The type of countertop you choose will depend first on personal taste and then on what your budget allows. The common choice for most people, mainly because of its low cost, is a 40mm laminate countertop. The other advantage is low maintenance: just a damp cloth will keep them clean.

There is a wide variety of designs and colors available, from imitation wood to imitation granite. Another advantage over natural work surfaces is the ability to absorb a low impact when placing a cup or plate without chipping the bottoms or making a lot of noise.

There are a few downsides that, if taken into account, won’t detract from a good work surface.

The first is the fact that the bull nose or rounded nose is only available on straight sections. All angled corners or radii ends should be machined flat and a flat piece of laminate glued in place.

The other thing to keep in mind is that any seams or cuts in the surface are potential problem areas waiting to happen. If puddles of water remain in a joint over time, the chipboard will swell and the laminate will lift. If an electric kettle is placed on a joint, the heat from below will affect the joint. Do not place hot surfaces, such as hot pans on a hob, directly on the work surface, as this will also cause blistering.

So be careful, laminate countertops are a good option in a standard kitchen.

However, if the kitchen design has a Belfast sink, for example, then a laminate worktop, around the sink area, is out of the question.

The next option is a wooden countertop made up of many wooden slats glued together to give the correct depth, usually around 620mm.

Timber surfaces can be cut and shaped to follow the shape of the base units, so if one board protrudes forward as a feature or rounded corners are needed, they can all be done and then the front edge can be profiled with a router, as well as the ends along the end fiber. This is a huge advantage over laminate, and unlike a granite countertop, wood countertops can be installed by the installer, so there is no delay in putting the countertops on.

Wood tops need 3 coats of oil on top and bottom. To accomplish this, I start greasing the bottom of all the wood tops the first day I arrive to set up the range.

Since the oil takes 12 hours to dry, I coat them more on day 2 and day 3. By day 4 I can start cutting and machining the caps. When all countertops are assembled and sanded, they are given 3 coats of oil over the next 3 days with a light sanding between coats.

Once the kitchen is in use, the countertops will need an occasional oiling. This will depend on how much use they have had so it could be once a month or twice a year. It will depend on the client how much he wants to take care of his work surface.

I know past customers who have never oiled their countertops since I installed them and called me several years later asking how to remove stains around the sink area. This stain is very difficult to remove and depending on its severity will determine how much of the wood needs to be removed by sanding or brushing and sanding.

I usually recommend a heavy sanding and then 3 coats of oil over the next 3 days.

If you choose granite countertops, the granite company you choose measures and installs. When all the base units are in place, the granite installer will typically create templates of the design from 4mm to 6mm MDF (Medium Density Fibreboard) or hardboard.

All overhangs, curves, sink profiles, etc. They are very precisely cut so that the templates can be taken to the workshop and transferred to suitable granite pieces, so that little or no kitchen work needs to be done to get everything to fit together correctly. .

The joints are filled with a 2-component resin, appropriately colored to minimize the visual impact of the joints.

After installation, the granite is cleaned with alcohol to remove traces of grease, dust, finger marks, etc. and is then coated with a sealer to prevent or minimize any accidental staining.

All types of countertops have their own advantages and disadvantages of price, durability, exclusivity, and maintenance.

It all comes down to 1. What you like, 2. Whether you can afford what you like, and 3. Whether you’re willing to spend the time caring for your ideal choice of top.