Replacing worktops - need advice

[Alison556]

My kitchen is only 5 years old but the worktop is wrecked. It's a laminate worktop which has blown at the joins and is badly stained and no amount of scrubbing or cleaning is sorting it out.

I've never really liked it anyway so it was a good excuse to replace the tops. I toyed with the idea of granite or quartz because it always looks lovely in showrooms but I thought of the weight on the units and also the fact that it has to come in through the kitchen window so then thought of the quartz on a chipboard substrate type top (Homebase do something like I'm talking about - Ezystone) but the guy at the local trade place told me that they stopped stocking it because the veneer cracked and split and they had nothing but complaints with it.

Then the guy that was doing some work for me said to get Easystone from B&Q - corian type surface on chipboard substrate. I was going to go for that - but got let down by the guy doing the work but maybe it's fate because I've heard a lot of complaints about it.

So now, I've no idea what to do. The kitchen units are walnut. Kitchen is north facing with not a very big window so it doesn't get a lot of light - so I really wanted a pristine white top to throw up some light and look good against the walnut.

Anyone got any recommendations please? Do I get the B&Q stuff or Getacore (same difference)? Do I stick with laminate - and would a pure white laminate be a nightmare to keep white?

Do I go back to the original idea of the Ezystone type stuff?

Help!

 

[Burnerman]

Check out B&Q's Earthstone range....they have a really thick tough acrylic surface and the white one particularly can be made visibly joint free.
Get a professional in to do the mitre if one is needed......these things are expensive (3m length £500) but there again you don't renew them every day!
I'm dead chuffed with mine - they will need care obviously but I can't see any reason why they should fail if the joints are filled with the appropriate adhesive (supplied).
John

 

[Alison556]

Thanks John. The white earthstone is what I'd been thinking about - till I started getting told that it scratches, is a nightmare to keep, blah blah blah.

Looking at it on the display in B&Q, it's lovely and to me, if it was going to show scratches, then it would on a store display.

 

[maltaron]

Timber block worktops are good but require oiling at intervals. I bought 3000mm long oak block on E-Bay for £150 delivered. I used raw linseed oil and put 5 coats all round before fixing. It is given a coat of linseed oil every 6 months and the machined in drainer every month. It has been in for 5 years now and is as good as new still.

 

[Burnerman]

Thanks John. The white earthstone is what I'd been thinking about - till I started getting told that it scratches, is a nightmare to keep, blah blah blah.

Looking at it on the display in B&Q, it's lovely and to me, if it was going to show scratches, then it would on a store display.

If you believe all of the bumf Alison, the Earthstone seems to be pretty indestructable.....its also repairable where laminates aren't. Being acrylic, it won't take kindly to burns - just like everything else.
The only thing I would like to point out is that the correct filler / adhesive must be used on any joins (Colorfill is not the correct product for this) and find a joiner who has actual experience working this particular product. Unfortunately B&Q had no recommendations for me!
Be lucky.....its a big choice you have to make!!
John