Your kitchen countertop says a lot about you and your approach to life. The countertop is one of the most versatile surfaces in the home and gets the tested often. One moment you could be cooking dinner, cutting up food or putting a hot dish down on it, the next your kids could be drawing on a sheet of paper on it, followed by using it as a table for putting tools down on. The truth is your kitchen countertop needs to be versatile, durable and truly beautiful.
There are many different kinds of countertop materials available to consumers, ranging in price, durability and beauty. Here are four options you should consider:
Granite
Granite is an incredibly beautiful, durable and long lasting product. It comes in a variety of colours and styles to match any kitchen theme. The surface of granite is polished to a beautiful shine and each piece is unique from every other one.
Granite is also incredibly durable as it is both resistant to water and heat, meaning you can place a hot pot on it without issue. It is also immune to stains, resistant to most alcohols, oil and even lemon juice. It also cleans incredibly easily. The only maintenance required is annual sealing to help protect it. Granite is generally expensive; however, it retains its value incredibly well.
Slate
Slate is a dense and very fine grain stone that usually comes in a variety of colours, including purple, red, blue, green, grey and black. It is less expensive than granite but also has fewer features. It is water and heat resistant and any surface damage that occurs can easily be removed with sandpaper. It is also very easy to clean.
Laminate
Laminate is currently the most popular selection for countertop material due to its low cost. It is usually made of plywood and topped by a thin plastic laminate. It is generally durable, comes in a variety of colours and patterns and easily cleaned. Because it is plastic is also water resistant and hard to stain. However, with such a low cost come some disadvantages, including seams that are visible, easily chipped and scratched and is not heat resistant in the slightest.
Quartz
Quartz is sometimes also called Engineered Stone as it is made from 93 per cent natural quartz and 7 per cent binders and resin pigments. It is a strong material to build a countertop from and comes in a variety of colours that can imitate granite and stone. It is extremely hygienic, requires no annual sealant and is impervious to stains. It also is mold, heat, mildew, scratch and crack resistant, making it on
par with granite. However, it unlike granite the seams are easily visible and even compared to granite is exceptionally heavy which may require additional supports built.
These four options should be explored for your kitchen countertops. Selecting the right countertop material will depend on many things, including your budget, desires, room colours and the overall beauty and longevity you want the countertop to have.