Granite Kitchen benches

[Familyofmonkeys]

Has anyone recently had granite workbench fitted to kitchen. I was wondering what sort of ball park cost they are, and how this compares to other materials?

[BaldyBeardyBloke]

I know a fella right in the middle of building a new house at the moment. I'll try to remember to ask him tomorow at work.

Hang on, isn't Cardy Mr Mitre10? He must have a clue.

[Moorf]

We had granite fitted at the end of last year.

I was dubious but it looks great and is so easy to maintain.

In total we had a run of around 7-8 metres of jet black, pretty thick, of which a part is specially fitted and shaped, plus which we had the sink holes cut and sinks undermounted which cost a bit extra.

For the measuring up, templating, materials, cutting, installing and joining of the granite it cost around $6,000 if I remember correctly, from a Chch supplier.

Compared to other materials it was definitely one of the more expensive although not THE most expensive - I think Corian (sp?) was more. As a former advocate of wooden benchtops I am now a convert (albeit at the expense of a few wines glasses and bowls in the early days!).

If you're adding granite to an existing kitchen you need to ensure that the units are strong enough or have them strenthened to hold the weight.

HTH
Moorf

[Silverwing86]

This touches on a question I've had for quite a while, hope it's okay to pose it here ?

We have granite benchtops as well (came with the house), but I'm unsure how to properly maintain them. What do you use for cleaning so as not to stain them and keep them nice and shiny in the long term ? I understand granite can be sensitive to certain materials, is this true and if so, which materials in particular should I be avoiding ?

Thanx in advance for any tips/ideas...

Silver

[clg]

We just got some, our pricing was similar to moofs albeit a few more meters so the cost was a bit higher, since it was part of an overall quote for a kitchen I don't know the exact price though.

We added granite to a house in the US as well and love it. It looks great and is low maintenance. As to taking care of it, there are some things that can damage some granites. In general, darker granites are less likely to stain, lighter more so. Oil can be absorbed by some (not many I don't think) granites and most/all marble so don't let it sit for hours. Acids like lemon juice can also dull the look of granite. We have had granites that are not really bothered by either so not really a problem. We just wipe it down with a sponge, clean it with a towel. They sell stone cleaners that make it look extra shiny and nice but the are not needed. You can also buy sealers for the granite that can be applied up to every 6 months, this is most important for lighter more porous granite.

To see how porous your granite is get samples before you buy and put water, lemon juice and olive oil on it and let it sit over night. If you see any marks the next day you will need to keep it sealed and not let things sit for too long. If you don't see anything (most likely scenario) you don't really have to worry too much except for dropping glasses on it! They still say you should seal it but we never did at our old place and it still looked great after 3 years.

we REALLY like granite in the kitchen, it always costs more than you want to spend but after we paid the bills and have it we have always felt it is money very well spent. It makes the look of the kitchen and really helps if/when you are selling.

[M&J]

My sister has a granite top and she was told to keep the shine you should avoid spiling things like lemon juice on it as it takes the seal off them.

[Tia Maria]

You could consider a product like Stonex:

www.stonex.co.nz/design/stonex.asp

It is cheaper than Granite but still looks really good and wears really well.

Its a kind of 'cheat' product as it uses granite/quartz on the surface and edges only and a cheaper product underneath. we had it fitted in our kitchen and we're really pleased with it and we've had loads of people ask where we got it from.

I can't remember if Stonex is a brand name, so there might be other similar products.

I should point out its still not a cheap product and you have to get it templated, cut and fitted but it is cheaper than granite/corian/quartz and can look just as good. We found out about it from a NZ kitchen designer.

Cheers

Tia

[Aussie Pom]

My friend has had something similar to stonex and it looks great, and you don't have to worry about taking the seal off etc. I has the convenience of laminex with no joins and the look of stone. You get more colour choices than with real stone too. I would choose it if I ever get a kitchen redone.
Gina

[clg]

I would suggest you do some research with manufactured stones. They do look good, have no seams and have more colour choices. Some do wear though, my mother had pitting in hers and the smooth surface became rough in a high use area. This was something purchased in Holland and I don't know its name. Be sure you have researched the manufacturer and are satisfied with them.

[Tia Maria]

The other thing to always ask is which cleaning products to use as some will scratch the surface.

Ours has only been in a year but still looks great.

Cheers

Tia