thisplace.com.au - Price Guide

Kitchen Surfaces

Introduction

One of the most important and first impression that you get from any home that you visit is comes from the kitchen. The kitchen s one of the most important rooms in our homes. It is the place where we spend a lot of our time. If you do not like the look and feel of your kitchen then this can be a problem but there is hope. If you are building from new you can make sure right from the start that you get the type of kitchen you want, with all of the fittings etc that will make you happy. If you are buying an already established home then you may inherit a kitchen that will not be to your taste or is just not quite what you want. However all is not lost, you can update any kitchen that you inherit and it doesn't have to cost a lot of money. By changing your work surface you can create a whole new look and there are a wide range of options available to choose from.

Quick Reference

»
The Costs

»
New Homes

»
Stainless Steel

»
Laminates

»
Ceramic Tiles

»
Corian

»
Granite

»
Timber

»
Additional Pricing

»
Smart Tips

The Costs

You do not have to spend a fortune on your kitchen. Of course it is not a cheap thing to do but you can help to keep the costs down.

You can save on money by doing some of the work yourself. Labour costs in a kitchen renovation will usually be around 50 percent of your costs and if you can do some of the work yourself the this will allow you to spend more on fittings etc.

New Homes

If you are in the process of building a new home it is wise to talk to your architect and builder about designing it so that your kitchen will be exactly what you want when the house is finished. You should think wisely about what you want as you really do not want to have to make any changes once you have moved in. (at least not for some time).

Stainless Steel

Although it has been around for a long time Stainless steel used to mainly be associated with commercial kitchens but is now a very desirable kitchen surface and with good reason. It is available in polished and textured finishes for both workbenches and cupboard doors. It gives a kitchen a nice cool, clean and functional look and is also resistant to burns and stains

There are some disadvantages to using stainless steel the biggest probably being it's cost. You will also forever finding fingerprints on it but this is not a huge problem. Sometimes it can take awhile to get your order as the prefabrication requirements of making your particular order can take time.

You should expect to pay around $600-$650 per metre plus the cost of installing it in your home

Laminates

This type of kitchen surface is made from sheets of resin impregnated paper that is bonded to particleboard. The advantage of laminates is that they can imitate timber and granite and come in a wide range of colours.

A big plus for laminates is the cost factor. They are relatively cheap and as mentioned above give you a wide choice. They also offer good resistance to scratches and burns.

You have to be careful with water as if an edge suffers from to much water it could separate. Sometimes a thin surface can wear through use or even chip.

Expect to pay around $65 per metre.

Ceramic Tiles

These can make your kitchen look good and your local tile supplier will be able to advise you on what tile to use. You can seal the tiles with a paint on sealant that will give the grout some protection as well as making the tiles easier to keep clean is stains will not stick as much.

Ceramic tiles offer some good advantages in that they come in a wide range of colours, sizes, patterns and designs. No matter what your taste you will find something that you like. They are also hard wearing and if looked after should last quite some time.

You do have to be careful with heavy objects on them as they could damage the tiles through chipping or cracking. Some types of tiles will not be suitable for kitchen duties such as chopping.

You should expect to pay about $30 per square metre

Corian

Corian is a composite that is made from mixed minerals and resins that form a solid material. This material can be shaped, moulded and routed easily as it is a solid colour throughout

Corian offers many advantages such as being heat resistant, durable and it also offers a big range of colours and textures. Cleaning is also easy to do and any damage is easy to fix. Corian comes in seamless finishes and you can get 10 year warranties on the product.

There are some things you have to be careful with when it comes to the long term life of Corian. It can suffer damage from heat and will cut and scratch if you do not take some care. There are also some chemicals that can stain it's surface. You must also be aware that it can crack or chip with too much force.

For Corian expect to pay about $400 per square metre for a standard 600mm width

Granite

Granite is cut to suit your needs and compared to other stone is less porous. It is sealed before installed to make it more resistant to moisture. You can also have your bench tops made from marble, slate and limestone

As you would expect Granite is very hard wearing and it can be cut to any shape that you will want or need you require.

Although it is hard wearing you do have to exercise some care with your granite. Sealants that are on the granite can be damaged by heat or excess moisture. It can scratch relatively easily and some of the more porous types are susceptible to staining. Large sheets of granite can also be fragile.

Expect to pay from about $325 per metre depending upon the thickness of the sheet as well as the number of finished edges the piece has.

Timber

This type of kitchen surface can give a country feel to your kitchen and works in well with modern stainless steel appliances. You can have solid, glue-bonded and veneer sections that are pre-treated and solid sections that are lightly oiled before they are installed.

There is a wide range of timber choices available to you each with their different look at characteristics. Any burns or scratches that you find can be sanded out and then re-finished to make it look as if nothing has ever happened.

Some of the disadvantages that timber presents are that is does scratch and burn if you are not careful with what you are doing. It also needs moisture protection especially near dishwashers or where it will be wet often. timber is also susceptible to stains so you should take care with what you are doing on the surface.

For a 600mm wide benchtop you should expect to pay about $80 per metre

Additional Pricing

Remember to get at least 3 quotes for your job before choosing which surface you will go with
Any labour that you can do your self will help to keep the job cost down as labour costs can amount to 50 percent of the total price

Smart tips

You have to spend a fair amount of time in the kitchen and therefore you have to make it a place where you enjoy being.
Make sure that you get warranties for whichever surface that you have chosen to go with.
Before you make a final decision as to what surface you want remember to consider not just the initial cost but also the ongoing maintenance costs.
If you do not have lot of time you should not have a surface that requires a lot of time and effort to having looking good.

Price Guide Index

Price Guide Main Page | Goto Top of Page