Complete Guide to Choosing Marble to Laminate Worktops

What is Marble Kitchen Worktops?

People prefer marble worktop because it delivers a certain brightness, luminosity and smoothness that can be felt. The exemplary marble kitchen worktops (marble countertops in British English) is undoubtedly one of the most desired choices these days as it lets you work a little luxury into your kitchen. This makes it different and more elegant than any other natural stone available.

If you scroll through online platforms, you will find that glistening marble worktop trending in every grace of the kitchen right from ultra-modern to traditional.

Marble is a naturally occurring metamorphic rock, which is formed when the sediments crystallise under pressure or heat. If you visit any marble worktops suppliers London, you will find that they have this rock in various colours and shades like white, cream, pink etc.

Here you find complete guidelines for marble worktop, including marble worktops pros and cons, colours, and much more. All these instructions help you to find the best worktops material.

Is marble suitable for Kitchen Worktops?

Marble is suitable for your kitchen worktops because being porous it is a poor conductor of heat and hence remains cool. It is the property of heat-resistance that makes it a preferred cook-top to work on for pastry chefs. As they need to work on dough, they need a kitchen work surface that absorbs heat and keeps the dough cool and marble kitchen worktops provide them exactly the same.

The other reason that makes marble stone popular is the elegance that it imparts to the interiors means it helps to transform your kitchen. For this reason alone, people prefer marble for kitchen worktops. The marble worktops UK come in a variety of colours and finishes. Those having a slightly grey tone and feathery veins are the least expensive varieties. However, if you opt for pronounced veining and brighter white colouring, you will have to shell out slightly more. The rarer the quality, the more expensive it is like Calacatta  or Statuario.

Also Read : 5 REASONS WHY MARBLE SHOULD BE USED FOR YOUR KITCHEN WORKTOP

If you are looking for that classy and style statement, marble is the material for you. You can choose from the infinite range of colours, markings and veining as per your preference and budget.

As it is a form of the well-known limestone, the lighter it is in colour, the purer is the limestone. One can buy marble worktops in the colour of their preference from marble kitchen worktops UK or marble worktops London.

Marble Colors: What Colours Does Marble worktop Come in?

The marble worktop come in various colors, but shades of white, grey and black are the most commonly used ones.

Let us understand these marble worktop colors in detail:

White Marble Worktop

The white marble worktop looks elegant and sophisticated. It inspires purity and neatness along with providing light and spaciousness to the kitchen space. As it brightens the area, it is ideal for use in confined spaces. The other benefit of having a white marble worktop is that it can be gel well with any other colour and hence is very versatile when doing the kitchen interiors. In white, Blanco Macael is considered ideal for worktops because of its notable strength and Blanco Ibiza for its resistance and simple tones.

Black Marble Worktop

Black marble worktop is more popular because black is the colour that is associated with luxury and elegance. You can use it extensively in well-lit rooms and wide spaces as open kitchens. Monochrome is in trend these days and thus people are opting a lot for black colour and black marble worktop fit perfectly in it.

The black marble worktop is available in raw, brushed, polished and bush hammered finishes with options of having white veining or darker pattern. One of the most common black marbles is Negro Marquina, which has a unique strength and intensity and provides the typical elegance of black colour when polished.

Grey Marble Worktop

The grey marble worktop like others comes in various sizes, shapes, and dimensions to meet the variegated requirements of people.

Actually marble is formed from limestone with very few impurities is white in colour. The same becomes bluish, black, yellow, pink etc. when impurities like bituminous material, clay minerals, and iron oxides get mixed. This mixing, however, provides options to people to go for various marble worktop colours based on their kitchen décor, interiors and colour preferences.

All marbles are durable and can be used for various applications at home. This includes worktops, sculpture, walkways etc. With its rich coloration and a wonderful feel, they are one of nature’s best gifts to mankind. One can choose the colour as per his or her preference or colour scheme used in the house or area.

Marble Worktop Thickness: Best Marble Slab Thickness for Marble Worktops?

Marble worktop thickness with 20mm and 30mm is an important consideration. The 20mm marble slab is generally used for bathroom tops, while the 30mm marble slab is used for homebase kitchen worktops. This is a general industry norm. However, with time, the trends have changed and a thicker marble slab is also getting popular. As the slab gets thicker, it gives a better presence of colours and patterns.

Marble Thickness: Marble slab thickness with 30mm

Marble slab with 30mm thickness have a chunkier appearance. As the designs are more pronounced in it, they evoke magnificence, splendor, and grandeur. Though both 20mm and 30mm marble slab is capable of withstanding any daily routine tasks in the kitchen, the overall design and feel of the kitchen should be kept in focus while deciding the thickness of the slab. If you are using it for a bar with unsupported overhangs or breakfast island, then a 30mm marble worktop is recommended. It offers better structural security, as it supports an overhang of up to 300mm. This thickness of marble slab also helps with the load and balance of kitchen furniture.

Marble Thickness: Marble slab thickness with 20mm

The 20mm marble worktop looks elegant, slim and gives a modern feel and touch to the place. If you are using it in a contemporary kitchen, it brings a rich feel to the area. It is reasonably priced too and comes cheaper than 30mm marble slab. A lot of architects, property developers, homeowners and interior designers prefer this over 30mm marble worktops for their contemporary beauty and economical pricing. If one chooses the right stone with beautiful patterns, the focus will be only on the surface of the worktops and no one will even notice the difference of 1 cm in thickness.

Some people even opt for 2-inch thick marble slab these days. It basically depends on what look you want to achieve and at what price. Thicker marble worktop complement all: contemporary, modern and minimalist designs perfectly.

Marble Worktops Price Per Metre: How much do marble worktops cost?

Marble worktops price you can expect around £315 per square metre on an average. The cost range varies from £100 to £380 per square meter, even discounted marble worktops at a cost of £60 per square meter also available in the market.

Carrara marble worktop cost is about £300 per square meter on an average, Blanco Carrara is one of the most appreciated ones among white marble and is a symbol of quality and distinction, while the hardwood price varies from £100 to £150 square meter and man-made Corian prices more than about £450 per square meter .

Actually, there are various factors that dictate the cost and make it perfect for worktops. These days, marble worktop is in trend because of its natural beauty, durability, endurance, design capabilities and cost.

One can classify marble into four varieties and the marble worktop prices basically depend on what variety marble one is going for. It is but natural that premium varieties will demand the highest price and vice versa.

This classification and hence the pricing gradation is dependent on factors like the origin, production process, thickness, veins, designs, hues, visual qualities and of course demand and supply.

For a layman the material of marble worktop cost is nearly 50% of the total price of the end product, which includes finishing, measuring and installation services. The thicker the slab, the higher is the cost. Generally, people opt for 20mm and 30mm marble slab for laminate kitchen worktops and both are ideal keeping in mind the regular kitchen activities.

However, going for 20mm or 30mm marble slab depends purely on the kitchen design but more on personal preference. The thicker marble slab give a better look and feel of the design in the stone, but then it definitely marble worktop prices are more. People with unlimited budgets also opt for 50mm marble thickness slabs purely for aesthetic purposes.

However, there are places where one doesn’t have a choice and need to get a thicker marble slab installed as the thinner worktops won’t be durable there. For example, say a marble worktop extends over the edge of the supporting structure by just 30 cm. In this case, if something heavy is put on it, it might break. Also, the corners, which are not usually supported, can break if the marble slab is thin. Thus, one should go with the minimum thickness specifications as suggested by the professionals and not just look at the marble worktops cost aspect.

Marble Effect Worktop: Marble Reviews

Grey marble effect worktop and design and offer a perfect solution for your kitchen. If you are looking for natural, hard-wearing worktop material that not only imparts classic looks but also is one of the less expensive choices, then marble worktop is an ideal choice.

When you go through the marble reviews, you will find that most of the people love the clean and bright look it radiates. It has an inherent elegance and timelessness associated with it. If you opt for a marble worktop, you automatically add an element of dressiness to your kitchen.

Though there will be some concerns about cleaning and these marble worktop maintenance, if you know the causes of stain and why white marble worktop turning yellowish or how to clean marble, then it is perfectly fine. Apart from taking one major precaution, which is to wipe off acidic spills immediately from it, it doesn’t require any specific maintenance.

There are various varieties of marbles available and depending on the type you choose, at times it becomes more affordable than granite worktop and quartz worktop. Again, the Marble worktop comes in various colours with some preferring the brilliant white, which has the least impurities in it. Maintaining white colour requires a little extra effort and if it’s difficult for you to put that, you can opt for darker shades, which look equally good.

Marble stone comes in two major finishes, which is honed and polished. The polished finish needs more cleaning and it feels messy more easily. The honed finish, on the other hand, is much easier to maintain as it doesn’t show scratches as much. But, as its pores are more open, it is more susceptible to staining and one needs proper sealing for this finish.

Polished finish, as the name suggests, has a shiny exterior unlike honed, which is less bright. Staining doesn’t happen much on this finish, but scratch and etch can. The polished surfaces also are worn down with time and hence one can opt for the honed finish right in the beginning.

The best marble reviews that anyone could have come across is one that compared the marble worktop to a pair of jeans. It said, “Marble worktops work better and better while wearing and ageing gracefully, giving them a unique and organic character.” It is actually the best way to understand marble effect worktop.

Marble Worktops Pros and Cons

To help you take a conscious and informed call, here are the marble worktops pros and cons. After going through these pros and cons, you will be able to take a better and informed decision.

Pros of Marble Worktop:

 

Offers Spectacular Beauty:

The classic, elegant and timeless beauty that these marble worktops offer is not available in any other natural stone. This igneous rock displays a wonderful array of colour. You can choose from ample of colours and shades that come in this stone. As it is formed naturally, no two slabs are alike, which ensures that you will be having a unique worktops for your home.

Heat Resistant:

The kitchen marble worktop is home to hot pans and pots. This surface, being heat resistant, is ideal for homebase kitchen worktops. The bakers especially love to work on the dough on this surface because of its cooling property.

Cost:

Apart from going for premium rarer types of marble, which are very expensive, the normal variants are very reasonably priced. In fact, they make for one of the least expensive natural stone worktops.

Cons of Marble Worktop:

Porous in Nature:

As marble is porous, it is vulnerable to stains as the staining agents get seeped readily. To help prevent damage due to staining, one needs to get the surface sealed professionally upon installation is essential to help prevent damage.

Scratching:

When in touch with anything acidic, it can etch easily. The acidic thing removes the sealant or the polish from its finish. The area then becomes dull and vulnerable to scratches. The only way to avoid this is to wipe off any acidic spill from the surface immediately. Also, never use any acidic cleaning agent.

How to Clean Marble Countertop?

Often people are scared that maintaining a marble worktop would be a difficult job, especially if one has opted for a light shade. If you are worried about how to clean marble countertop, here are some ways to keep it clean easily.

Wipe Off Acidic Spills Immediately:

The reputation of marble countertop being difficult to maintain and clean has emerged from the fact that this material is composed of calcium carbonate, which is sensitive to acidic solutions. As soon as any acidic substance – be it lemon juice or vinegar that is commonly used in the kitchen – comes in contact with marble, it eats away a tiny bit of the surface causing dull spots referred to as etches on it. It is these dull spots or etches that have earned the reputation of a finicky substance for marble and people feel that it is hard to clean and maintain. In fact, the only precaution one needs to take is wiping off any acidic spills right away. Other than that, it is just like any other natural stone, which is durable and easy to clean.

Never Use Acidic Cleaners:

As discussed above, marble is prone to get etched with acids; care should be taken not to use any cleaner containing acidic ingredients. Use warm water and non-abrasive dish soap: The simplest way to clean marble worktop is to add and mix some gentle non-abrasive dish soap in a mug of warm water. Spray it on the surface and wipe it off with a soft wet dishcloth. Once you are done with it, just dry the surface with a soft, absorbent towel to avoid water marks and it will shine like new.

Stain Removal:

If you want to know how to clean marble stone of the various stains that have occurred, you need to first figure out the nature of stain. Stain removal is a little tricky job as you might be required to apply some chemical based on the nature of stain. It is always better to address the stain problem as soon as it happens because then there are better chances to figure out what caused the stain in the first place. In kitchen worktops, the probability of getting oil-based and organic stains is the most. Any oil-based stain needs to be dealt with a soft chemical like a liquid cleanser containing acetone, ammonia etc. Most of the organic or food stains make the surface appear pinkish-brown. They can be cleaned using a 12 percent hydrogen peroxide solution with few drops of ammonia in it.

The complete guide to choosing marble to laminate worktops has been discussed in this blog, which should help in satisfying your fears and queries.

FAQs

Q1. Which type of kitchen worktop is best?

There are many types of kitchen worktops like Marble, Granite, Quartz, Ceramic, Glass, Corian, Wood, Laminate, and Stainless Steel, but the most preferred these days is white marble worktop. It enhances the feeling of a kitchen worktop and gives a luxury finish. Be it an ultra-modern or traditional kitchen, a white marble type of kitchen worktop works best to accentuate the overall kitchen décor. The brightness and smoothness that comes with a marble worktop can be compared to no other. From a practical aspect, marble worktops work best because these are poor conductors of heat.

Q2. Is marble countertops cheaper than granite?

Marble countertops are one of the most preferred for kitchen countertop ranges, but they come at a slightly higher price (£89 per square foot installed) when compared to granite (£67 per square foot installed). High-quality granite countertops cost £155 while for marble countertops this cost is about £175 installed.

With a few extra euros, a marble worktop can project opulence vis-a-vis granite countertop. A marble worktops comes at a higher price considering the kind of finish and heat protection that it can allow in any kitchen. In contrast, granite countertops also present limited colour options to select from.

Q3. Which is better marble quartz or granite?

Marble and granite both are natural stone, but when it comes to quartz these are engineered stone. Marble and granite are a poor conductor of heat, especially granite is more heatproof it will take a hot pot while quartz is not good for heat as these two.

All three are excellent worktop choices for the kitchen, quartz cannot have properties similar to genuine marble.

Marble worktop is always a preferred choice in kitchens, but between the choice of marble, quartz, and granite, it is best to go for granite because it remains an economical choice.

Q4. Why Marble Effect Kitchen Worktops

Marble effect kitchen worktops are considered the best choice for kitchen interiors these days. Each marble slab is unique and this is what allows for a unique kitchen worktop. Marble worktops tend to beautify the overall kitchen décor by blending into any possible colour schemes. These are visually appealing and add a glamour quotient to the entire kitchen setup. Marble tends to develop scratches easily and hence quartz marble worktops can be better alternatives to get the same look but ensure durability.

Q5. Does marble chip easily?

Marble worktops are very elegant in their looks, but they tend to chip easily and also develop scratches. When it comes to marble effect worktops like quartz marble, these are more durable and do not chip easily. Marble chip can result in a costly renovation because the entire marble worktop needs to be changed in such cases. Since the chip itself cannot be fixed, you need to replace it entirely.

Q6. What is laminate worktop?

Laminate worktops are made from sheets of Kraft paper combined with resin, which results in a brittle sheet. When this sheet is bonded with timber substance, it forms laminate worktop. Considered one of the least expensive worktop options, these are the preferred choices for economy kitchen ranges.

Laminate marble is good option for flooring, also considered one of the cheapest sources of kitchen worktops since these are basically two different sheets of marble that are laminated to make a single worktop.

Q7. How much are laminate worktops?

Cheap laminate worktops are available with the price of £25 while high-quality laminate countertops cost is £45. The average price of laminate worktops can be somewhere in the range of £30 per square metre.

Laminate marble worktops are considered to be one of the most economical options available in kitchen worktops. While the durability of these cannot be as good as granite or marble, it can still act as a better option if one is not looking to spend a lot on the kitchen setup. Also, these can be easily replaced with minimal cost as compared to granite or marble.