Worktops compared
Resin vs quartz vs laminate: which worktop?
Laminate costs least (€50 to €250 a m²). Quartz (€425 to €650 a m²) is the hard-wearing middle. A poured epoxy worktop (about €540 to €840 a m²) costs as much as stone or more, and buys you any colour or effect in one piece, but it softens with heat and scratches. A resin coat over your old worktop (about €300 to €480 a m²) is the budget way to the look.
Free, no obligation. One local resin specialist prices it, not five.
Side by side
Six worktops, compared
| Worktop | Our price a m² | Heat | Scratches | Joins | Looks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laminate | €50 to €250 | Can scorch or blister | Scratches; chips at the edge | Joins at corners | Prints of stone and wood |
| Solid wood | €200 to €450 | Marks; needs oiling | Dents, sands out | Joins | Real timber |
| Quartz | €425 to €650 | Resin binder: use a trivet | Hard to scratch | Joins on long runs | Even, stone-like |
| Granite | €450 to €600 | Takes heat well | Very hard | Joins on long runs | Natural stone, every slab different |
| Poured epoxy | €540 to €840 | Softens at 38 to 54°C | Scratches; can be sanded and recoated | Can be one piece | Any colour or effect, glossy |
| Epoxy over the old worktop | €300 to €480 | Softens at 38 to 54°C | Scratches | Follows the old one | Any colour or effect |
Prices are for the worktop; fitting, cut-outs and upstands are extra on stone.
Choose epoxy if
When resin is the right call
- You want a colour, effect or one-piece look nothing else gives.
- You'll use trivets and chopping boards without thinking.
- The kitchen isn't in strong direct sun, or you're happy with a darker colour.
- Your old worktop is sound and you want a new face on it for about €300 to €480 a m².
Choose stone if
When quartz or granite is better
- Hot pans go straight down in your house.
- You want the least upkeep.
- The kitchen gets hours of sun on the worktop.
Choose laminate if
When laminate makes sense
- Budget leads: €50 to €250 a m².
- It's a rental or a kitchen you'll change within a few years.
The DIY check
DIY or hire a pro?
Three taps: the project, the size and how much epoxy you've used. You get an honest verdict, the reasons and what a specialist charges.
Hire a pro
One for a specialist
- It's one pour over the whole worktop: level, edges and sink cut-outs have to be right first time.
- It needs a warm room (24 to 30°C is ideal) for the first day, and about a week before full use.
- Most table-top epoxies start to soften at 38 to 54°C, so it's a surface for trivets, not hot pans.
A poured epoxy worktop: about €540 to €840 a m². A resin coat over your existing worktop: about €300 to €480 a m².
Send this for a real priceHow this is worked out
Anything you walk on, cook on or shower against, at any real size, is a specialist job: the preparation, the cure and the waterproofing decide whether it lasts. Small pieces are what DIY kits are made for. Experience moves a borderline job, never a shower wall or a commercial floor. Prices are our price guide; your written price comes from the specialist.
FAQ
Questions people ask
Is resin better than quartz?
Not better: different. Resin gives any colour or effect in one piece; quartz takes heat and knives better and needs less care.
Is an epoxy worktop cheaper than granite?
Poured, no: about €540 to €840 a m² against €450 to €600 a m² for granite. Coated over your old worktop, yes: about €300 to €480 a m².
Which worktop takes the most heat?
Granite. Quartz is bound with resin, so use a trivet. Epoxy softens at 38 to 54°C.
Free quote
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Keep reading
Related guides
- Epoxy resin worktopsPoured worktops and resin over the one you have, and what each costs.
- Is epoxy resin heat resistant?Where it softens, and why a hot pan marks it.
- Does epoxy resin turn yellow?Sunlight, white pigments and what slows it.
- How long epoxy resin lastsFloors, garages, worktops and driveways, in years.
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