Kitchen Countertops – Basic Facts

When you set out to choose your kitchen countertop, you might want to take stock of what you are likely to do on the countertop, as the material plays a vital role. Combinations of two or more materials can be ideal as you will get the proper surface for the job you intend to use it for, letting you set apart one area for work, one for cleaning up and another for perhaps, eating.

At this point of time, you might also want to make your decision about the kind of sink you intend installing, since any countertop material can be used for drop in sinks, while for under mount sinks you cannot use wood. Another factor to bear in mind is the edge style

Styles And Materials

Your kitchen countertop can be a style statement, and you have a long list of materials to choose from. Laminates are considered most popular and cost-effective and also come in different colors letting you choose one that matches your home décor.

Laminate kitchen countertops can come with flat or decorated beveled edges and can look very much like stone. With countertops such as Corian, even though they are expensive the surface is non porous and can take a variety of treatments like inlays, draining areas with grooves, etc.

With stone countertops made of granite, marble, limestone, the cost will be on the higher side but these are matchless in looks and durability as they last a lifetime. Wooden countertops look just great although they must be properly treated so that they do not warp with exposure to water. Metal kitchen countertops like stainless steel are easy to clean and maintain.

Kitchen countertops also come in concrete, glass and tile. These can be color matched to your décor, but you will have to ensure that the grout lines are maintained and kept clean.

Trends in Kitchen Countertops

However, taking cost and maintenance into consideration, most kitchen remodelers tend to go in for the plastic laminate type even though the options are many, like ceramic tile, fiber cement, wood, natural stone and solid surfacing.

I can safely say that natural stone, solid surface and quartz finishes are the easiest to maintain. If you happen to spill something on these, it can be mopped up easily. For those who enjoy baking, you would prefer to roll your dough on marble. For a lot of cutting jobs, stone or wood is suitable.

If you are looking for color, you could go in for laminate and solid surfaces. Stainless steel and solid surfacing allow you the flexibility to go in for decorative styles and shapes with integral sinks. Concrete can be a great option when you seal it well.

You can also get specialty surfaces like hemp based countertops and lavastone. The best thing to do is get a combination of surface materials to suit the different tasks on your kitchen countertops – like wood for cutting, granite for serving, tile for that nice look, and a solid surface top for food preparation. Mix and match works to your advantage.

Keeping in mind maintenance, durability and the ‘easy-to-clean’ criteria, every kitchen countertop material you choose will have its own pros and cons. So depending on your space and budget you

Kitchen countertop edges must set off the look of your kitchen. The best ones overall are rounded edges, bull nosed and waterfall design, as they are safer than sharp squared off edges.

With laminate, you get the ‘no-drip’ waterfall edge where the countertop’s surface is slightly raised before the edge, so that if you spill something it wont run out onto the floor.

It is easy to design solid surface kitchen countertops as they are flexible and you can make the edge in whichever style you want, no matter how complicated, just like stone or engineered stone.

Metal kitchen countertops come with a variety of edges and are designed to contain spills. Wood is of course, easy to mill into any shape you want. The more intricate your design, though, the harder it becomes to clean so make sure you think about that too.

There are special edge tiles that eliminate the sharp corners and available from many manufacturers.

Rating / Reviews

When we look for the ideal kitchen countertop material the aim is to find one that is strong, resistant to stains and burns, lasts long and looks elegant. You will find a lot of ratings and reviews about the variety of materials and manufacturers in the market. Since kitchen countertops must be chosen according to individual requirements, what suits one kitchen may not quite be the right thing for another.

Therefore, it is best to take your own specific needs into account and find the ideal one, after you know the pros and cons of the different materials.

Manufacturers / Brands

Some of the leading manufacturers of kitchen countertops and materials are Formica, Corian/Dupont, Swanstone, Wilsonart, Cambria, Monticello Granite etc. Almost all offer customized kitchen countertops.

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