Whether you are remodeling your kitchen, building one from scratch or are simply freshening up your current kitchen a bit, chances are good you thinking about an improvement to your countertops.
You might be a bit overwhelmed by the wealth of options available to you on the market. If you are, we’ve narrowed down some of the best options when it comes to kitchen countertops available on the current market for you.
Granite
Pros: Granite is simply beautiful and comes in a lot of different colors and patterns. Beyond that, it stands up quite well to contact with knives, splashes, heat and other causes of wear and tear that comes in the kitchen.
Cons: Like a lot of stone cutes, granite has to be seals once in a while to avoid stains from setting in. Beyond that, the heaviness of granite means that you need to have very sturdy cabinet boxes in order to support sheer weight of it.
Cost: Granite typically costs between $35 and $100 per square foot.
Solid Surfacing
Pros: Solid surfacing is made from acrylic and polyester, and because of its nonporous nature, it is practically maintenance free. There is no sealing or special cleaning required. While it can be burned and scratched, any blemishes are quite easy to sand out and fix. Colors and patterns are practically endless and seamless installation means there will be no cracks that could trap dirt and debris.
Cons: Solid surfacing can end up having a pretty artificial look and feel even though it can be nearly as expensive as natural stone. On top of that, it doesn’t always stand up very well to hot pans or sharp knives.
Cost: $35 to $100
Marble
Pros: Marble simply cannot be beat when it comes to an elegant countertop material. On top of that, it stands up to heat particularly well because it typically stays quite cool. It’s also a dynamite baking surface if you’re regularly working with dough because it does stay so cool.
Cons: Marble is quite susceptible to stains, unfortunately, and requires regular sealing. For that reason, you will often find that marble surfaces is restricted to a couple small areas in a large kitchen as opposed to an entire workspace.
Cost: $40 to $100 per square foot.
Quartz Surfacing
Pros: Crafted from resin and quartz chips tinted with color, this material has the same advantages as solid surfacing in terms of its easy maintenance. On top of that, it also comes in a huge range of patterns and colors. Also, it’s very durable and stands up well against knives and heat.
Cons: Unfortunately, the material does not have the variegation of granite, so it’s going to be pretty obvious that it is an engineered product and not made from natural stone. On top of that, it is pretty expensive despite the fact that it is not a natural product.
Cost: $40 to $90 per square foot.
While there are a lot of other options out there, these are four of the best! From here, it’s time to narrow down your options to find out which countertop surface is best for you and your kitchen.
