J&R Marble Hints & tips

Supporting of Kitchen Worktops

• When supporting kitchen worktops most kitchen units will take the weight of quartz and granite but it will do no harm to take extra precautions such as extra support, especially around the hob and sink cut-outs.
• Your units under the kitchen worktops should be fixed together where possible and secured to the walls. If you wanted to give maximum support you could put waterproof bonded plywood or waterproof MDF screwed to the tops of the units and use a 20mm granite worktop with a 20mm down stand to hide the edge of the wood.

Hob & Sink Cut Outs

• Over-mount sink and hob cut outs can prove to be a problem. If the cut out is approximately 500/520mm and the kitchen worktops are only 600mm deep, it leaves the cut out very weak and extra support may be required with the cut out being cut on site after fixing (This is a dusty process). BUT kitchen worktops can be made to any depth i.e. 650mm, 700mm etc., so the units can be fixed away from the wall on brackets etc. allowing for deeper kitchen worktops (also gives more workspace).

Level

• Make sure the units are put in level, as it will avoid lots of packing and the kitchen worktops will have better support.

Movement

• If someone sits or stands on the Kitchen worktops (which they shouldn’t do) and the wood units move or bend then the kitchen worktops could break so make sure everything is rigid. You can even put extra legs under the 1000mm and 1200mm units to help against movement.

Staining

• Have the kitchens worktops sealed, as it will help even more against penetration of liquids. It is difficult to stain granite worktops and surfaces but sealing is an extra precaution. See maintenance section on main website.

Uneven Walls

• Granite can be shaped to suit the walls or granite splash backs can be used to cover any gaps.

Things to consider before e-mailing us for a quote

• Giving a m² price for kitchen worktops does not give us any idea of your requirements or give you much of a price indication, as the manufacture and fixing usually costs more than the material. For instance you can alter your price by changing thicknesses, details and type of granite that will be used for your kitchen worktops. An overall price can be compared but a part price cannot. Some suppliers give cheaper m2 rates on purpose so that you think they are cheaper and then they charge more for cutting and manufacture (Like asking for the price of a car without the engine and wheels).
• Help us to help you by giving as much of the following information as possible.
• Plan or layout sketch showing sizes and any shaping (free hand sketch will do).
• Supply or supply and fix.
• If fix, location of job
• Type of material required, if not known give a colour as this would give us an idea (all types and colours can vary drastically in price).
• Thickness of material required i.e. 20mm or 30mm (30mm is approximately 30% more expensive).
• Edge detail required i.e. square polished, semi-bullnose, bullnose, mould etc. (basic square polished being the cheapest)
• Number of internal corners (with square polish the return stones, but with semi-bullnose etc. we have to return the edge detail, which is time consuming).
• Edge detail to which edges of worktops.
• Height required for splash back.
• Splash back edge detail.
• Splash back internal junctions (same applied as with worktops, if the edges are square they align together, if not it would be mitres to internal junctions).
• Number of tap holes required.
• Number of sink cut outs required.
• Are sink cut outs square polished to inside edge?
• Number of sets of drainer flutes (1 set = 5 No. flutes x 450mm long). You can have more flutes at extra cost.
• Detail of any shaping, notches, raked cutting etc.
• Number of hob cut outs needed.
• Finished material would be heavy, so will access be straightforward?