Granite and marble are both natural stones, quarried from the ground in large blocks which are then sliced into large slabs. No two slabs are exactly the same and even classics such as Carrara marble can vary from slab to slab.
Carrara quartz with under-mounted basin. Standard edge detailing.
Quartz is man-made from 93% crushed quartz mixed with 7% resin. quartz is available in many colour ways and patterns that cannot be found with natural stones. Due to popular demand, many quartz manufacturers now also produce products which very closely mimic the beauty of natural stones such as Carrara and Calacatta marble.
Durability & Maintenance
Of these materials, quartz is the strongest, due to its resin content, then Solid Surface, granite, and finally marble.
Britannica style quartz with standard edge detailing
As granite and marble are both naturally porous stones, they must be sealed to prevent staining. If you opt for a granite or marble vanity top from us, it will already be sealed, however, we recommend that the sealing process is repeated once a year.
As quartz is non-porous, it does not require sealing or any regular maintenance. Most of our clients opt for quartz for this reason.
Unlike all of the other options, solid surface counters are easily repairable by a qualified tradesperson should they scratch or get damaged.
Availability
Due to the nature of our unique bathroom vanity units, the most cost-effective way to produce countertops is to fabricate from our suppliers’ off-cuts. This means that for each and every job we do, we visit our suppliers to hand-select an appropriate piece of marble, granite or quartz that most closely matches our customer’s requirements and budget.
However, if you have a specific stone or quartz in mind for your countertop, it is also possible for us to source an entire slab just for your project, potentially allowing us to use the slab for additional elements such as shower trays or backsplashes. This will be costed per project as slab sizes and prices vary by material.
White quartz breakfront shaped top with upstand
Upstands & Splashbacks
You may wish to add a piece of stone as an upstand or splashback. This can be a simple rectangular piece or something a little more elaborate. These can either sit directly on top of the countertop or the back and top can be mitred together. The mitred option is a better option if you’d having an elaborate edge detailing like ogee.
Edge Detailing
Firstly, there are two options for your stone top. 1. have it cut with a 1-2cm overhang at the sides and front of your existing furniture piece. This option is the most popular, but sometimes the design of the furniture or space available may mean this isn’t ideal. The second option is to make the top slightly set back from the edge of the existing furniture piece. This tends to work well especially for mid century style furniture or when the existing top’s design just lends itself better to this option.
In terms of the actual edge detailing itself, there are a variety of edge details to choose from. We offer two standard, simple edge details; standard eased or bevelled, either of which is included when we price for a unit with a quartz, granite or marble countertop. Premium edge details such as bullnose, demi-bullnose, mitre and ogee vary from £150 to £300 extra per linear meter.
Cost
Factors such as the intricacy of the countertop shape (is it curved or shaped?), the number of tap holes and type of basin opening required (e.g. an under-mounted basin requires a polished edge to the hole which is exact in shape to match the basin exactly, whereas a drop-in basin does not need as much attention to detail) all affect the cost of fabrication. The chosen material and edge detailing also have an impact on costs. As a rough guide, a very small single vanity (500mm x 500mm) with one waste hole and one tap hole will start at £300.