Upgrading Your Kitchen Worktops and The Options You’ve Got

Thinking of having a new kitchen worktop or multiple new worktops added to your home?

In this guide, we’ll look at the various options available on the market to help you get an idea of how you might want to update your kitchen worktops.

Let’s begin!

Resurfacing Worktops

One way of upgrading your kitchen worktop is to resurface it. This can come in various forms. Firstly, you may want to refinish your kitchen worktop if you have a timber-based one.

A fresh finishing coat can enhance the look and feel of your kitchen, giving your kitchen worktop a new lease of life. This is a fairly affordable solution to revitalising your kitchen.

Another means of resurfacing your worktop is to overlay it. Adding an overlay (e.g., quartz) to your kitchen worktop is another low-cost solution. There is a wide range of overlays available on the market, some of which may suit your taste and be a good match for your kitchen.

Beyond that, you may want to add suitable metal sheets to your kitchen countertops. While also considered a potential DIY job, it’s essential that you know exactly what you’re doing.

Moreover, adding metal sheets to worktops involves the use of heavier materials and tools, making it more complex than the two jobs above.

Regardless, you must have the right skills and knowledge no matter how you want to resurface a worktop if undertaking the work yourself.

Covering Worktops

There are other ways to cover a kitchen worktop. For example, you may want to add fabrics atop a timber worktop before applying paint or sealant on the surface. Whatever the case, be sure to opt for suitable coverings based on the type and design of the countertop you have. If in doubt, hire a professional.

Painting Worktops

Another budget-friendly and potentially DIY-friendly option is to paint over your worktop. Whether it be because you want to keep costs down or because you're an old and worn-down countertop (or both). It’s fairly easy to paint a countertop. This approach is well-suited to wooden and linoleum worktops.

You’ll need sandpaper, prime and paint to complete the job. Holes and chips will need filling before painting. If in any doubt, hire a professional.

Replacing Worktops

Of course, you may prefer to have your worktop(s) replaced entirely. This may be because your worktop is beyond economical repair or/and because you have the budget and would rather have a brand-new worktop entirely.

The average cost of replacing a kitchen worktop is £200 to £2,000. Ultimately, the installation cost will primarily depend on the material used, although other factors, such as the price of labour in your area, will also prove influential.

Common worktop prices (in terms of materials) include:

• Laminate: £200 to £800
• Quartz: £1,260 to £4,200
• Granite: £1,610 to £2,850
• Marble: £1,700 to £2,550
• Solid Surface/Composite: £1,200 to £1,850
• Solid wood: £720 to £1,350
• Ceramic: £2,150 to £3,900
• Glass: £1,250 to £1,750
• Stainless steel: £700 to £1,300

While you can replace a worktop DIY, it's not a job to be taken lightly. If you have any doubts or concerns, be sure to hire a professional.

When seeking a professional to replace your worktop(s), you should secure quotes from three or more professionals. This can give you a chance to weigh up the pricing, levels of experience and any reviews or ratings they may have online before making a decision.