Bushboard Encore Kitchen Worktops

Could you give us more detail on the problem, is this poor fitting or a fault with the worktops?

Hi,
I came across your post by chance as was looking for some new cleaner for our Bushboard Encore worktop and thought I'd reply as we've had it installed for over a year now.

I've looked at your pics and when compared to our installation it is definitely not the same. Our kitchen fitter used the material for the first time on our kitchen and I have to say the joints are fantastic and can not be seen at all (we've even got the worktop as end panels and again no joints can be seen). We have the brown coloured surface but even with the colour difference I'm not sure that would mean that your joints would show more?

Regarding the water stains that is one thing I found with the Encore. When it was first installed I hated it. The kitchen fitter 'sanded' and polished it leaving it looking amazing, but then the moment I so much as put a cup on it it left a ring. Scratches showed like mad too. Before he left he advised me to use the Bushboard polish daily for two weeks and even now use the polish approx once a month. Now if it gets scratched (very rarely) the polish reduces this and rather than leave water marks I find the whole surface just goes a bit duller as it gets wiped over during use. On the whole I'm pleased with it now, little scratches don't show unless you examine it (which I was doing at first as it was new!)

Hope you get it sorted!
Thanks
Karen

ddhelp said:

It is poor fitting as Bushboard say in their Encore brochure that their product produces 'inconspicous joints' ours are anything but. Also the surface of the worktops is almost impossible to clean, we don't think that it has been finished correctly - they water stain easily. The fiter insists that that is just the way the worktops should be but I can't imagine that Bushboard would have any customers if that was the case.

As well as problems with the worktops there were other shoddy bits of workmanship see our pics at photobucket.com/360kitchens

Click to expand...

I've had bushboard encore worktops for over three years now. They were installed well and did indeed have invisible joins. You joints have clearly not been done well - big gaps filled with the adhesive/filler, and the edging strip not flat against the edge, again showing far too much filler.

As for the water marks. Our fitter advised against having the worktops polished past the 360 grit stage. Perhaps they too yours to a mirror finish, which I can well imagine might be tricky to keep clean.

I am incredibly pleased with my encore worktop - indeed I'm just arranging for it to be installed in my sister-in-law's new kitchen.

ddhelp,
I have just read your post about the problems you had with Encore Worktops. I have supplied and fitted many of this type of worktop, and I can tell you for certain that the person that fitted them did not know what he was doing! The company that supplied and fitted them should give you a full refund or replace them free of charge.

If you did get an independant report done, then any out of pocket expenses incurred should be payable by the company that is at fault.

That is pretty much the worst I have seen, and I have been in the fitted kitchen business for over 30 years.

Snezza31

Dear DDHELP

I am a director of Bushboard Ltd and am concerned that you are unhappy with our product. We make and sell literally thousands of Worktops every day and will always do our best to assist. The photos at the link you quote don't appear to show a manufacturing fault, but we can try to help in some way.

Please call our customer service management team on 01933 232 200 during office hours asking for either the customer service manager or the commercial director and we will endeavour to help.

Regarding FIRA (the furniture ombudsman), we are members of the main FIRA organisation and can assist in arranging independent advice or assisting you in other ways as necessary.

Sincerely

ddhelp

I have looked at your photos and they appear to be due to poor fitting. There has been a reponse from a director of Bushboard Ltd who also confirms that it does not appear a manufacturing fault but falls short of stating it is a fitting fault.

First direct are probably taking into account the fault in relation to the whole job. If you intend to rip the lot out and it is reasonable to do so you should be compensated for the full amount. If First direct dont agree and force you to get expert opinion then you will be able to claim that also if the opinion agrees with you.

The whole thing should come under the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 section 13.

I also had an Encore worktop fitted late 2011 looked gorgeous when fitter left BUT as soon as we ( only myself and my husband) started to use the kitchen scratches started to appear. I followed the polishing regime but hot potatoes in a pyrex dish left a fairly significant mark (this came out when buffed with the scourer but the scratches are a mess.)
I was not told of the scratching problem when I bought this and the brochure did not mention it however the brochure has now been amended to mention the scratching on dark colours. I have been told to be careful when using crockery er its a kitchen worktop....... what sort of utensils should I use foam? I don't think this product (my black one) is fit for purpose AND retailers are still not saying how easily this scratches.
I have been told it is like buying a black car well no I would not put cups, pans etc onto a car. I think if retailers told customers how easily this scratches if you put cups on it and with general use they would not sell many.
Is anyone else having the same problem with this product

I had these worktops fitted in Dec 2010. I had wanted granite but was assured these were a good second (given the cost). I bitterly regret this decision. Having followed their cleaning guide to the letter, the tops are smeary, scratched and stained. I seem to spend hours cleaning and buffing. My kitchen fitter (who is great by the way and did a fabulous job) thinks I may have used too much product! Twice I have called Bushboard and twice they have taken my details and promised to call me back......still waiting. I would never recommend this product. The fitter is coming back to polish the tops again, I will then use less product and see what happens, although I am not confident this will make any difference. These tops look lovely if you don't use them!!

You will see from earlier that I posted to say how happy I was with my worktops. That has changed! I ran out of the polish which came with the Bushboard maintenance kit which was left for me. I got some more but was advised that the one I had been using had been discontinued and replaced with 'Professional Worktop Polish'. I just can't get on with it! I called Bushboard to see if I could get hold of some of the old polish as I didn't like the new one but can't. It's smeary, dull, marked and means that everything marks it by making it a lighter shade. I'm very disappointed now.

Its defo poor fitting

Anybody who is thinking of purchasing one of these worktops should think again! I have had a new kitchen fitted recently and the finish of the work top ruins the final look of the kitchen. When you pay over £2000 for a work top (and fitting) you expect the finish to be seamless (excuse the pun...), but unfortunately you get anything but.

On speaking with Bushboard direct to advise them of this I was advised that they would provide me with a new worktop due to the issues I had encountered. However they would not be willing to cover the cost of removing the existing and fitting of a new one. Therefore I would have to pay an additional £800 + to have it fitted on top of the £2,000 I had already paid for the original worktop and fitting of. As their worktops it seems they only deliver on half the job.

We had black encore fitted four years ago and i hate it. it scratches, marks just with water, and if you don't buff it every couple of days goes sticky and horrible. bushboard just blamed the installer, he repolished again following instructions to the letter, and results were no better. (NB: we do not believe the installer was at fault - joints were fitted well and no other issues, pls he followed all fitting instructions)

The whole product is too porous, meaning that the dull, spongy surface has to be treated with the polish to make it even semi-water resistant and vaguely glossy, and the polish then does one of two things. a) it comes off in areas of frequent use leaving the dull, porous surface behind, even if you use just mild soapy water. if, heaven forbid, you use everyday kitchen worktop cleaners such as dettol or flash, it strips the polish off right away, taking you back to square one. b) in areas used less, eg towards the back of the worktop close to the wall tiles or under small appliances such as a toaster, the surface becomes tacky and gathers dust and cooking grease if it isn't cleaned every couple of days, which has to be scrubbed to remove. I have NEVER had to put in so much maintenance and cleaning effort with good old fashioned laminate. Lengthy discussions with bushboard just resulted eventually in being ignored.

Appalled with the product - do not recommend to ANYONE.

yes we have the same problem. its been fitted for a year we have polished it etc...seems to be getting worse. handprints and finger marks also show up.
Debating whether to change the worktop but we spent extra money to have it...more fool us. spoils the look of our kitchen which was fitted really well, joins look great. so frustrating.

Also polish is expensive and we were not told it was going to be a high maintenance worktop. Its the kitchen, food, water, cutlery etc etc.

i would not recommend this product

Bought the semi gloss black anthracite back a few years ago. What a complete utter rubbish product. It scratches if you so much as look at it. It marks and leaves water rings that don’t come out even with the scrubby and Cifu as recommended. Not cheap!
It’s supposed to be guaranteed for 10 years....ha! Try making a claim
Do not buy this product!