With so many countertop choices…which one is right for me?
Countertop materials: pros & cons…
Plastic Laminate, Ceramic Tile, Stone, Solid Surface, Butcher Block, Stainless Steel, Concrete – these are popular choices to select from when considering countertop replacement for your home. Each has its pros and cons which will help you in your decision when you consider how you use the space.
Plastic Laminate
Laminate is the most widely used countertop material in home improvement. It is inexpensive and low-maintenance. It resists grease and stains, and comes in a vast array of colors and patterns. It also can come prefabricated with its own seamless backsplash.
Laminate has its drawbacks, however. Since it is made in layers (hence the name “laminate”) the dark under layer (usually pressed wood) may be visible. The top is susceptible to damage from sharp knives and hot pans, and it easily melts. Once damaged, it cannot be easily repaired.
• Installation Tips: To keep laminate looking new longer, reserve for less used areas of the kitchen. Locate seams at corners to avoid wear and tear.
Ceramic Tile
Beautiful and durable, ceramic tile is the experienced do-it-yourselfer’s dream come true. This is where you can celebrate your creative side. You can make that counter anything you want. How about a mural? Or how about using your children’s drawings as patterns? Or simply go with your favorite colors broken up and mixed? It can be as simple or as complex as the artist in you desires.
Ceramic tile is heat, scratch, and stain resistant. Damaged tiles can be easily replaced.
Grout can stain or collect food particles giving way to bacterial infestation. Cleaning tile with abrasives can ruin a high-gloss finish.
• Installation Tips: To cut cost, use solid-colored tiles and create your own patterns. Use epoxy and acrylic grouts, which are more stain resistant. Remove stains from regular grout with ordinary household bleach.
Stone
Marble is not for everybody. Marble must be frequently sealed with mineral oil (which is not particularly food friendly, since it is made from petroleum). It is softer than granite and it scratches and stains. This is an inherent characteristic of the material and should not be considered if you are adverse to an aged, worn look.
Soapstone is a soft, non-porous, natural stone. Despite its softness, it’s very resilient. It is always a dark stone, very nearly black and it always has a honed surface. Cook’s love it because it’s an excellent heat insulator.
Quartz composites are a newer and growing countertop material. Composites are made from stone aggregate and polymers that are compressed under high pressure. The result is a practically non-porous material and just as strong as most natural stones. Since it’s a manufactured product, it has consistent colors and patterns.
Granite is impervious to cuts, scrapes, burns and stains when properly sealed. Its beauty is undeniable, and a perfect choice for the serious cook. Pie crusts, pastries, and homemade chocolate love these surfaces.
Stones are expensive, heavy, and brittle, so they must come in thick slabs. Marble and granite require regular resealing, and are expensive to repair.
• Buyers Tip: You may be able to find suitable pieces at an antique salvage yard.
Solid Surface
A solid surface countertop is a step up from plastic laminate. It comes in a wide variety of colors and patterns which are uniform throughout. Solid-surface products are made from mineral powder blended with acrylic and sometimes polyester binders. Solid surface countertops remain the only material that can be seamed invisibly.
Since the color is integral through the entire counter, scratches and blemishes can easily be buffed out. It is strong and self-supporting, so it requires no underlayment. Solid surface material is non-porous and resists both mildew and stains.
Solid surface can scratch and be cut easily by sharp knives. Hot pans set down will leave a permanent discoloration.
Butcher Block
True butcher block uses end-grain hard-wood for counters; however many counters come in a lesser grade. You will want to make certain that you have a true hardwood.
The warm natural appearance of hardwood is an attractive choice. It is ideal for cutting and chopping, and it is easy to repair. Surface scratches can easily be sanded out.
Butcher block must be sealed or frequently treated with mineral oil; however protective surface sealers are not always food safe. It must be cleaned immediately after food preparation or moisture exposure. If it becomes contaminated with meat juices or dirty vegetables, it must be disinfected, then resealed. Butcher block scorches and dents easily.
Buyer’s Tip: Many cooks use olive oil to season the wood after each use; however this can also darken the wood.
Stainless Steel
This tough surface is very popular with the high-tech crowd. It is the counter of choice in many upscale restaurants.
Stainless steel is tough and impervious to stains and hot pans. It gives your kitchen a contemporary look.
Stainless steel shows nicks, dents, and it scratches easily. It should never be cleaned with scouring powders, and steel wool should never be used to clean it. It needs a solid, firm underlayment to ward off serious denting. While beautiful, stainless steel is very cold to the touch.
Concrete
Concrete is a growing category in the countertop market. When fabricated by the hands of a skilled craftsman, there is practically no shape, color or finish it can’t transform into. Because all concrete counters are one-of-a-kind, adding different colored glass or stone to the mix during fabrication can add interest and color you’d like integrated into your design.
Terrazzo, a form of concrete is made from a concrete base with decorative aggregates added to the mix. After the mix cures, it’s polished to a high sheen with a grinding wheel. The polishing is what makes terrazzo.
Any unsealed, natural state of concrete will stain because concrete is porous. In order for concrete to be used as a countertop material, it must be sealed. The most important factor to understand when choosing concrete is to know the type of sealer used. There are a variety of concrete countertop sealers on the market, many of which can create a nearly impermeable surface that is highly tolerant and resistant to staining.
Overall, concrete is a durable, tolerant material, but again with regard to heat resistance, the issue lies with the sealer that is used by the fabricator. Cutting or chopping directly on your concrete countertop can damage the sealer causing a breech in the sealers ability to resist staining.
