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When beginning your kitchen remodel, every single feature installed is important. For example, if a light bulb is a different color, it will throw off how the kitchen feels. That example is on a small scale. Countertops, however, require you to make a significant choice. They cost hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in materials, and it’s a finishing piece of the kitchen. It is one of the first features you notice when you walk into a kitchen. The list below can educate you on the different types of countertops.
Marble Countertops
Pros: Can increase property value because it is a timeless and natural material with no additives and resins
Cons: Stains easily, especially with something acidic, and needs sealing annually.
Quartz Countertops
Pros: Durable, won’t easily crack, scratch, or chip. Non-porous, stain resistant, low maintenance, versatile, and popular.
Cons: High price, susceptible to heat damage because the resins prove to be vulnerable to heat, requires professional grade installation,
Granite Countertops
Pros: Natural material, heat resistant, scratch resistant, stain resistant, low-maintenance, sanitary due to low porosity, versatile in many applications, can add value to your home.
Cons: Looks dated depending on the application, can have a busy design, seams will show, requires a sealant coat annually, prone to cracking and fading, cold, heavy, and expensive.
Concrete Countertops
Pros: Can be custom-sized and shaped, difficult to scratch and impervious to heat, small items can be embedded for effect, durable and long-lasting, can improve resale value, is stainable to different colors
Cons: Expensive, regular sealing is required to avoid staining; its excessive weight can tax cabinet frames and floors depending on the counter thickness
Butcher Block Countertops
Pros: Available in plenty of wood types and stain colors, affordable, will last for 20+ years, easy to repair, is meant to be cut on if one would like to,
Cons: Dents easily, scratches easily, not moisture resistant, reacts to temperature fluctuations, can be burned if pots are too hot, needs to be resealed and sometimes filled and sanded to keep it top-notch.
SAE 304 Stainless Steel Countertops
Pros: Heat-resistant, hygienic, easy to clean, non-porous, won’t stain or rust, and indestructible compared to stone counters.
Cons: Can get dents and scratches and highlight your fingerprints until you clean it off; pots clashing with your metal counter can be loud and may look ugly to some, can look ugly over time because you can’t repair it, and there is little risk involved in getting metal shavings in your food.
Tile Countertops
Pros: Lots of designs to choose from, inexpensive, can install it yourself, can use high-end materials at lower cost.
Cons: Can break or chip, grout lines, messy installation, mildew build-up, tiles fall off the counter’s edge, not timeless material; especially if the tiles break, you may not find a match.
Solid Surface Countertops
Pros: Non-porous, homogeneous, can buff out scratches, easy to clean
Cons: This countertop is soft. So, it is scratchable, can be deformed by high heat, and is difficult to fabricate.
Laminate Countertops
Pros: Laminate is heat-, stain-, and scratch-resistant. It is easy to clean and the least costly countertop on the market.
Cons: knives, sliding metal objects, heated pots, and dishes can permanently damage the counter; only allow for drop-in sinks due to their construction; and not a timeless material.
Depending on what brand you purchase, good maintenance practices will make any of these countertops last a while. Consider customers’ experiences with different counter types and professional opinions before making one of the most important decisions for your kitchen remodel.