Cleaning any stone worktops is an easy and simple task. This is one of the prime benefits of quartz worktops, granite worktops and of course, ceramic worktops, on which we will focus in this article.

Stone worktops are filled with special qualities that make them extremely durable. Synthetic kitchen worktops, like quartz or ceramic worktops, are designed with increased strength, allowing them to outright repel damage, like scratching or chipping. This makes them essentially impenetrable to liquids, grime, stains or discolouration, as the worktops remain default free. No scratches, warping, gashes, chipping or general wear and tear, means that a 100% of dirt stays on the surface – hovering and sliding off with ease, like water on a duck.

Does a porcelain worktop stain? 

Liquids or food particles have nothing to cling on to when spilled over a stone kitchen worktops surface. The hard-wearing nature of man-made stone derives from the additives (like resin, ground quartz etc.) that make up the worktops. A combination of those, along with the process of slab creation (compression, pressure and high temperatures) helps these products retain a waterproof, non porous structure.

When things are non porous, it usually means they cannot be penetrated by any liquid – and therefore they also cannot stain, a bit like a sheet of metal. This is completely opposite to materials vulnerable to absorption and thus staining – think of laminate worktops or natural oak wood worktops. While wood can be beautiful in a kitchen setting, it’s unfortunately more susceptible to damage.

Stubborn stains from curry splashes, an accidental wine spillage or oil spatters from the pan – these are all factors that will endanger wood, but not natural stone or man-made ceramic worktops.

How do you care for stone surfaces and perform correct ceramic worktop maintenance?

Taking care of your ceramic worktop will be a straightforward task, we guarantee. However, to be done properly, there are still a few procedures and precautions that you must follow.

Cleaning ceramic worktops usually ends with adding a dollop of dish soap to your sponge soaked in warm water. Giving your kitchen worktop a quick wipe with this is guaranteed to solve the issue, making your ceramic worktops clean and free of grime or dirt.

That should be the extent of it. But you might be wondering whether you can youse any other household cleaning items during the cleaning process? Well, as our suppliers: Cosentino Dekton, Neolith, Techlam, Lapitec and Marazzi will agree, there are still items and practices you should avoid, when handling a ceramic worktop.

What should owners of stone tops be aware of during ceramic worktops care and maintenance?

• Protecting the worktop for future

To ensure your ceramic worktop’s longevity is prolonged, we strongly advice to take care of the stains as soon as they come in contact with your worktop. Indeed, absorption isn’t an issue, staining does not threat a ceramic worktop – so what’s the rush?

It’s simply a precaution. Piling up stains that are left to dry won’t harm your stone kitchen worktop, but abuse of such luxury might eventually impact the integrity of the worktop; becoming visible in 10 to 15 years time.

While it is rare that your ceramic countertop is harmed by piling-on stains, it can happen – ceramic worktop is a damage resistant kitchen tool – it is certainly not indestructible. If the stone worktop is treated to an un-cleaned acid or oil stains on a daily, it might, in a decade reflect on the stone.

• Use of right cleaning tools

A microfibre cloth, a soft cloth, delicate sponge, a non-abrasive squidgy – these should be the main cleaning tools used for dealing with ceramic worktops. While a ceramic worktop does not scratch, things like steel wool or abrasive sponges can leave metallic residue on the stone worktop. This is counter productive, as the aim is to clean the work surface not compound the issue by adding more layers of grime.

• Use appropriate cleaning agents

Warm water and ph balanced, neutral detergents or cleaners e.g. Fairy dish soap, multi-purpose cleaning sprays, anti bacterial agents etc. This is all you should rely on, and most of the time, this is the only thing you will need to polish your kitchen surface to a pristine shine.

Exercise caution when handling strong acids (hydrofluoric), bleach, chemicals and solvents around your ceramic stone countertop. And above all, do not expose stone kitchen surfaces to these agents. Once again, a kitchen ceramic worktop is a surface resistant to damage, not damage-proof – there are chemicals out there that might severely impact the integrity of your ceramic worktops.

• Handling tougher stains in a proper way

If, for some reason, you’ve left the stains over night: dyes, crayon marks, adhesives, wax, metal marks or dark inks, you are free to use agents which might facilitate the cleaning process: Rubbing alcohol, vinegar, nail polish liquid often known as ‘acetone’, glass cleaner, or mineral spirits.

If alkaline detergents or acidic detergents do not help right away, the above-mentioned products should suffice at removing deep markings or stains that have dried and embedded to your porcelain worktops.

We know that a lot of our clients use Dekton, Neolith or Marazzi products as ceramic tiles for their bathrooms, or as floor cladding on their patios. Whether the use is internal or external, we would advise the same cleaning procedures as for the worktops. It might be tempting to mop the dried soap off of your bathroom ceramic tiles with bleach, but if you can, please refrain from it. There are much easier, much safer ways to wash and eliminate tough stains on your porcelain cladding or kitchen ceramic worktops.

If you’d like to find out more about different applications for ceramic products (i.e. ceramic worktops and all else), we discuss everything here.

Following the right ceramic worktop cleaning routine will yield good results!

If you use and follow our guide, while adhere to all the provided precautions and warnings, cleaning ceramic worktops will be a breeze. Above all, however, your ceramic kitchen worktops will last you for decades to come, retaining their original, beautiful quality since the day of installation in your home.

Remember: if you are dealing with tougher blemishes, like residue from grease, make-up or animal fats, or lichen that has coated your patio over wet and damp winter, then feel free to save and come back to this guide.

Contact us, and our team will hel you with all ceramic kitchen worktops questions

If you require direct, urgent advice, then we welcome all to contact our Polish Granite team, presiding in the office and showroom. They will gladly help you out with any questions and suggest the right way to handle your stone.

For example, only a few months back an old client of ours enquired whether he can power wash his doorstep that is cladded with Dekton Grigio product. Our staff let him know that it’s absolutely fine to use steam washing and jet cleaners on the ceramic surfaces. This applies to outdoor cladding designs, kitchen ceramic worktops or a bathroom wall tiles situation.

Ceramic worktops care – effortless, time-saving, rewarding

All in all, ceramic worktops are incredibly valued products that make excellent additions to any kitchen design. They’re easy to maintain and clean, they don’t particularly require special agents or detergents for cleaning, and above all ceramic worktops do not damage, thus maintaining their stunning quality for decades. Regardless, there are certain precautions that we should heed and keep at the back of our minds. These are strong, highly resistant products, but they’re not indestructible.

We hope that this blog was a useful and insightful read! And do not forget: if you wish to find out more, browse more webpages across our website or contact our staff via phone or email.

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Quartz worktops are famed for their maintenance-free qualities. Their sleek, stone-like characteristic makes them basically repellent to greasy stains, smudges or dirt. That’s predominantly because nothing gets easily stuck to the surface – even if left over night. Any liquids or solids that fall on quartz do not fuse with it, making it seem as though quartz is coated with teflon.

The truth is, quartz is a man-made product – and some of the main ingredients of the material are composed of non-stick raw materials. The high gloss and the impenetrable, waterproof coating also contribute to quartz’s fantastic easy-clean properties.

Before we discuss further the attributes of quartz, let’s analyse how they’re made and what processes make them such easy-to-clean worktop products:

How are quartz worktops manufactured? Is it a complicated process?

Quartz worktops are a result of an amalgamation of different elements that are compressed and fused together in special environments. From resin to minerals, ground natural quartz and vast pigments (depending the colour in mind), quartz suppliers like Silestone or Compac use complex machinery to create these ‘synthetic’ slabs of stone.

Quartz slabs begin their life in the planning room. Various designers meet together and discuss current colour trends, then browse a catalogue of potential colours that could be released. It’s no different circumstance than the fashion industry, where professional designers amass to participate in discussions regarding new releases, potential products and general concepts. After all, the interior design industry is also constantly changing. There are new styles of kitchen cabinets, flooring, décor and overall appearance. Things that were popular 15 years ago are no longer – the fashion, and therefore the consumer-demand is constantly evolving. With that big quartz brands also need to develop, and they do – on average twenty new products are brought out every two years by quartz companies.

Only ten years ago there wen’t quartzes imitating the natural marble themes like Carrara or Calacatta. Now, every quartz supplier has at least four marble-lookalike quartz slabs among their product collection.

From the planning room, the designs take roughly one year to be ready for physical development. The machinery, the logistics and of course the composition of the stones are constantly consulted, until permission is given to develop a certain product.

Once the resin-pigment-quartz mixture arrives at the factory, it is subjected to extreme heat and pressure, which after merely hours forms giant thick slabs that are then sliced into thin sheets, usually measuring either 2cm or 3cm – depending on the colour.

Interestingly, the process of making man-made quartz is not too dissimilar to creation of true, organic granite. That natural stone is also formed as a result of molten rock cooling under immense amount of pressure. The main difference is that production of quartz is done under a controlled, machinery-equipped environment, while the igneous rock – known by us as granite – is a product of natural circumstances. Not to mention the granite-formation process usually takes far longer than measly hours.

As such, quartz worktops are made through a synthetic process that is a response to current trends and fashion. While it may last hours to actually make a slab of quartz, it takes a long time and a lot of brains & manpower to turn mere concepts into reality i.e. slabs that are then sold individually to you, the customer.

The manufacturing of the slabs is long, tialled and somewhat compilated process – but it’s justified in the price that is then labelled on the stone. Compared to wooden or laminate worktops, which are essentially pieces of wood cut into shape of worktops, it takes a lot more ingenuity, fastidiousness and engineering to create quartz worktops. Materials like ground quartz or resin are also a lot more expensive than wood. This is therefore predominant answer to the question: ‘Why quartz worktops cost so much?’.

Why are quartz worktops clean surfaces. How do they maintain and retain antibacterial properties?

Quartz is currently at the forefront of interior design solutions. Designers, architects and ordinary consumers choose quartz worktops for personal comfort, functionality, and peace of mind that their kitchen surfaces will be long-lasting, resistant, modern and above all beautiful. But many don’t actually realise that quartz worktops are also a fantastic hygienic addition to your kitchen. What do we mean by that?

Let’s examine the quartz properties below, and determine why quartz worktops are the best current solution when it comes to hygiene, cleanliness and our daily health.

Kitchen worktops and the importance of easy, quick maintenance

An average human will spend at least 20% of their daily time in the kitchen. Whether it be to make a morning sandwich, pour some cereal, cook some dinner or prepare the supper.

At the weekend, when we are usually home, carrying out various chores, this can extend to up to 40% – this means we spend hours at a time in one interior. In that time, when we cook, do the washing up or clean the counter-space, we want to make sure that our work is efficient, and cleaning effort is easy and maximised.

Let’s honestly ask ourselves – do we always put a 100% effort into cleaning?

• We rush with our cooking to get the dinner ready for 6pm,
• We quickly chop-up the washed veg – the tomato squirts some of its juice down the chopping board, a bit leaks onto the worktop,
• We throw it in the wok – the oil gushes and sprinkles tiny droplets over the hob,
• We boil some water in the kettle, pour it into a pan – the water bounces off the edges and spurts over our splashback and the worktop,
• The rice comes to a finish, but not before the gurgling water leaps out onto the worktop,
• We fill our glasses with wine, but some of it manages to escape and trickle down the bottle and onto the worktop,
• We finish the cooking, dish out, the family has eaten,
• By that point at least an hour has passed, and now comes the cleaning process.

It’s unlikely that with such regular, daily busy schedule we’ll have the time or effort to give our kitchen a complete makeover. This deep-clean disinfection process happens maybe one, two times a week at most, but usually, when we come back home after a long shift at work, and take another hour on cooking and eating, we rarely have the mental/physical capacity to scour the surfaces down to the tiniest stain or crumb.

That might not seem tragic, but when your kitchen worktops are composed of wood, metal or laminated surface, over time such imperfection will take their toll on your kitchen surfaces.

That tiny speckle of tomato sauce may discolour your wood in a single night, the regular staining around the sink may in a soon transform into warping, after two-three years a crack – eventually the worktops will deteriorate until they’re rendered useless or very unhygenic / difficult to clean.

Quartz is the solution!

All quartz materials produced by renowned European manufacturers (e.g. Compac Quartz, Fugen Quartz, Silestone Cosentino Quartz, Unistone Quartz, B-Stone Quartz, Technistone Quartz, Cimstone Quartz etc.) are inherently non-porous in nature, meaning nothing can penetrate them. They are imbued with with the most advanced chemical properties – the concoction of resin, quartz and vast other agents means they are essentially always coated with a hydrophobic layer. Therefore cleaning usually ends at a single swipe of the cloth.

You can even lay off that coffee stain, wine splodge or sauce smear for days, even weeks at a time, and still one graze with a damp cloth along the quartz worktops will completely eliminate blemishes or contamination. The aforementioned companies have spent years perfecting their quartz products, and countless hours have been invested into rough, rigorous and dedicated testing of quartz worktops. Finally this resulted in manufacture of a near-flawless material.

So, if you still own laminated, metal or wooden worktops, make sure you switch to quartz ASAP, to save yourself countless hours in cleaning, frequent headaches or anxiety that you’ll damage the worktops.

That’s right, forget about stressing over staining, de-colouring or damaging your kitchen worktops. Nothing can affect quartz worktops negatively, meaning you can put your mind at ease and if you’re tired, neglect cleaning without suffering the consequences. Even if you leave your kitchen dirty or at a non-pristine level, your worktops won’t suffer. Not to mention you’ll be saving yourself priceless hours on cleaning. Many of our past customers who formerly owned wooden, metal or laminated worktops complained about the neverending scrubbing / polishing just to get stains off or attempts at digging out all the grime from the tiny scratches, or drying the worktops helplessly to ensure no droplets are absorbed by the worktops.

Quartz kitchen worktops are engineered in a way to make your life easier, in the long term saving you money – not only on cleaning products but on future investments in repairs/substitutions of worktops. If you own quartz worktops, you won’t be needing any other worktops for a decade or two. These modern kitchen worktops retain their qualities and brand new look for years, and no liquid, acid or time will fade their attributes.

Many architects, designers, home-planners or investors agree on one thing: quartz worktops are truly ideal products for kitchens or interior design.

Non-Porosity is the key to healthier life in the kitchen

All quartzes are non-porous, designed in such way that no liquid can penetrate the surface. As we mentioned above, the composition of many quartzes is a fusion of resin, pigments, quartz particles any many other additives that repel all liquids, keeping your quartz worktops safe and stain-free.

This quality is unique and certainly makes your daily job easier and more efficient. If water gets absorbed into wooden or laminate worktops, which it often does, the worktops will expand, rot or warp over time. Therefore with wooden or laminate worktops one needs to be very careful and preferably clean up instantly after liquid has been spilled. This can make us anxious and render cooking or cleaning – especially when we’re fatigued – very stressful lest we cause damage or discolouration to our surfaces.

The same could go for metal worktops – even though these don’t absorb water, if enough liquid accumulates over time, and we neglect the cleaning, it can generate rust on the worktops, which can be very bad for our health. Quartz worktops, on the other hand are resistant to all kinds of liquids, even the heavy, acidic ones like lime juice, coffee, wine or sauce.

But we haven’t yet mentioned the most important aspect – non-porosity offered by quartz worktops successfully counters bacteria, preventing it from sinking in.

Resistance to damage = Resistance to bacteria, grime and germs

Wood worktops, laminate worktops and even metal worktops have one primary flaw in common – they’re susceptible to damage. And this can really spoil your levels of cleanliness.

• Take a hefty slice out of your bread on your wooden worktops and you’re going to be left with scratches and cut-marks that are essentially non-repairable.
• Expose your plastic or conglomerate worktops to a boiling pan and they will melt or charr with black stains that will be near impossible to remove. The same goes for sharp objects that will easily leave cut marks on the surface.
• Drop a mug on your laminate worktops and you’ll be left with chips and indentations.
• Slide your cutlery or other metal objects across the surface of your metal worktops and you’re going to generate minute scratches that may be invisible to the naked-eye.

For these three, and many other worktop varieties, damage is simply inevitable. Even if you’re careful you won’t be able to avoid the scarring or defilement, especially on the nanoscopic level. Should you have these kitchen worktops for 2-5 years, they will be riddled with imperfections.

It all matters, because bacteria loves to settle in these tiny nooks, and even when using cloth, soap and antibacterial wipes, detergents, antiseptics, antibacterial sprays, gels or cleaning products, you will never remove all of the lingering grime. The solution here is to implement kitchen worktops that can resist all kinds of damage, especially the vulnerability to porosity.

It’s simple – if liquid can’t penetrate the surface of the worktop, and impacts or abrasion don’t yield any damage to the worktop, 99% of the bacteria will be annihilated with a single swipe of the cloth and accumulation of grime in the microscopic grooves and crevices will cease to happen.

Opting for quartz kitchen worktops is the answer:

• Quartz does not scratch when objects glide along its surface. In fact, even bladed, sharp items such as knives don’t  leave a mark on the quartz kitchen worktops. Many people don’t even bother with purchasing chopping boards because of quartz’s durability. This is yet another fantastic quality of quartz worktops,
• Quartz does not chip when simple household objects drop on the surface (of course if you hammer it, it will chip eventually – it’s not indestructible),
• Quartz worktops don’t crack under pressure. You can even stand on quartz kitchen worktops, lean against them, pile dishes on top and it will never split (of course under condition that it has enough cabinet support – if you remove 1 cabinet, and decide to stand on the worktop in the weak spot, it may crack – but even then it’s unlikely).
• As we’ve already mentioned above, the anti-porous nature is the biggest attribute of quartz worktops. That means it ages very well and doesn’t damage over time. Not only does this prevent grime and bacteria from collecting in the minute fissures, it also hinders liquid from expanding and cracking the worktop, as is often the case with wooden or laminate worktops. And the bigger cracks or under-layer warping, the bigger the chance of bacteria, grime or food particles gathering in these places. If this issue becomes prevalent, even making a sandwich directly on the worktop or cooking something will become off-putting and even harmful to our health.

With quartz worktops, you can forget the aforementioned issues. You need to remember – unless a lot of unnecessary, malicious power is used to purposefully try and damage quartz worktops, they will last you for a lifetime. It’s truly a product that few other kitchen worktops manufacturers can match.

Indeed it’s a tad more pricey than kitchen wood or laminate, but you’re essentially investing in a material that is near-indestructible, hygenic, sterile, simple to maintain and above all lasts a lifetime.

Are there suppliers of quartz worktops that specialise in antibacterial properties?

Of course. If you’re searching for something even more unique i.e. kitchen worktop products that are outright antibacterial, your eyes should be drawn by the likes of Silestone, Cosentino. The materials produced by Silestone are enriched with antibiotic agents like triclosan that heighten the quartz worktops resistance to bacteria, not only preventing bacteria absorption like with all other quartzes, but outright repelling it. For more information visit: Silestone Quartz Surfaces.

Where are Silestone’s antibacterial worktop products best suited?

1. In terms of application, these hygienic worktops are fantastic for professional restaurants where cooking and cleaning is ongoing on a daily basis. You not only guarantee yourself a more sterile cleanliness level, but you also prevent damage of the kitchen worktops – just think how many pots and pans scrape these surfaces daily. Many also argue that a professional cooking environment can benefit thanks to quartz worktops because it makes the cooking more efficient. Like we mentioned above, sometimes even chopping boards can get discarded and chefs can cut, slice and dice away instantly on the quartz worktops. Each kitchen station has their own method, but we can’t deny that quartz just makes cooking so much more simple – especially during the clean-down.
2. Another great application for quartz could be hospitals. As you may know, hospitals have a steadfast rule that cleanliness and a sanitation are a priority. And don’t be mistaken, quartz can be applied in different ways – kitchen worktops aren’t the only solution. You can clad the floors with quartz, as well as the walls, patient rooms, operation tables etc. Quartz worktops can even come in an anti-slipping matte finish. The point is, quartz in hospitals would be yet another precaution and measure of keeping the place safe, hygienic and sanitary.
3. Kitchens for those who love a perfect, neat, and disinfected home. Those who get frequently anxious about germs collecting in their kitchens, suffer from OCD or simply love that perfect look should opt for quartz worktops. Quartz worktops are guaranteed to make your kitchen far more germ-free than if you had any other worktop surface. So why not opt for this product, sleep safe at night and guarantee yourself a greater standard of cleanliness?

Don’t hesitate and order some quartz worktops for your place! It will be an unparalleled investment you won’t regret.

The later you delay it, the more likely that bacteria, germs and grime will be growing on your kitchen worktops, and the more hours you’ll have to dedicate on cleaning, and worrying if you’ve done enough. With quartz worktops all this anxiety, time-wasting and money spending will be gone.

Get in touch with Polish Granite and order your quartz worktops today. We have hundreds of colours available, a quick installation service, 1-day wait free quote policy. But most of all, we can provide you an unfailing, reliable product that will serve you for a lifetime.

To find out more about our quartz worktops visit our main quartz worktops page here.

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We had great privilege to have recently been asked to cooperate in a ‘little known project’ hosted by George Clarke himself. Find out how we were asked, what we installed and how the project ended!

Our quartz worktops products appeared on Channel 4’s praised series last month!

That’s right, we’re glad to announce that as of last month (19/01/20) our ceramic quartz worktops appeared on “George Clarke’s Old House, New Home”.  George Clarke, Rowan and Scott spend the last chunk of the episode discussing the refurbished Didsbury property of the couple. They revisit the new living room, bedrooms, bathrooms and of course the kitchen, where our quartz kitchen worktops present themselves in the most sublime way.

If you’re not familiar with the Channel 4 show’s premise – George Clarke, a renowned British TV presenter in the field of architecture and interior design explores vast properties around the UK (usually old -fashioned, often listed and historically important households ‘that withstood the test of time’ as Clarke puts it)  and showcases their interior transformation.

The households are always distinctly renovated from the inside into contemporary, modern living spaces, which really tricks the eyes, seeing as on the outside, the properties – for the most part – retain their rustic facade. Hence the name . . . The dilapidated and decrepit interiors are ultimately modernised and developed, often with the aim of creating a functional living space, but at times the investment is put to raise the house market value.

Each episode tackles two heritage buildings from different parts of the UK – half of the episode is dedicated to analysing the renovation progress, discussion of concepts and experience of the owners; the other half centres on the final product i.e. exploration of the already refurbished properties and examination of all individual aspects.

How did Polish Granite get involved?

The process was pretty simple, but rather unexpected. Around August last year we were approached by Amazing Productions – the company responsible for the filming of the Channel 4 series – who expressed their need for a granite quartz  worktop company local to Didsbury, Manchester where they planned to refurbish a house.

Naturally, we agreed to the cooperation, and were thereafter booked in for a quartz worktops template/installation in October/November time. Once our part was done, i.e. installation of the bespoke Neolith ceramic quartz, we disappeared from the spotlight for a few upcoming months, until one of the producers announced in early January that the show will soon broadcast on TV. The final launch date given for the premiere of #OldHouseNewHome episode 3 was 19/01/2020.

Our thoughts

We were very satisfied with the final result. The Didsbury quartz kitchen worktops Manchester in this former coach house turned out to be beautifully executed, matching the kitchen and overall decor perfectly. In fact – not to be biased – but we were of the opinion that our quartz really accentuated the kitchen and underlined its full potential.

The marble looking Mont Blanc worktops by Neolith highlighted the kitchen’s best features: the dark green cabinets, copper elements, glass lamps, creme wooden flooring – it was all bouncing of the radiance that the white worktops emanated.  And the contrast of all colours worked sublimely together. We think the whole interior gained spaciousness and brightness,  elements that were desperately needed in this centre-stage of the house.

Polish Granite’s Input during the project:

• As you can tell from the wide shot pictures attached below, our ceramic quartz worktops project consisted of main worktops that span across the outer/inner wall of the house.
• Mounting the worktops on kitchen cabinets by the window allowed the worktops to be highlighted by the sun, and because the quartz ceramic worktops are white, the light automatically bounces off and scatters across all kitchen directions.
• We inserted small 7mm granite quartz upstands that run along the wall, therefore smoothly connecting the vertical wall with the worktops (this also eliminates the gaps that would have been otherwise created by the old, uneven walls).
• Of course, a giant splashback is inserted above the quartz worktop / hob and under the extractor fan, enabling easy and hygienic cleaning during and after cooking.
• Last – the grand centrepiece of our ceramic quartz worktops: the kitchen island. The square piece measured roughly 1.5m x 1.5m, and as you can see, the piece is embellished with two breakfast bars that protrude from the cabinets.

A round of applause for all those involved!

We, along with the owners of this stunning house were extremely impressed with the result. In fact, if you watch the video at minute 39: Clarke remarks: ‘this is the transformation of all transformations’ then at minute 40 when Scott says he loves the worktops, Clarke commends our ceramic quartz worktop directly: ‘lovely porcelain worktops. Amazing level of quality and craftsmanship.’ – he meant ceramic quartz / sintered stone, of course!

It’s undeniable that the friendly Manchester family home instantly gained more life, and we’re not only proud of ourselves, our fitters and masons, but also other companies that worked very hard to reconfigure this space into something truly amazing, and special for the family. Let’s not forget Neolith themselves, who produced these excellent quartz ceramic materials, and continue to supply us with such. To find out all the thanks & credits and firms involved, please visit: Old House New Home Credits.

Our utmost congratulations also go to Rowan and Scott for their willingness to proceed with this evolutionary process. Many thanks to Steven Bailey for taking such quality photos of our quartz granite worktops, Amazing Productions for producing this fantastic episode and finally Channel 4 for streaming this successful TV series.

Apparently the episode was very well received, with viewing figures peaking at over 1 million!

Where to watch the third #OldHouseNewHome episode?

If you haven’t watched the third episode live last month, or missed the repeats since, feel free to visit this ALL 4 Catch up link. All of the episodes, along with the best episode 3, of course, are streaming there on demand.

Disclaimer: All images above are accredited to Steven Bailey Photography and are owned by Channel 4 and Amazing Productions.

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This question is often posed online, therefore we’re taking our time to explain why a strict local search might actually be less beneficial that it would usually seem. UK is filled with granite worktop companies that are willing to operate and deliver on the grand scale. You shouldn’t dismiss that. Find out why:

Localising your search results may be very limiting . . .

If you search for a local granite worktops company, and restrict yourself strictly to such, there’s a higher chance on you missing out on very good partnerships from other national businesses. A local company might not offer the product/colour you are searching for e.g. a chopping board or Absolute Black granite. Or perhaps their services are limited e.g. they don’t deal with repair of stone countertops.

A lot of people are under the assumption that granite worktops companies only deliver/fit the worktops in a nearby region, and offer the cheapest prices to locals – this is very far from the truth. Companies like Polish Granite LTD will deliver/fit worktops and provide quotations to everyone from across the whole UK, at very close prices – no matter whether you live in London or Edenborough.

We are located in Salford, Manchester, but that does not mean we restrict our services to customers in this area. Polish Granite’s policy was always to deliver the granite and quartz worktop products across the whole of UK, or even beyond. On multiple occasions we travelled to Ireland . . . and we never refused a project/customer because of distance restrictions, or travel-time holding us back.

Why’s it worth reaching out to national worktop suppliers?

As we mentioned above – the local suppliers might have limited products or services, potentially forcing you to opt for a second-best scenario, a second-best project. Even if you live in London, a grand city which contains over 30+ quartz worktop companies, there’s a chance that none of them will match the service you require. If you’re located in a smaller area, like Sheffield, opting for the 3-4 local suppliers may be even more difficult and frustrating. Therefore it’s always worth to reach out beyond the boundaries and contact other companies outside your area regarding a quote.

Speaking of the quotes, in our case, for customers outside of Manchester (our base), we only charge a little extra for the fuel that is spent to get to your location. Therefore the increase in price isn’t astronomic, but at least you’re not only guaranteed a flawless, 5-star service, but also the exact service you require. Sometimes it’s worth to pay a little more but receive that special granite colour you always wanted, or have a breakfast bar that your local granite firms didn’t have in their offer . . .

On a similar point, our time-frame (or turnaround) is very quick. Maybe even quicker than with your local supplier. We usually take up to a week to manufacture and fully fit your quartz worktops from the day of templating. We possess advanced CNC technology that cuts out the worktops almost instantly and our fitters have at least 10+ years of experience in the field of masonry, making their work fast and efficient.

We dedicate ourselves, our work & products to all who request them

Whether you’re from Northumberland, Greater London or barren tips of Cornwall, we will gladly visit you for a granite or quartz worktops installation. In fact, last year (2019) alone we visited some of the most remote and inaccessible places in the UK:

1. January – we installed a huge Absolute Black granite worktops kitchen in a Cumbrian house, just a couple miles south from Keswick.
2. March – we travelled all the way to Lairg, Scotland to fit Cararra White worktops and floor panels in a remote villa-home (not too dissimilar from the one seen on Skyfall).
3. June – we voyaged to the Isle of Man, venturing by sea on a ferry with our Blue Pearl worktops loaded onto the van. To this day, our fitters say it was an exceptional experience.
4. August – we ventured through Yorkshire Dales and North Pennines to reach our urbanised destination: Newcastle upon Tyne to finish an extensive quartz worktops project.
5. September – we went past the Brecon Beacons National Park in Wales to install a kitchen worktops island from Neolith ceramic in a home not too far from the National Park itself.
6. November – we crossed the Dartmoor National Park in Cornwall to reach the suburbs of Plymouth, ready to fit the Dekton sintered stone worktops at a customer property.

As you can see, we are determined to undauntedly travel 500 miles North, South, East and West, through forests, mountains and even water just to reach customers who desire our services. We are proud of what we do; Polish Granite and its employees excel in the masonry industry, and therefore we want everyone across the UK to experience this quality service – treat us as your local suppliers.

If you’re from London, Sheffield, Blackpool, Edinburgh, Inverness, Cardiff, Bristol, Southampton, Cambridge or Norfolk, or any other towns, cities and villages scattered around the UK – don’t hesitate to get in touch. Polish Granite will happily accommodate your needs.

Why choose locally, when a 5 star, trusted, renowned company like Polish Granite delivers to your door?

Remember, even long distance doesn’t impact our efficiency and duration to carry out certain jobs. For most part (unless you live on a UK island) we’ll be willing to fit your worktops within 7 days from the date of templating, which is more or less the same timeframe we offer to our local customers.

So, next time you begin to browse the world wide web for local granite and quartz suppliers, don’t bother searching for granite worktops near me and quartz worktops near me – simply visit Polish Granite. We’ll provide a rapid, quality, reliable service at almost the same cost.

Treat us as a nearby granite business that you could rely on.

‘Are Polish Granite not more expensive than local granite & quartz companies?’

On the grand scale of things (i.e. big worktops projects) – insignificantly. What does that mean?

Well, we will usually charge you more to only cover fuel costs. In rare circumstances e.g. travelling to very remote areas like northern tips of Scotland, our employees may need accommodation, which may have to be accounted for in the pricing.

Nevertheless, even if you live very far away, we won’t charge you a lot more than your local quartz and granite firms. Yes, it may be that extra £100+ pounds, but at least you’ll be served by a professional, proven and prestigious company – guaranteeing you that your product and the whole service process is executed sublimely.

With us, and many other granite businesses offering national service, you have tens of positive reviews and testimonials spanning 15+ years to back up us as your choice. With smaller, local companies, that reliability may not be guaranteed.

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give them a try – absolutely you should. Supporting small, local businesses is very important. But prior to doing so, ensure you carry out extensive research and preferably rely on a word-of-mouth opinion from their past clients.

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Our showroom has one of the largest granite, quartz and ceramic sample collections in the North West. But is every one of our samples free to give away? Are there any restrictions to the process? Find out for yourself by browsing our blog:

Are you looking for granite samples, quartz samples or ceramic samples? Look no further, get in touch with Polish Granite, and we will sort you out with the sample of your choice!

Polish Granite’s showroom in the heart of Manchester has been praised for its great abundance of granite samples, quartz samples and ceramic samples. Our premise is brimming with small 10cm x 10cm stone samples of various textures, patterns and vibrant colours. We display Dekton, Neolith, Silestone, Compac, Levantina, CRL, Cimstone, Univstone, B-Stone and a range of other less known companies and their materials. Our shelves are filled with over 100 granite samples, 300 quartz samples and 100+ dekton and ceramic samples.

Over 13 years of being on the UK market we have gathered an enormous collection of stone samples. Currently, we are in possession of over 400 normal stone samples, although in store we also have another 400 duplicates for customers who wish to either borrow or keep the samples for future reference. This is an all time record number, not only for us but for Manchester as a whole, because few other granite and quartz worktops companies in this area display this impressive amount of material colours.

Do we give out quartz, ceramic or granite samples to customers?

Normally, when customers arrive in our Manchester granite worktops showroom, we suggest four solutions to ensure they are selecting the perfect colour:

1. We lend the samples they are interested in (so long as they are not in the rare section)
2. We can sell the sample (if they are large and of value)
3. We grant them sample/s to keep for free (so long as we have enough duplicates)
4. We allow them to take unlimited pictures of the display samples we currently own (i.e. the samples that are rare to obtain and are only used for display. Duplicates are rarely in stock)

It is as sample as that!

Which granite samples and quartz samples are met with the most demand?

Lately, the marble-lookalikes have certainly been very popular. Namely the Calacatta and Cararra ranges offered by Silestone, Fugen and Compac. These materials really bring out that marble effect and one can be easily fooled to think it actually is natural stone. But in effect, these quartzes are only very accurate mimics, which aim to reflect and represent the beauty of marble, seeing as marble itself does is not recommended for use as kitchen worktops (mainly due its proneness to scratching and general wearing).

So, without a doubt the marble lookalikes are the current trend setters, topping our present sales. This is why we always ensure we have duplicate granite samples and quartz samples for each material, so that new customers can take them home and compare the material against their floor or cabinets.

Will a granite sample reflect the true nature of a stone slab?

It strongly depends on the material you have elected. If you have chosen granite, then a slab may vary slightly from the sample you’ll be observing in our showroom. After all, granite is a naturally formed rock, and even though the composition of a single material may be the same, the blocks/slabs usually vary e.g. the crystals and minerals within may be slightly denser or of a darker/lighter shade. In other words, no single granite slab is the same, even if it is the same material by name. This is why granite worktops are deemed as truly unique and one of a kind.

On the other hand, quartz worktop samples are almost always accurate, and whatever you see on a sample will be exactly the material you’ll be receiving upon the day of your kitchen worktop installation. This is because quartz is a man-made product, therefore the manufacturers have a full control over the composition during its formation. As a result, each product they make is predictable, consistent and unvaried. This is especially the case if you have selected a fairly uniform colour e.g. Azabache (black with mirror chips), White Mirror (white with large grains) or Brilliant White (plain white).

When it comes to the more intricately-patterned quartz slabs e.g. the marble-lookalikes that are heavily veined, or the 3D vein-grained materials like Compac’s Ice Genesis range, then of course a tiny 20cm x 15cm sample will not give off the reflection of the whole slab, which has veins and patterns scattered all across, and in uneven places. Besides, such materials are also designed in batches, therefore vein patterns on one slab may be in a completely different place on another, and the whole arrangement + composition could differ significantly.

What about the customers who require samples, yet cannot pick them up from our showroom?

Not to worry. If you are unable to visit our showroom, because you either live away from Greater Manchester or perhaps you deem it a struggle to get to our workshop, then we can sort you out with a delivery of the granite samples, ceramic samples or quartz samples to your home. We just wrap them tightly in bubble packaging and sent them via safe priority mail or private delivery service. Simply give us a shout that you are in need of the samples, and we’ll prepare everything for you.

Few things to consider:

1. In circumstances where the granite samples will be sent to an either remote UK place, or a location very far from Manchester (whence they will be sent), the customer may be asked to cover the costs of the delivery.
2. We don’t usually send more samples than 4 or 5. Therefore it is vital that you narrow down your choices down to that number prior to us sending the parcel.

How should you find out if we have a granite sample or quartz sample of your liking in stock?

Simply give us a call or drop us an email. We’ll be glad to inform you what samples we have in stock prior to you visiting our showroom. Feel free to call us on: 0161 877 8361 or email us on: office@polishgranite.co.uk to make an enquire regarding granite and quartz samples or to reserve them for your viewing.

Alternatively, you may also complete an online form HERE and we will get back to you shortly.

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