Stainless steel worktops with integrated upstands

Stainless steel upstands are a simple and practical addition to a kitchen, but furthermore, they should ideally be included into the kitchen design from the beginning of the project. Fitted where the worktop meets the wall, an upstand helps protect surrounding surfaces from water spillages, grease and general food debris.

If they are integrated into the worktop itself, they are actually an extension of the worktop surface material which, during the manufacturing process, is then folded into place and welded for neatness and hygiene purposes.

They are typically around 100mm to 120mm high and in a domestic kitchen will always run underneath any 13 amp electricity sockets. Splashbacks can be a neater solution as they cover a much larger area and holes can be cut to allow cabling through for multiple electrical wall sockets, or for light switches. Splashbacks are hardly ever integrated into the back of a worktop.

In a kitchen which has worktops without upstands, the walls can soon become damaged and unhygienic if they are simply plaster-skimmed, then fitted with ceramic tiles, or emulsioned.

Sliding heavy frying pans or trays, for instance, against this type of wall can dent the plasterwork which then is no longer an easy-to-clean flat surface. The remedy:- freestanding upstands can be manufactured off site and retrofitted to the existing kitchen.

With freestanding upstands which are bonded to the walls, although not quite as seamless as a worktop with integrated upstands, once fitted and the joints between the upstands and the worktops are professionally sealed, it is still a practical solution. However, it is really much better still to have bespoke steel worktops made with integrated upstands, giving a much neater and pleasing overall appearance.