The worktop is what you touch a hundred times a day.

Choosing the material

Laminate: the cheapest, hundreds of finishes, cut on site. It lasts well if fitted without an open joint near the sink, and dislikes a hot pan set straight on it.

Quartz (Silestone, Caesarstone and others): resin and quartz, non-porous, resists stains and scratches, near-invisible joints. The most common choice in the kitchens we redo.

Dekton and ceramics: harder still, resist direct heat and UV, thin and light. Dearer, and the cutting needs a workshop.

Solid wood: oak, beech, walnut. Warm, can be sanded and repaired, needs oiling twice a year and a flawless seal around the sink.

Stainless steel: the restaurant kitchen at home, hygienic, scratches and takes on a patina. Marble and natural stone: beautiful, porous, to be treated, for those who accept the marks of time.

The fitting, and what makes the difference

A worktop sits on level carcasses, otherwise it cracks or gaps. It is cut to the real measurements of the room, not the catalogue's, because no Brussels wall is straight. Joints are placed away from the sink and hob, and bonded with resin in the colour of the top. The sink goes undermount when the material allows, which makes the top easier to clean and better to look at.

For quartz, Dekton and stone, we take a template once the carcasses are in, the workshop cuts, and we fit one to two weeks later. For laminate and wood, we cut and fit the same day.

Replacing only the worktop

A job in its own right, and one of the most rewarding: a new top, a new splashback and new handles transform a kitchen whose carcasses are still sound. One day for laminate, two visits for quartz. We remove the old top, check the carcasses, redo the seal against the wall.

What it costs

On the Belgian market, fitted and excl. VAT: laminate 80 to 150 € per m², solid wood 200 to 350 €, quartz 400 to 650 €, Dekton and ceramic 500 to 800 €, stainless 400 to 700 €, marble from 450 €. A 3 metre quartz top with cut-outs therefore comes to between 1,500 and 2,500 €. Indicative ranges: the free written quote gives the price after the visit and the choice of sample.