Worktop Express Information Guides

“Is fitting worktops something I would be able to do myself?”

Worktop Express can customise any worktop prior to delivery, but fitting worktops to revamp your kitchen doesn’t necessarily dictate the need for a professional fitter – as we explain in our response to Ahmad’s question below. Ahmad is from Loughborough and wants to know if he can fit his worktops despite having limited DIY experience.

QUESTION:

“I’m about to start renovating our kitchen and wanted to know if you believe fitting worktops is possible for someone with relatively basic DIY experience.”

ANSWER:

Hi Ahmad,

Fitting kitchen worktops is one of the easier ways to renovate your kitchen, so we are very glad to point you in the right direction and help get your revamp underway.

If you consider yourself handy with the appropriate equipment, our worktops can be fitted by anyone with previous DIY or carpentry experience. Though you may be happy to install them, the downside of cutting and customising any worktops yourself is the costs involved in hiring or purchasing an appropriate saw, router and other necessary tools.

You can find out more about installing worktops yourself by reading our ‘Installing Our Wooden Work Surfaces’ nutshell information guide. You’ll also find other helpful information – as well as answers to other customer questions – by browsing through our list of information guides.

To save time and money, and to ensure your new worktops are finished to a very high standard, Worktop Express offers a bespoke cutting service for both wooden worktops and laminate worktops.

Our fabrication team can make a variety of bespoke customisations to any of the worktops in our collection, such as: cutting worktops to size; making apertures for sinks and hobs; or making butt joints to enable you to join two worktops together easily once on site.

You can find out more about the full range of services available on the following pages:

Wood Worktop Cutting Service

Laminate Worktop Cutting Service

Further details on the bespoke service we provide can be found in our ‘7 Reasons to Choose Our Fabrication Service’ information guide.

We think you’ll find that our bespoke cutting services make fitting worktops much easier as they’re ready for installation as soon as they have been delivered by our 2Man delivery service. If you have any further queries about fitting worktops, don’t hesitate to contact us once again.

Best regards,

Ben @ Worktop Express

“What is denibbing?”

This week, our question has been sent in from Kerry in the Isle of Wight. She’d like to know more about caring for her kitchen worktop.

QUESTION:

“I’ve seen that your aftercare kit and the maintenance kit both contain denibbing pads. What is denibbing and how will I need to use the pads once my worktop arrives?”

ANSWER:

Hi Kerry,

You have made an excellent choice in purchasing a solid wood worktop from us – it’s great that you’re familiarising yourself with the aftercare and maintenance kits, too, as these have been specifically designed by us to keep your work surface looking its best for as long as possible.

Denibbing pads are simply used to give a really fine finish when oiling your worktops. After the initial coatings of oil, they work to remove the top layer, helping you achieve a really silky finish on your wooden surfaces. Working on the top as well as on any exposed sides, the whole surface will need to be rubbed down with the denibbing pads, then wiped with a clean, dry cloth to remove dust. After leaving for a minimum of an hour, this process will need to be repeated until the dry cloth comes away completely clean. This means the worktop is ready for oiling – and will be extremely smooth and also free from dust.

If you would like to know more about the oiling process, our guide on oiling worktops provides comprehensive instructions on caring for your worktop. We also have more in depth information about our solid wood worktop aftercare kits , if you would like to know more about either.

We hope this has answered your question – if there is anything else you would like to know about caring for your worktop, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Best regards,

Ben @ Worktop Express

“I’m looking for a kitchen worktop replacement – can you create one to match the dimensions of my existing surface?”

We are often asked to create bespoke worktops to match a dated or worn surface that needs replacing. This week our ‘Question of the Week’ comes from Angela in Trowbridge, who got in touch to ask about a kitchen worktop replacement.

QUESTION:

“I have a rather tired old worktop that I want to replace with one of your solid wood surfaces. If I provide the dimensions can you create a matching worktop that I can install myself?”

ANSWER:

Hi Angela,

Thank you for taking the time to send in your query. You’ll be pleased to know that you have most definitely come to the right people if you are looking for a bespoke kitchen worktop replacement.

We are able to cut and shape any of our worktops to suit your requirements, as long as you are happy to provide accurate measurements of your existing surfaces. Please take into account the following tips when measuring your worktops:

• Accuracy is key when assessing the worktops you want to replace. Be sure to check and double check any of your measurements, and – if possible – create a diagram to represent the measurements so that they can be interpreted easily by our fabrication team.

• If you are replacing an existing worktop that is not made from solid wood, do take into account that a wooden kitchen worktop replacement will require an expansion gap of 3 – 5mm between the back edge of the worktop and an adjacent wall. We also recommend an overhang of approximately 15 – 20mm on the front edge of the worktop.

• You will need to measure any apertures – such as sink or hob cut-outs – carefully, and note the position of any tap holes, too.

• In some kitchens the wall may not be straight, meaning the worktop may taper at one end. Take multiple measurements of the worktop’s width down the length of the surface so that you can ensure the replacement worktop is accurate.

Further information can be found in our ‘How to Provide Correct Measurements for Bespoke Wooden Worktops’ information guide.

Once you have taken all the measurements of your new worktop, we recommend replicating the surface using our Online Bespoke Worktop Tool wherever possible. Any services ordered through the tool are subject to a 10% discount, making our custom worktops great value for money. Alternatively you can submit your requirements via email using the contact form on our website.

Details of all the bespoke worktop services we offer can be found on our Wood Worktop Cutting Service page.

Best regards,

Ben @ Worktop Express

“How do I know what worktop width I need?”

This week we were contacted by Sian from Wrexham, who wanted to know how to decide which worktop width would best suit her kitchen cabinets.

QUESTION:

“I want to order worktops from you but notice that your solid wood worktops and laminate worktops are different widths. Is there a standard worktop width?”

ANSWER:

Hi Sian,

Thank you for taking the time to send in your query – we are happy to help answer this question for you.

Though the depth of kitchen cabinets can vary, those from our sister company – www.SolidWoodKitchenCabinets.co.uk – are 570mm deep. A 620mm deep wooden worktop covers the top of the cabinet with enough material to create an overhang on the front edge and mask a service gap between the rear of the cabinet and the wall. Our laminate worktops are slightly narrower at 600mm, though still provide enough width to create an overhang.

If you have chosen cabinets from another supplier that are of a different depth, we can cut down any of our larger worktops to suit the dimensions of your cabinet perfectly.

Bespoke kitchen worktops can also be created with a variety of customisations that will prepare them for installation (meaning that they can be fitted immediately after delivery).

Whichever customisations you require – be it cut-outs for sinks, taps or oven hobs – our in-house fabrication team can help with your requirements.

Our wood worktops are also available in wider choices of 720mm and 960mm, whilst laminate worktops are available in widths of 900mm. These extra-wide worktops are perfect for creating a kitchen island or breakfast bar in your kitchen.

We hope this has answered your question, but do contact us once more if you have any further queries.

Best regards,

Ben @ Worktop Express