done by either Minerelle's own staff or by one of their distributors.

Fitting and finishing should take about 1 to 1.5 days depending on number of tops or joints and whether there is any fabrication work required. If it is done properly and is cared for it will look stunning.

 

[pjholybloke]

I've fitted Getacore and Smartstone and they are both straightforward enough to joint, so any decent kitchen fitter will be capable of fitting them, as long as you buy the joint sealant applicator kit, a fitter will have all necessary tools to complete the job.

As previously stated by others the polishing is a diversion from the norm, and may not be something a fitter new to this type of worktop would like to take on.

I also found that the edging process was a bit of a challenge but not beyond my capability, time and attention are essential though.

I'm going for Smartstone when I change mine in the new year.

 

[2scoops0406]

Probably changed the kitchen by now, there is over a 3 year gap between posts. I have Minerelle worktops, I didn't fit them, but for what is worth now, the guy that did said that the worktops were very hard on the tools.

 

[pjholybloke]

Never even noticed

Yeah, they are a bit harsh - one router bit per joint instead of two, but I didn't find it too much different on the jigsaw blades. Comparable to a solid wood worktop really.

3 years What a prat!

Thanks for pointing that out.

 

[kitchengirl]

Hey, some of us are still interested in the general thread of the conversation, even if it spans 3 years! Am trying to figure out how to fit a Minerelle worksurface -my kitchen fitter is too scared to touch it after reading the installation instructions. Just how wrong can it go...?

 

[2scoops0406]

Up to the point of having ruined an expensive worktop.

 

[Majjie]

I don't know whether or not this helps ... but if people still care:

Minerelle is made by UK company Macy and is the same as Artis Smartstone. Macy say that it is not for DIY installation - that you must have a dust mask and dust extraction fitted to your tools, to work it - and they provide a 2 hour training course for professional fitters. I think this is because the surface layer is a polyester resin.
The one sold by MFI is Maia - and that definitely is sold for DIY installation - with full instructions. Getalit's Getacore is similar. I think they're surfaced with acrylic resins - with slightly less unpleasant dust - but also less fire resistance (but don't hold me to it!)

 

[solidsurfacebuff]

-my kitchen fitter is too scared to touch it after reading the installation instructions. Just how wrong can it go...?

If your kitchen fitter is too scared to touch it - don't use it. BUT! ive been fitting for about 4 years - had a few minor problems to start - but got a lot of help from the manufacturer. they have made some changes since i started - so worth while keeping up to date with them on improvements.

Key points
Use plenty of glue in the joints - when i started they suggested 1 tube of glue for 2 joints and only on one side - i use about a tube per joint (both sides) and they have now introduced spacers to stop over tightening of the joint, forcing the glue out.
Make sure you colour match before fitting different board particularly if your boards are not from same batch - Dates are now on packaging - i think they only started this recently. light colours are difficult to match.
Use the right tools! an absolute "MUST"

 

[misstake]

It's been some time since this thread but I've had some experience of Minerelle in the last 10 months and thought it might be useful to share.

We installed the Minerelle worktops in our new kitchen as we had a lot of surface to cover and thought this might be the best option for the price. Certainly, it looked good in the showroom.

However the practicality of having this worktop is an entirely different matter. It marks and scratches so easily, even from the underside of a plate or cup. Definitely not what you would call a practical working kitchen surface.

We have furthermore encountered several cracks that have had to be repaired at costly expense to us. The manufacturer claims this was not due to a manufacturing fault in the worktop and continue to charge for costly repair kits. We obviously think differently!

Finally, and this is key, unless you are happy to spray your worktops with the special cleaner every week and buff until your arms ache in order to maintain this worktop, then think carefully.

I wish we had known more about this worktop before we installed it as we would never have chosen it.

 

[2scoops0406]

Odd, I have never buffed mine, they still look like they did the day they were installed (which was good BTW!). I've never had any marks on them