Poignard
Well-Known Member
That's kind of you but I need a piece abut 4' x 4', which will allow me enough to make a worktop plus upstands. However, I would like to know where you bought the offcut in case I do decide to go for Corian.
Corian worktops
- Thread starter Poignard
- Start date
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Anonymous
Guest
Sorry - I got carried away answering another poster and did not answer your question...I saw on the Corian website a link to suppliers.
tangomoon
Well-Known Member
Now that's the kind of solid info we need on the forums Thanks
RutlandMike
Well-Known Member
Why not try granite tiles? 10mm thick, easy to cut, heat proof, scratch resistant and very cheap on e-bay. (£12 sq.meter). A bit of care and the joins virtually disappear!
Poignard
Well-Known Member
Re: Granite tiles
Sounds like an interesting possibility, please tell me more.
Aren't they porous?
Do you have to seal them?
What do you fix them to the plywood with?
You say the joints virtually disappear. Does this mean that you don't grout between them as you do with ceramic tiles?
Sounds like an interesting possibility, please tell me more.
Aren't they porous?
Do you have to seal them?
What do you fix them to the plywood with?
You say the joints virtually disappear. Does this mean that you don't grout between them as you do with ceramic tiles?
rogerthebodger
Well-Known Member
Re: Granite tiles
We have Granite worktops in our kitchen. Stuck down and joins filled with epoxy.
Have not sealed mine and no staining on them after 10 years
We have Granite worktops in our kitchen. Stuck down and joins filled with epoxy.
Have not sealed mine and no staining on them after 10 years
Cliveshep
Well-Known Member
This is not quite what you asked but have you not considered stainless steel? You can get it made up to a template, folded, welded and all welds cleaned off/polished and pre-cut to accept your sinks/hobs whatever. It is not expensive, choice of finishes, brushed, mirror polished etc, and lasts for ever.
If it gets a bit careworn you can re-do a brushed finish with a Scotch pad (the green ones) on a sander disc. It also looks very smart indeed especially with a hardwood trim.
BTW another product similar to Corian is Trespa, all are resin composites, basically thick Formic laminates. The other posters here are correct about one thing, it does scratch or mark just like Formica/Warite but the replacement costs are an order of magnitude greater. Also, most fabrications have to be bespoke unless you really do want just a slab for DIY.
I'd seriously consider getting a S/S top fabricated, at will probably be cheaper!
If it gets a bit careworn you can re-do a brushed finish with a Scotch pad (the green ones) on a sander disc. It also looks very smart indeed especially with a hardwood trim.
BTW another product similar to Corian is Trespa, all are resin composites, basically thick Formic laminates. The other posters here are correct about one thing, it does scratch or mark just like Formica/Warite but the replacement costs are an order of magnitude greater. Also, most fabrications have to be bespoke unless you really do want just a slab for DIY.
I'd seriously consider getting a S/S top fabricated, at will probably be cheaper!
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Anonymous
Guest
[ QUOTE ]
The other posters here are correct about one thing, it does scratch or mark just like Formica/Warite
[/ QUOTE ]That's not my experience. I've had Formica and Melamine over the years and Corian is way harder - and it does not take up stains whatsoever. The Corian website suggests using Jif (Cif) but we don't keep that in the galley and only ever use a J cloth with soapy dishwater to clean down. That's all it has ever taken to remove soiling and we have often had tea bags etc. left on the side by accident, and all the other things you'd expect in a much-used kitchen.
More expensive - don't know as I have never purchased it but definitely more scratch and stain resistant than Formica and Melamine (don't know the others you mention to compare it with).
The other posters here are correct about one thing, it does scratch or mark just like Formica/Warite
[/ QUOTE ]That's not my experience. I've had Formica and Melamine over the years and Corian is way harder - and it does not take up stains whatsoever. The Corian website suggests using Jif (Cif) but we don't keep that in the galley and only ever use a J cloth with soapy dishwater to clean down. That's all it has ever taken to remove soiling and we have often had tea bags etc. left on the side by accident, and all the other things you'd expect in a much-used kitchen.
More expensive - don't know as I have never purchased it but definitely more scratch and stain resistant than Formica and Melamine (don't know the others you mention to compare it with).
RutlandMike
Well-Known Member
Re: Granite tiles
Just like a solid granite worktop but a lot cheaper. Granite should be sealed, dead easy, sealant available e-bay or any granite supplier and applied after fixing. Tiles should be butted up really tight to each other with adhesive squidged out of joints, excess wiped off whilst wet. The tiles should be in full contact which means the joints don't pick up dirt and grease like grout does. To make sure you get a perfectly flush joint between tiles, lay 2mm spacers under the joints (I use matchsticks - 80p on ebay) - not between them. Bed them on soudal silirub MA - non staining (some adhesives will 'bleed' into granite darkening their colour around the joins) and remains flexible so less likely to crack if you drop something really heavy on them (not that I've ever managed to crack one once fitted). Good idea to give the ply a couple of coats of PVA before hand - seals it and allows the silirub to stick like poo to a blanket. You can trim bare unpolished edges with hardwood mouldings, or get a friendly granite person to polish the edges before fixing, cut strips of tile and get polished or mitre the tile edges if you've got a good cutter and steady hand. Small fraction of the cost of a one piece granite worktop 30-40mm thick and a lot easier to manouver in confined spaces. Just make sure you loose lay it all before glueing. Enjoy! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
Just like a solid granite worktop but a lot cheaper. Granite should be sealed, dead easy, sealant available e-bay or any granite supplier and applied after fixing. Tiles should be butted up really tight to each other with adhesive squidged out of joints, excess wiped off whilst wet. The tiles should be in full contact which means the joints don't pick up dirt and grease like grout does. To make sure you get a perfectly flush joint between tiles, lay 2mm spacers under the joints (I use matchsticks - 80p on ebay) - not between them. Bed them on soudal silirub MA - non staining (some adhesives will 'bleed' into granite darkening their colour around the joins) and remains flexible so less likely to crack if you drop something really heavy on them (not that I've ever managed to crack one once fitted). Good idea to give the ply a couple of coats of PVA before hand - seals it and allows the silirub to stick like poo to a blanket. You can trim bare unpolished edges with hardwood mouldings, or get a friendly granite person to polish the edges before fixing, cut strips of tile and get polished or mitre the tile edges if you've got a good cutter and steady hand. Small fraction of the cost of a one piece granite worktop 30-40mm thick and a lot easier to manouver in confined spaces. Just make sure you loose lay it all before glueing. Enjoy! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
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Anonymous
Guest
Re: Granite tiles
Sounds a bit dodgy on a sea-going boat when it starts 'working'. OK on inland waterways on a narrow boat, though, as long as the vibration doesn't cause a problem. Has anyone tried this other than on a houseboat, I wonder?
Sounds a bit dodgy on a sea-going boat when it starts 'working'. OK on inland waterways on a narrow boat, though, as long as the vibration doesn't cause a problem. Has anyone tried this other than on a houseboat, I wonder?
RutlandMike
Well-Known Member
Re: Granite tiles
That's the beauty of the silrub - joints flex when they really need to - not that any boats worktop - corian, steel, melamine or granite - should be flexing when at sea. If it is then the weather is such that the worktop has got to be the least of your problems! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
That's the beauty of the silrub - joints flex when they really need to - not that any boats worktop - corian, steel, melamine or granite - should be flexing when at sea. If it is then the weather is such that the worktop has got to be the least of your problems! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
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Anonymous
Guest
Re: Granite tiles
[ QUOTE ]
not that any boats worktop - corian, steel, melamine or granite - should be flexing when at sea. If it is then the weather is such that the worktop has got to be the least of your problems! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
[/ QUOTE ]You'd be surprised - boats move very considerably at sea - at least, wood and GRP do, don't know about ferro cement and steel which probably flex less. The strength of wood and GRP derives, in part, from the elasticity. Maybe there is a naval architect in the forum who could put some numbers in for us. I rather suspect that a granite-tiled worktop would be a major problem.
[ QUOTE ]
not that any boats worktop - corian, steel, melamine or granite - should be flexing when at sea. If it is then the weather is such that the worktop has got to be the least of your problems! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
[/ QUOTE ]You'd be surprised - boats move very considerably at sea - at least, wood and GRP do, don't know about ferro cement and steel which probably flex less. The strength of wood and GRP derives, in part, from the elasticity. Maybe there is a naval architect in the forum who could put some numbers in for us. I rather suspect that a granite-tiled worktop would be a major problem.