Stylish, Versatile and Economical: What Fitters Think of Zenith

Zenith compact laminate is sleek but tough. It has a 12.5mm profile and solid core, is 100% waterproof and super versatile – it can be cut on-site for a range of purposes, making it increasingly popular with professional fitters taking pride in their contemporary kitchen installations.

What do professional installers think, and how are they using Zenith?

Olly London has 25 years’ experience fitting worktops and enjoys a 9.9 rating on Check A Trade. He started fitting Zenith in 2016 when he was asked to install a Benchmarx kitchen.

Olly says his customers love the slim modern look of Zenith worktops, and when customers embrace compact laminate for the kitchen, they end up with a stylish space that makes the most of Zenith worktops and their adaptability.

He says, “Most of my Zenith worktop fits have undermount sinks with drainage grooves and islands with waterfall ends. I also use the offcuts to create windowsills and shelves, making it economical.” With a solid coloured core, Zenith can be cut and finished without the need for edging.

Olly’s advice to fitters? Taking time with the cut will pay off, and you’ll still enjoy a super-fast installation. He says, “Zenith must be cut slowly, but it’s a tough material that you can cut and shape to create a great looking kitchen.”

Simon Fry of Milton Keynes-based specialist fitters, Mr Mitre, started working with Zenith around 3 years ago after first seeing it in Wickes, and has embraced the new-found role of compact laminate in the industry.

He says, “I’d seen compact laminate before but had never seen it used as a worktop and thought it was such a bold use of the product. It’s proven to be very successful and I think it’s given the industry another addition to the worktop range.”

Simon says he enjoys being able to offer such a contemporary look with Zenith due to its versatility – the creativity doesn’t stop at worktops.

“One of my favourite Zenith installations had an undermount sink with recessed sink grooves, and I made splashbacks, plinths and window sills with Zenith to match.”

Simon’s best advice for installing Zenith is to pay attention to blades and router bits and make sure everything is really sharp. He says, “Especially when it comes to draining grooves, I like to have a sharp new bit to do the final pass and give everything a good clean finish.”

Zenith is made using a high resistance overlay with decorative sheets impregnated with melamine resin, and a solid core composed of layers of kraft paper and impregnated with phenolic resin. This technique means Zenith is double sided, waterproof, and extra tough – ideal for family kitchens and bathrooms where style and substance are both a deciding factor in design.

For more about Zenith worktops view the design gallery, or head to the Zenith resources page to download technical information. You can find out where to buy Zenith on our Where to Buy page, or you can Contact Us to speak to someone today about how you’d like to use Zenith in your residential or commercial project.