Kitchen Worktops

No matter how large or small a kitchen is there is a necessity for as much worktop area as possible to be available for the preparation of food and the various small domestic appliances that need to be close at hand.

If you can afford it granite or stainless steel worktops are an excellent choice because you can place dishes and pans directly onto these types of materials. They also have a naturally cool surface so are excellent for rolling out pastry. Not only that, they will last a lifetime. Marble is not a great choice because it is expensive, will stain and over time will erode and crumble particularly around corners and edges. Modern laminates are more durable than they used to be and are the least expensive of all worktop materials. However, if you spend a lot of time preparing food and cooking the care that has to be taken with making sure you use chopping boards, rather than cutting food directing on top of the work surface and place settings for pots and pans when they are taken off the hob or out of the oven, may be more hassle than it is worth.

Laminate work surfaces certainly look attractive since they are now made in so many designs including marble and granite effect and they provide a cheap way to make kitchen work surfaces look magnificent. Often used in rental property laminates can be false economy since tenants are renowned for having no great respect for other people's property and you may need to replace these types of worktops much more frequently than if you had chosen something a little more expensive, but hard-wearing. Companies like Akwa Plumb Kitchens Glasgow have several years of experience in the supply and installation of laminate, granite, quartz and solid wood kitchen worktops.

Kitchen Renew v Kitchen Refurbish?

With many households in the Glasgow area, adding value to your property is paramount in todays market. many households are not making the capital gains of 10 - 15 years ago. More and more people are deciding not to move but improve. The kitchen and bathroom area is the most common place to start as these areas add the most value to your property.

Choosing the right kitchen is vital to any household as this will be one of the biggest expense you'll have to make. The big question for most people is is it cost effective to renew their kitchen or refurbish the existing one. So what do I mean by refurbishing the existing one. The simplest way and most affordable way is to re-face old, tired kitchen worktops and doors. It's amazing what results you can achieve by doing just that. It's affordable and doesn't take long to do. However you will need a professional kitchen fitter like Akwa Plumb Kitchens of Glasgow to cut your worktops.

With hundreds of kitchen sinks, taps and other neat accessories to choose from in the Glasgow area you can be sure to find something suitable for your budget to refurbish your kitchen.

Then there's the more costly alternative, a complete new kitchen. This is sometimes the best option especially if you are doing a garage conversion and want to enlarge your existing kitchen. Of course this requires a reputable builder and plumber. Akwa Plumb Plumbers Glasgow has the capability to undertake this kind of work. If you do have a reasonable budget and want everything new the a brand new kitchen is the way to go. One thing is for sure wether you renew or refurbish you are guaranteed to add saleability and value to your home.

Fitted Kitchens Glasgow

In recent years one of the 3 most popular projects in home improvements has been the re-modelling of the kitchen. Apart from being a functional room for culinary skills the kitchen is also a social place to have coffee with friends and neighbours and to spend time with the family at breakfast or other mealtimes. Dining rooms tend to be used more for special occasions and dinner parties nowadays.
There is usually one design flaw or another in older kitchens that with some imagination and expertise can be corrected to allow more space for storage or worktop area. However, the most difficult kitchens to remodel are the small ones.

If your budget is limited you may feel restricted in what you can do but there are many options available in the marketplace at an affordable price that can transform your old kitchen into a superb, energy efficient and attractive social hub for all the family.

Domestic Appliances
Stainless steel appliances not only look good but are the appliances of choice in catering kitchens. They are available in brushed, normal or manufactured with a stainless steel appearance. These domestic appliances will change the entire appearance of any kitchen and having been available for some years the prices have reduced dramatically.
As technology has progressed most modern domestic appliances are manufactured with energy efficiency priority. Many models not only look good but will also save you significant money on fuel bills.

Built in ovens, microwaves, washing machines, tumble dryers and dishwashers make the most of the space available together with storage cupboards for the smaller kitchen gadgetry that can often be found on worktops.

Kitchen Cabinets and Storage Space
If design is not your strong point, you should try to use the design services of your supplier of fitted kitchens because more often than not they free. It is quite staggering how a good designer can fit many more cupboards into a small space than you imagined were possible. A professional fitted kitchens designer will make sure that there is sufficient space in a cabinet for plates and other crockery as near as possible or next to your dishwasher alleviating the necessity for you to walk more distance than you have to.
A cabinet with sliding shelves and drawers next to the oven will afford easy access to pots and pans, tea cloths, oven gloves and other utensils whilst keeping them out of sight. Built in capacity to store vegetables and bread is also a better than having these items in baskets or bread bins on the work surfaces.

Kitchen Lighting
The use of halogen lighting and other lights positioned on the underside of the top kitchen units will make the kitchen space look bigger and more inviting.

Where to Buy
It is often considered that going to a kitchen showroom in the UK that has a sale on will bag you a bargain, but these sales tend to be on all of the time which makes one wonder whether they are selling kitchens and appliances that were over priced in the first place.
Using a local fitted kitchens supplier can often be very cost effective; and if you inadvertently damage something you know that they are just around the corner so more likely to fix it quickly, as opposed to a national firm that might take months to get round to doing a small job. For example, if you live in Glasgow and want a fitted kitchen, why would you order it from a company based in London?

A little research on the internet for fitted kitchen suppliers in your area is well worth the effort because the small suppliers will often go the extra mile to service your requirements and with a friendly personal touch.

Donald Patrick is the owner of the Akwa Plumb Group of Companies and is based in Glasgow.
Offering affordable all round plumbing services together with the supply and installation of fitted kitchens in Glasgow, Bearsden, Milngavie and surrounding areas anyone looking for a friendly, affordable and efficient service will find more details on the Fitted Kitchens Glasgow website at www.fittedkitchensglasgow.net or call 0141 955 0921

SJB Group Not just joiners based in Glasgow!

Would like to mention an all trades company who is based in Glasgow and Paisley. There name is SJB Group. SJB specialise in joinery, which includes flooring, roofline, wet wall panels and upvc windows & doors. They also have specialists in all electrical work, locksmiths, roofing, plumbing, heating, drainage, landscaping and preservation work. SJB Group are Glasgow's one stop all trades property maintenance solution. They also carry out 24 hour emergency work on all their services. Many companies say they are 24 hour response but few rarely turn up in the middle of the night. SJB Group do. They have an extensive website which is worth a look www.sjb-group.com.

Aerials Edinburgh

I would like to introduce you to a well established aerial company based in Edinburgh. Logically their company name is Aerials Edinburgh. I would recommend these Aerial and Satellite Installers to anyone. Don't worry if you live in the Borders, Midlothian, West Lothian or East Lothian, their aerial and satellite business covers all these areas and more. Colin who runs the company is very knowledgable, friendly and will always give you the best advice. Aerials Edinburgh also offer Aerial Repair and Maintenance Services, and specialise in improving signal quality in areas of poor reception. In addition, any existing TV Aerial can be upgraded to a Digital TV Aerial to receive the complete range of Freeview channels.

Aerials Edinburgh's vehicles are equipped to carry out your new digital aerial installation or digital satellite installation, repair or upgrade there and then.If you want a great picture guaranteed give them a call on 0131 344 0311 or go to their website at: www.aerialsedinburgh.com

Gas-Tec Services - Heating Fife

Gas, Plumbing & Heating Repair, Service & Installation Fife

Gas-Tec is based in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland and well respected in the local area for providing domestic heating solutions. They have built our business on delivering what we promise which includes arriving when they say we will, doing the job that needs to be done quickly and efficiently; and cleaning up after the job is completed.

Gas-Tec are qualified and experienced Gas Safe Registered plumbers and heating engineers offering comprehensive professional services for domestic heating. Fife is the area in which we operate and we pride ourselves on never letting a customer down. Equally as importantly they will never tell their customers that they need work done that isn’t essential or necessary.

Gas-Tec offer cost effective, value for money, reliable appliances which are high energy efficient. On selected boilers we offer a 5 year guarantee should you need to purchase a new one but we are more than happy to repair any existing model of boiler that our customers have.

The Gas-Tec team of highly trained heating engineers are qualified to conduct gas safety checks and have experts to advise landlords on their responsibilities to their tenants in ensuring that all gas appliances are safe. If you need a Landlord Safety Certificate you can rely on us to carry out the necessary checks, repairs if necessary and the issue your certificate.

For more information: www.heatingfife.com

 

Plumb-Heat - Plumbers Fife

Plumbers Fife Plumb-Heat is a well established company of Gas Safe Registered plumbers specialising in central heating and boiler installation operating from Kelty, near Dunfermline in Fife, Scotland. Covering the areas of Dunfermline, Kirkcaldy, Glenrothes, Cowdenbeath and Dalgety Bay and all surrounding areas, they only employ certified, well trained plumbers. Fife can be extremely cold in the winter and it is very important to ensure that your heating is working before the winter onslaught. Plumb-Heat provide a range of services to make sure that no matter which type of boiler you have it will function efficiently and effectively for both central heating and hot water. Servicing all makes and models of boilers, our plumbers have a diverse range of skills to ensure that your home is warm and comfortable especially throughout the winter months. In the many years that they have worked in the Fife area our company has grown into a respected and reliable service provider for all domestic heating requirements.Plumb-Heat  do not believe that their  customers should pay for the privilege of obtaining our advice so they only charge when they have worked for our money. Plumb-Heat  also complete the job in fastest time possible without compromising quality. For more information: www.plumbersfife.com