Kitchens are one of the most important rooms in the home for a number of reasons. First, it is normally the place where the family gathers for special moments together, taking a break from their busy lives. Second, in many homes these days, it’s in the kitchen that most of the activities of the day take place: homework gets done; decisions are made; breakfasts are taken on the run and Masterchef quality meals are prepared. No matter what you do in your kitchen, it’s important that it’s a room you enjoy and make the most of.
One of the most important considerations when you’re planning to re-look your kitchen is your choice of worktops. Today there are a whole host of options to choose from; so much so, that it can often seem confusing. The options range from laminate to granite, to acrylic or resin, to marble and tile, all of which have their advantages and disadvantages. When it comes to solid wood worktops people often ask the question: are they worth the effort?
In order to answer this question, it’s worth looking at the maintenance regime for a granite worktop.
“Granite or solid wood?” is one of the most commonly debated choices when it comes to kitchen worktops and from a maintenance point of view; there isn’t much difference in what’s required. With a granite worktop, like a solid wood worktop, once your worktop has had its initial treatment, ongoing maintenance will involve little more than wiping the surface with a damp cloth and some mild detergent. When it comes to more serious cleaning, granite worktops will typically require a heavy-duty stone and a degreaser to really get to the bottom of the dirt, grease and grime that has built up. Stones and degreasers for granite worktops are widely available and will help get your worktop looking great again relatively quickly.
When a granite worktop becomes stained because of spills and neglect, more drastic action is required and this normally takes the form of a poultice. A poultice is effectively a fine clay cleaning powder that is intended to draw the stain out of the granite. Often, using a poultice will cause the surface of your granite to dull and if this happens, then you’ll need to invest in a marble polish to get the shine back. From time to time, certain granite worktops will need to be sealed or re-sealed. The manufacturer of your worktop will let you know if your granite needs to be sealed or not and if so and will advise you on the best product to use as well as how often the process needs to be repeated.
As with solid wood worktops, it’s important to wipe up spills as soon as possible after they happen and never to sit hot pans or casserole dishes on your granite worktop.
So, when you look at this list of maintenance for a granite worktop, it’s hard to see how people could think that solid wood worktops mightn’t be worth the effort.
When you choose a solid wood worktop, not only do you get a quiet, warm worktop solution, you also get a solution that requires little, if any more maintenance than the likes of granite. Wood is quieter than granite simply because it’s less dense and less hard which means that when you lay something on its surface it absorbs the sound rather than resonating it like the likes of marble or granite will do.
Solid wood is also a warmer option than almost any of the other surfaces on the market. Irrespective of which species, colour or grade of wood you choose, wood has a natural warmth that’s pretty much impossible to beat, no matter where you look in kitchen worktop-land.
When it comes to maintenance, there is a huge similarity of regime between granite and wood, with neither one requiring more than the other. In fact if you keep your wood well sealed, with a high quality, food friendly oil, you’ll find that your need for regular maintenance couldn’t be simpler. Nothing more than a damp cloth and a little detergent will be required.
In order to protect your solid wood worktop from heat damage, why not avail of our superb, bespoke Hot Rods Installation service. What’s more, you can make sure you don’t get water damage around your sink by taking advantage of our drainage grooves. Add to these, our pre-oiling service and you soon start to see that solid wood worktops are well worth the effort, every time!