Quartz worktop questions, answered honestly

Mostly. It’s made from natural minerals bound with a small amount of resin, so it’s engineered, which makes it more consistent and lower-maintenance than natural stone.

More: What’s in it.

It depends mainly on how many slabs your layout needs, the colour group, the thickness, and details such as the sink, upstands and splashbacks. Send us photos of your kitchen on WhatsApp and we’ll usually give you a guide price without a visit.

More: What affects the price.

For most people, yes. It costs more than laminate, but it never needs sealing, cleans with a damp cloth, takes an undermount sink and keeps its looks for years. If you want the lowest upfront cost, laminate wins; if you want a surface you don’t have to think about, quartz is hard to beat.

More: Why people choose quartz.

Granite is natural stone: hard, very heat tolerant, and every slab is unique, but it needs sealing from time to time. Quartz is engineered, so it’s non-porous, never needs sealing and is far more consistent from sample to slab. It’s less tolerant of direct heat, so always use a trivet.

More: How quartz compares.

Laminate is a printed layer on a board. It’s the most affordable, but less durable and usually not suited to undermount sinks. Quartz is solid all the way through, much harder-wearing, and looks and feels like stone.

More: How quartz compares.

Porcelain and sintered stone are fired at very high temperatures, so they cope better with heat and sunlight. They’re harder to shape, though, and their edges can be less forgiving of knocks. Quartz is easier to fabricate with neat edges and undermount sinks, and is warmer and less brittle in everyday use.

More: How quartz compares.

Yes. A fitted worktop is completely stable and gives off no dust. The silica question is about the people who cut stone, which is why we chose low-silica quartz and fabrication partners who cut to the HSE’s standards. Our colours also carry manufacturer certification for food contact and low emissions.

More: Low silica: why we care and Food safe, and easy on the air you breathe.

We look into the testing, certification and specification of every colour we offer, so you don’t have to: independent silica testing, food-safety and indoor-air certifications, and practical details like slab size and finish.

More: Quality & specification.

Both are available in every colour. 20mm gives a slimmer, more modern edge and costs less. 30mm looks more substantial and can help where the existing worktop is thicker.

More: Edges and thickness.

Polished is glossy and reflects light, which makes colours look richer and rooms brighter. Silk has a soft, low sheen and a velvety feel. Each colour page shows the finish available.

More: The practical details.

Choose a colour, get a guide price, then book a free survey. You get a full pricing document, and nothing is ordered until you accept it. We then arrange templating, and your worktops are usually fitted a week later, on the same day of the following week. We’ll confirm your dates and how long fitting is likely to take at the survey.

More: How it works.

Where templates can be taken over your existing worktops, your kitchen stays in use until fitting day. We’ll confirm this at your survey and explain any work needed beforehand. On fitting day the sink and hob are out of action until they’re reconnected, usually the next day so the silicone can dry properly.

More: How it works.

No. Quartz needs a flat, level base on the units, so the old worktops come off. We remove and take them away on fitting day.

More: How it works.

Usually, yes. Quartz is much heavier than laminate, so we check at the survey that the units are level, sound and properly fixed. If anything needs packing, levelling or strengthening, it will be in your pricing before you commit.

Most laminate worktops are 40mm thick and most quartz is 20mm or 30mm, so the new worktop usually sits lower than the old one and leaves a strip of bare wall under the tiles. There are a few ways to deal with it, and we’ll talk you through them at the survey:

• Quartz upstands tall enough to meet the tiles. More on upstands and splashbacks.
• 30mm quartz, which reduces the gap but costs a bit more.
• A quartz splashback in place of tiles behind the hob or sink.
• Retiling, if you were planning to change the tiles anyway.

Yes. An undermount sink sits beneath the quartz so you can wipe crumbs straight into the bowl; it needs a sink designed for undermounting, agreed before templating. Drainer grooves can be cut beside it, though they need regular wiping to stop limescale building up.

More: Sinks and Choosing a sink.

It depends on their age, condition and whether the sink suits the new worktop. We’ll give you an honest view at the survey.

More: Sinks, taps & appliances.

Yes. Slabs are 3200mm long, so long runs and L-shapes need joints. Each joint is filled with a resin coloured to match the stone, which keeps it as discreet as possible, but it will still be visible. Calmer patterns make joints less noticeable.

The final joint positions are decided on templating day with the templator. They depend on access into your home, how the units run, and where the joint can be properly supported.

More: Joints.

Ideally, yes. It’s your chance to confirm the final details with the templator, such as sink position, edges and overhangs, and to sign the paperwork so manufacture can begin.

Yes, and we prefer to, because it means one team is responsible for everything fitting together. If you’d rather supply your own, we’re happy to fit them. It’s all agreed during the pricing process, and the exact sink and hob must be confirmed before templating.

More: Sinks, taps & appliances.