In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
Hi Jepson
There are lots of marble cutters in the area, and they will cut and design anything you need, we used some guys in P. Falorone, very good , quick, and not expensive,
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
A couple of things to bear in mind about stone worktops.
They are heavy, and (in my opinion) cannot be securely supported by kitchen cupboards alone - they need occasional little masonry walls.
It isn't so much the type of stone (travertine, granite, marble) which is the important decision, but the finish on the stone. Highly polished marble or travertine will look nice until the first drop of lemon juice etches the surface (unless you are willing to concentrate on keeping a sacrificial polish maintained on a monthly basis). Granite is much better in this respect, but won't take kindly to acid based cleaning products around the sink.
A finish called spazzolato (mechanically brushed, and I think finished with a pretty durable satin polish) is much more forgiving if you want to use travertine in kitchens. Polished marble is a difficult one - it looks fantastic when first put in, and looks fantastic after half a century of tea stains and vinegar and a few chipped edges, it is just the intervening fifty years when to some eyes it might be considered scruffy looking.
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
Travertine is fine for worktops as long as you use the good quality grade, although it's not as hard as Marble or Granite. Most quality Travertine comes from Aquasanta near Ascoli Piceno and there should be a few suppliers in that area. Sorry, I don't have any actual addresses.
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
My sink, worktops and breakfast bar are all made from the most beautiful peach marbled local stone and i`m absolutely chuffed...even though it cost me an arm and a couple of legs and took 4 workmen to lift the sink into place.....
am in Orsogna but let me know if you want more details...
Good stonemason near you.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 04/04/2008 - 06:42In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
Hello there,
Just for your information I restored a old chapel last year. The alter needed a new marble top. So being near the Amandola I went round all the local stonemasons and the best was in Amandola. His name is Pietro and his factory is in the industrial zone near the Fallimenti.
The reason I chose him was he had the largest selection of stone in different types and the costs were relative to the type of stone and finish you want.
For example the chapel alter top was made and polished in marble 2cm thick
80cm wide for nearly 2m. It only cost me 80 euros, but I did know him from before.
Why not try him?
My cabinetmaker is using Carrara marble for my benchtops, but I am talking about Tuscany; however, marble is also used in many countries. Expensive, but excellent!