01Against quartz, on four axes that matter
Quartz is the benchmark in most domestic kitchens, so it is worth saying where solid plate wins and where it does not — a page that only lists advantages is a brochure.
Where quartz wins: colour. A stainless top is grey-silver, and if the kitchen design depends on a pale surface, no amount of engineering changes that. Where plate wins is anywhere water sits — around a sink, under a dishwasher, at a wall junction. To be fair to quartz: the slab itself is not damaged by water either. The difference is what is behind it. A stainless top is one piece with nothing to absorb anything; a quartz top is joined on site, and the joint, the cut-out and the silicone bead all sit over a particleboard or ply substrate that does swell once water gets past them. That is a joint detail problem, and a well-built quartz top with a sealed cut-out does not have it — it is just the place where a cheap installation and an expensive one look the same for the first three years.
The tolerance story is the other difference people notice late. We cut an aperture to ±0.5 mm from a template and machine the edge to ±0.05 mm; stone shops work to their own numbers and their own templates, so mixing suppliers on one run is where dimension arguments start.
02Pick a thickness, then stop thinking about it
Four thicknesses cover every domestic kitchen we quote. The right one is decided by span and by how the edge should read — not by a belief that thicker is better.
| Plate | Weight / m² | Reads as | Usual kitchen |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 mm | 39.7 kg | Thin, modern, needs a fold | Volume joinery, fully supported, tight budget |
| 6 mm | 47.6 kg | Standard domestic | The default; folded front edge |
| 8 mm | 63.4 kg | A slab | Island, visible end panel |
| 10 mm | 79.3 kg | Heavy, architectural | Statement island, commercial feel |
Two practical notes. Going from 6 to 8 mm adds 16 kg per square metre, which changes how two people carry it and whether the carcass needs an extra rail. And a thicker top lowers the carcass at the same finished height: at 900 mm finished, a 10 mm top means an 890 mm carcass, and joinery that was already cut does not shrink.
A 6 mm top with a 30 mm folded front edge looks heavier and behaves stiffer than a plain 8 mm edge, for less weight and less money. If the reason for going thicker is the look of the front edge, the fold is the cheaper answer.
03Edge and finish, in one decision
These two are quoted together because they are the only parts of the top a person touches. Our standard is a No.4 brushed finish with the grain running along the length, and a folded front edge turned down from the same plate.
- Square machined edge — industrial, and the only edge that carries the ±0.05 mm number.
- Folded front — the default. 20–40 mm return, no exposed edge to catch a cloth, and it stiffens the front where hands lean.
- Radiused R3–R6 — where children or a walk-through island make a sharp corner a liability.
- Mirror — possible, and it shows every mark; we quote it with the maintenance it implies rather than without.
The finish on the wall edge is rarely the same as the front. Say both on the drawing; it is a one-line note that prevents a re-make.
04What we need to quote it
Six numbers, and a photo of the joinery if you have one. With those, the quote comes back in 24 hours priced by line so you can see what the edge and the fold actually cost.
- Overall length and depth, in millimetres, with one edge marked as the datum.
- Finished height and carcass height — both, because they differ by the plate.
- Thickness, or “advise me” plus a note on the span.
- Sink and hob positions from the datum, with the appliance template.
- Edge profile per edge, and finish.
- Destination port, so packing and freight are priced honestly.
We cut, machine, weld, grain and inspect in one building in Foshan, hold the mill certificate for the grade and the heat, and record the edge tolerance on an inspection sheet that ships with the parts. That sheet is what the warranty refers to if anything is questioned later.
Countertop specification · Splashback in the same plate · Edge profiles compared · Send a drawing