Composite worktop installation

A composite worktop, whether quartz, solid surface or sintered stone, is heavy, rigid and very hard-wearing, but it does not forgive fitting mistakes. It cannot be cut on site like laminate, and a crack while carrying or fixing it means a new worktop. Composite worktop installation is usually a two-person job on carefully prepared cabinets.

How installation goes

• checking the base units: level in both directions and stable, as the worktop must be supported along its full length;
• carrying the worktop in upright, on its edge, with the corners protected;
• setting it on the cabinets and fixing it with flexible adhesive or silicone at several points;
• bonding the joints between pieces with colour-matched adhesive and polishing them;
• fitting an undermount or inset sink, if the cut-out has been made.

Templating and production

Composite worktops are made to measure by a stone workshop. The template is taken only once the cabinets are in place and the sink, hob and tap have been chosen, because the workshop cuts the openings for them. Several weeks usually pass between templating and fitting, and the kitchen runs on a temporary worktop or none at all.

Cabinets and load

A quartz worktop a few centimetres thick weighs several tens of kilos per metre. The cabinets must be bolted together and stand on levelled legs, and long spans without cabinets, such as over a dishwasher, need support rails. For an island with an overhang, check that it is within what the manufacturer allows.

Common questions