Tips for Choosing the Right Countertop
Your choice of Countertop inherently has a significant impact on the look and feel of your entire kitchen. The first step of choosing the best one for you is to understand what your options are. Then, you can make the choice that best fits with both your style and your budget.
Countertop Choices:
Granite
Granite counter tops are the most popular due to the variety of colors (e.g., blacks, whites, greens, corals). No two pieces are alike. You also have two choices of granite finishes: a polished finish that’s more shiny, or a matte finish that is considered more honed. As far as the cost, that depends on the color of the granite, where it came from, and the finish.
Natural Stones
Other natural stone materials include marble, limestone, and soapstone. These are much software material than granite, and require much more care and maintenance. Both natural stones and those counter tops must be sealed periodically.
Engineered Stones
Engineered stone is another option for your kitchen remodel project. Some of the benefits of this type of stone include a more uniform color, durability, ease of cleaning, resistance to staining, and the variety of options available to choose from. The only issue is that it’s not considered cost-effective, and is about the same amount as granite.
Solid Surface Countertops
Solid surface counter tops such as Corian were created to look like non-porous stone. They come in lots of colors, are seamless, resist stains and scratches, and can be buffed out if necessary. However, something to keep in mind with these solid surfaces if you tend to be in a rush or a bit forgetful: hot pans will damage these counter tops.
Concrete
Who would have ever guessed that concrete counter tops would be a popular option? They can be customized from light to dark and are available in several different finishes. Trowel is smooth, Ground is kind of sanded, and Pressed gives you the look of marble veining. A downfall of concrete is extreme temperature changes that may cause the concrete to warp or curl. In other cases, wet sponges can leave discoloration and get etched if anything acidic spills on it. These concrete counter tops need to be sealed up to 4 times a year and waxed every 2-3 months.
Butcher Block
Butcher block counter tops are a great choice because they are easily cleaned. It’s even easy to sand out scratches! Water can cause damage, but if you oil them it’s easy to maintain.
Laminate
Last but not least, there are laminate counter tops. These are the most affordable, and come in many colors and designs. These are another kind you must be careful not to put hot pots on. Don’t forget that you can always mix and match these counter tops if you want to show off your own personal style.
Our biggest suggestion would be to go and have a look at these surfaces in person so you can touch, feel, and see what would fit best in your kitchen. Maybe bring some samples home and play around with the colors! Good luck on your kitchen remodel, and feel free to reach out to 833-GET-AVID to get an estimate!
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