Planning a kitchen worktop often involves talking to different tradespeople and sometimes it can feel like they’re talking a different language. Here’s our jargon buster to make sure you’re the expert when it comes to choosing your new worktops.
| Baton | These are usually pieces of wood that are attached to walls to make sure your worktops don’t have any weak spots. For example, if you have an integrated washing machine these don’t have a supporting cabinet surrounding it so the walls will need batons for your worktop to sit on. These will need to be installed by your kitchen fitter and will not be visible once your kitchen is complete. |
| Belfast sink | Also known as a Butler sink, a Belfast sink sits on the kitchen unit below the worktop. There will be a gap between the sink and the worktop of around 4mm – 8mm to allow for expansion and contraction when in place which is a warranty requirement for all ceramic sinks. You can have drainer grooves and/or a recessed drainer in the worktop itself draining into the sink. |
| Carcass | These are your kitchen cabinets without any additions like doors, handles, or shelving. |
| Caulk | We use caulk to fill a gap near a bare wall, for example where the up stands meet the wall. Caulk is usually white and can be painted. |
| Cills | These are your window cills which we can also provide tops for to make everything in your kitchen match. |
| Cutouts | These are holes cut out for specific items in your kitchen, like sinks, taps, or hobs. When we come to template, you will need to have these items available so we can measure the size of the cutout needed. |
| Dekton | Dekton by Cosentino is a manmade, unique, high-performing, ultra-compact surface that is ideal for worktops, floors, walls, and bathrooms. The possibilities are endless and with its high UV resistance and ability to withstand ice and fire, it’s perfect for both indoor and outdoor use. Read our 6 reasons to choose a Dekton worktop blog to find out more. |
| Drainer grooves | Drainer grooves are sloped indents in your worktop near your sink to allow you to drain your pots and pans. We add 5 as standard to any worktop with a sink cutout unless you tell us otherwise. |
| Drop-in sink | Also known as an inset sink or a sit on top sink. These sinks sit on top of the worktop. These are often cheaper to install and easier to fabricate but the sink you choose depends on your personal preference. |
| Edge profile | Our standard edge profile is a double bevel but there are other, more intricate, finishes you can choose from if you have 30mm worktops. |
| Fabrication | This is where our highly skilled stonemasons make your worktops using high-tech machines, based on the templates we have created. |
| Finish | Certain materials come with different surface finish options. As standard we offer a polished finish which is smooth and shiny. A honed finish is still smooth but matte. Suede is a lightly textured matte finish and leathered is more a heavily textured matte finish. Manufacturers offer other finishes but these are the most popular choices. |
| Finishing | This is where we put the final touches to your worktop including polishing or textured edges, adding bevels, and quality control. |
| Gable end | Also known as an end panel, waterfall edge or drop down leg. These usually fit to the side of your kitchen floor units to replace the standard decor end panel of your cabinets, creating a seamless finish. They can be joined via bevelled edges called a butt joint or can be mitred to offer a seamless look with a small inconspicuous joint created with a matching coloured adhesive. The most popular joint is a mitred joint which offers a more superior finish and doesn’t cost much more. |
| Granite | Granite is 100% natural and quarried across the world. As a result, no two pieces are the same so if you are looking for something unique this would be ideal. It is incredibly strong and can be used outdoors due to its UV resistant properties. Granite is also ideal for those who love baking as it remains cool to the touch, ensuring your ingredients stay cool and your cakes & pies are Bake Off worthy! One thing to consider is that it is porous so it can absorb liquids (like red wine and tea!) and is susceptible to scratching if not taken care of. |
| Grinder | We sometimes use grinders on-site to cut and trim materials to ensure an exact fit. |
| Heat resistant | This is the amount of heat a material can withstand. The only truly heat resistant material we offer is Dekton. If you damage your worktop due to heat exposure (e.g. putting a hot pan on quartz) it is irreparable. |
| Integrity sink | This is a sink made from Silestone quartz giving a seamless look between worktop and sink. The sinks are moulded in Spain by Cosentino in a secretive process that even we haven’t seen. They are only available as 1 bowl and you can have drainer grooves in the worktop to complete the look. |
| Material | This is either granite, quartz, or Dekton – read our handy guide to see which one is best for you. We can also offer marble but this is not recommended for kitchen worktops. |
| Mitred edge | This is a 45 degree angled cut on two pieces of worktop that are joined together using colour matched adhesive to create an inconspicuous joint giving a seamless look. |
| Off-cut | These are pieces of material left over once your worktop has been fabricated. We try to use every part of a slab to get the best value for money so off-cuts are often unusable so we can’t offer chopping boards. |
| Packing | Solid stone worktops need to sit on a completely level surface to make sure they don’t crack. A good kitchen fitter will level everything properly before worktops are fitted but if your cabinets are not levelled properly, we can use small packers to level the worktop. You won’t see these once the worktop is installed. If your worktop is too unlevel, we may not be able to install the worktops until your fitter has levelled them. |
| Porosity | This is how absorbent the material is and can give an indication of how stain resistant it is. Dekton is the most stain resistant yet marble is incredibly porous which is why it’s not recommended for kitchen worktops. Stain resistant is different to stain proof so if you leave something like red wine, curry or tea on your worktop for a long time it may stain. |
| Price band | All suppliers put their materials and colours in different price bands. Our online catalogue can be used to filter materials and colours in your price range. |
| Quartz | Made from a mixture of natural quartz, resin, and glass or metallic elements. Often the cheapest option, unlike granite it is shock, scratch, and stain-resistant (not stain proof) and is incredibly low maintenance. If you are a keen Hincher, the worktops can be cleaned with simple soap & water and will shine like new. Quartz is not heat or UV resistant so it is not ideal for outdoor spaces and you cannot place hot objects (like hot pans or baking trays) directly onto it. Not all quartz is made equally – we’ve put together a useful guide to help you choose the right quartz for you. |
| Recessed drainer | This can be added to a sink area to give a more cosmetically pleasing look and also act as a draining board. This is milled into the worktop and slopes into your sink to drain water. |
| Resin | This can be used to glue complex joints together, like a gable end, but can also be used as an alternative to silicone. It gives the same almost inconspicuous finish and can also be colour matched. |
| Silicone | This is what we use to seal joints in your worktops so there are no gaps. This is colour matched to your worktops for an almost seamless finish. It’s important not to use your worktops for at least 24 hours after silicone is added to allow it to dry. We would also recommend avoiding continuing any work to your kitchen during this time to prevent anything getting stuck in the silicone, like sawdust. |
| Slab | This is how materials are delivered into our factory before we begin fabricating them. Slabs can come in all shapes and sizes and if you choose a natural material, the sizes can differ per slab. You can often choose your own slab from the suppliers for natural materials like granite which we would strongly recommend. |
| Splashback | These often sit behind your hob and are an alternative to tiling. You can often opt for full wall splashbacks that stretch along the length of your kitchen to give that extra “wow” factor. |
| Templating | This is where we come and measure your space to create a digital template. This is done by laser to ensure pinpoint accuracy when we cut your material. From templating, we aim to fit the worktop within 7-10 days. |
| Thickness | Worktops come in standard thicknesses of 20mm or 30mm – the one you choose depends on your own personal preference. We can build up worktops to a larger thickness if required. |
| Undermount sink | An undermount sink sits under the worktop. The edges of the cutout for an undermount sink are polished. |
| Upstands | These are usually 100mm high and form a border around your worktop to finish it off. |
| UV resistant | UV resistant materials are ideal for outside use because they can withstand the sun’s rays. Dekton and granite are UV resistant and are great for outdoor BBQ or bar areas. |
| Warranty | Each supplier has their own warranty, with some offering up to 25 years. The better the quality of material, the longer the warranty usually is. For example, Silestone & Caesarstone offer you 25 years across their entire quartz range – a cheaper copy may only offer you 1 years’ warranty. Think of a warranty as a reflection of the manufacturer’s confidence in their material – the longer the warranty, the more confident they are of their material’s quality and hardwearing properties. |
Still need help? Contact us here to speak and our friendly team.