Stainless steel worktops

[bigegg]

I'm wanting to replace my (mum's) old laminate worktops with stainless steel ones.

I basically want 3 pieces: 3M, 1.2M, 2.4M

I can buy second hand "prep tables" in various lengths for "not a lot" (compared to, say, the equivalent length of granite, quartz, or even bNq laminate) which I could dismantle for the worktops, but I would prefer to just go and pick up three lengths, and fit them.

Is it possible to buy "off the shelf" standard lengths of SS worktop?
I can't find anywhere - it all seems to be "made to measure" with the commensurate lead time.

 

[gaz1]

only if you buy used industrial kitchenware

 

[mike os]

Any decent fab shop should be able to sort you out … not cheap these days however

 

[Agroshield]

I'm wanting to replace my (mum's) old laminate worktops with stainless steel ones.

Are these standard kitchen worktops? If so, what depth (front to back) are they? A domestic kitchen worktop will be narrower than a prep. table so even if you bought one of these, you'd have to rework either the upstand at the back or lip and safe edge at the front.

How will you join at the corners? Again, if you use a prep table, it will only have an upstand at the back. You'd need a left or right hand corner table to get one with a two-sided upstand. If you mitre the joint, there is no strength as it is only thin sheet and very difficult to seal.

How will you cope with the thickness difference (e.g. sink or hob)?

If you make a drawing and send it to a commercial catering equipment place, they could make them properly for you including the corner joins.

Longest standard sheet is 2.5m. You can probably get 3m but it will be special order or two pieces joined together and then finding someone with a brake to fold the full length will be difficult - everybody and his mother can handle 2.5m sheets.

 

[bigegg]

Are these standard kitchen worktops? If so, what depth (front to back) are they? A domestic kitchen worktop will be narrower than a prep. table so even if you bought one of these, you'd have to rework either the upstand at the back or lip and safe edge at the front.

How will you join at the corners? Again, if you use a prep table, it will only have an upstand at the back. You'd need a left or right hand corner table to get one with a two-sided upstand. If you mitre the joint, there is no strength as it is only thin sheet and very difficult to seal.

How will you cope with the thickness difference (e.g. sink or hob)?

If you make a drawing and send it to a commercial catering equipment place, they could make them properly for you including the corner joins.

Longest standard sheet is 2.5m. You can probably get 3m but it will be special order or two pieces joined together and then finding someone with a brake to fold the full length will be difficult - everybody and his mother can handle 2.5m sheets.

I don't think the raised ends are going to be an issue - I don't need corner joins, and I can make deeper table tops work by simply moving the cabinets forward - the kitchen is 9ft wide, so there's a wide space between opposing cabinets which is too small for an island.
It's a simple U - shaped galley kitchen with a freestanding, SS commercial sink unit and the back door at one end .

Thanks for the above, it's given me some things to consider.
(Such as the 3m thing - I assumed they'd just be butt welded, and polished smooth)

I also wasn't aware of the "depth" thing- I already have a couple of prep tables (three including the sink), and they're all 600mm deep.
(They came from the same restaurant, though so could be an outlier)

 

[bigegg]

only if you buy used industrial kitchenware

That's been my "go to" in the past.
It comes up quite regularly for "not a lot"
The problem is that nearly all of it has shelves underneath, whereas I want to fit domestic kitchen "units" underneath.
I could get some, and cut'N'shut the frames - but it would be easier to just get worktops.
And cheaper, since I wouldn't have to set up my tig machine for SS.

 

[bigegg]

Giving serious consideration to plan B:
Concrete(!) worktops.

 

[grim_d]

Giving serious consideration to plan B:
Concrete(!) worktops.

They are a pain. And the dust is epic.

 

[knighty]

I quite fancy some concrete worktops at work, break room / kitchen area type stuff, not in the factory

what's so bad about them?

I've never had a problem with dusty concrete before... I'm assuming we knock that layer off with the daily steam clean


I was thinking concrete with mixed colours of broken glass in it and then polished... I saw a floor like that once and it was really nice

 

[grim_d]

I quite fancy some concrete worktops at work, break room / kitchen area type stuff, not in the factory

what's so bad about them?

I've never had a problem with dusty concrete before... I'm assuming we knock that layer off with the daily steam clean


I was thinking concrete with mixed colours of broken glass in it and then polished... I saw a floor like that once and it was really nice

The sanding/polishing is messy, not the worktop itself.

 

[gaz1]

if you really want a good finish you epoxy them

this is what happens if you dont use a former to level and then polish off , there is some extra info as well but note all surfaces suffer from these doant matter which one you pick