Hey everyone! Today we’re going to talk about countertops. With all the different options we decided to talk about some of the different surfaces. Choosing the right countertops can be difficult and costly. Hopefully, we can help you choose the right one!
Let’s begin with the less expensive options, laminate, and solid surface. As far as cost goes these are great. They can be cut to just about any size and have several options to select a design that you want. The durability of these counters is lacking, however. Laminate is manufactured from layers of plastic adhered to particleboard and can peel over time and cannot withstand high temperatures. Solid surface is manufactured from acrylic resins and can have a more natural look but scratches easily and also does not withstand high temperatures. Solid surface can sometimes be buffed to help remove minor scratches or scorch marks. So while you are saving money you are lacking durability.
The next group would be butcher block, marble, and soapstone. All of these are heat resistant however they scratch very easily and require maintenance. They are also not available in a wide range of colors. Butcher block is solid wood laminated together with adhesive and is repairable. Marble is a genuine natural stone, however, you have to be very careful how you clean it and it can scratch. Soapstone is also a genuine natural stone and is unaffected by harsh chemicals but tends to be more expensive than the others.
Porcelain and quartz surfacings are some of the best quality and most expensive of the manufactured options available. Both options are heat and scratch resistant, unaffected from harsh chemicals, and are easy to care for. Porcelain is manufactured from a mix of glass, ceramic, and other materials and is highly heat resistant. Where porcelain is limited is color options. Quartz surfacing is manufactured from natural quartz and polyester resin. While being heat resistant it can still scorch, however, you can find an array of colors.
The last two are quartzite and granite. Both of these are genuine natural stone, highly heat and scratch resistant and are unaffected by harsh chemicals. There is also a large selection of colors to choose from. Granite and quartzite are porous requiring them to be sealed, so chemicals and the materials don’t seep into the stone. It is recommended that you seal your countertops every year. Sealing your countertops help retain their shine and durability. It is also important to wipe up spills to prevent the stone from absorbing the liquid and staining.
We have experienced most of these types of countertops. Our preference for our home is quartz surfacing. It is on the more expensive side but we feel you get the biggest bang for your buck. It comes in a large variety of colors, is very durable, easy to clean, and you don’t have to seal it. So if you are looking for new countertops we hope we were able to explain some of the different options out there.
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