Counter Top Options With All Their Pros & Cons
When picking your counter tops it can be so hard! There are so many options that you can consider when picking out counter tops for any surface in your home. There is a lot of options for counter tops! Between the most common choices like Granite and quartz there are options such as concrete and butcher block and all their pros and cons. Lets talk about most common counter top options & all the things you should know prior to picking them out during a remodel or building your dream home.
COUNTER TOPS OPTIONS
There are a ton of options when it comes to Counter tops! A wide range of between affordability and quality. Some times budget out weighs everything and some time quality is more important. We put together a list of Pro’s and Con’s of the most common options.
QUARTZ
Less Porous
Not the Real thing
Stain & Scratch
Made w/resin(melt)resistant
Decent Cost
Lower Maintenance
Lots of color options
Quartz is beautiful and comes in a great variety of colors and pretty affordable compared to Marble & Quartzite. We have this in our kitchen and I love it! It can stain when things are left on the counter. But maintenance is low and looks beautiful. Its cost can bet $50.00 or more /sqft installed & fabricated. We paid $54/sqft but we also had to buy a large slab then standard for our very large island!
QUARTZITE
Natural stone
Sealed Regularly
Lots of color options
More expensive than Quartz
Quartzite is a Beautiful Natural Stone! It is also available in a lot of colors and very durable. It does need some maintenance and sealed regularly. Considered expensive & typically it can cost around 75.00/ sqft installed & Fabricated.
SOAPSTONE
Natural stone
Can scratch & knick
Dense & less Porus
Limited color Palette
Mineral oil helps scratches
Soapstone is a great option for really low maintance. it does have a limited color palatte of whites and grey/black tones only. It is a natural stone but is cost effective for a beautiful durable stone. Soapstone can average $60.00-185.00 installed & fabricated.
GRANITE
Abundant color palette
A lot of Maintenance
Polished or Honed
Cost Affective
Cleans Easy
Granite is probably the most common counter top found, it is durable and comes in a plethora of color options. It can be cost effective and easy to clean and is fairly inexpensive at $45.00-200.00 depending of the grade. There is a misconception that granite is maintenance free. It is a natural stone and still requires maintenance to maintain staining & it can chip depending on the grade.
CONCRETE
Stain, heat and water resistant (sealed)
Will patina
Customizable edges, thickness, & Textures
Requires Maintenance
Can be different colors
This is such a beautiful option and not common enough!
Concrete counter tops are durable, attractive and completely customization, a distinct advantage over natural stone. This is not the type of concrete you see on your sidewalks! The surface can be stamped, acid-stained and/or polished. It isnt rough and ridged like a side walk it is smooth and sleek. The average cost is $70-145.00 although this isnt the cheapest it is very effective with lower maintenance and Stain, heat, water resistant when sealed.
BUTCHER BLOCK
Sturdy and Beautiful
Requires route maintenance
Can be stained
Adds character
Scratches & dents
Sanitary if sealed!
You may see wood and water in a kitchen & panic. I used to agree but Butcher block is a great working counter top. If sealed and maintained the counters will last a life time. Depending on the wood use the cost can be $50-200/ sqft installed and fabricated.
LIMESTONE
Variety of colors
High maintenance
Heat resistant
Etching is common
Natural Stone
Very Porous
Can burn
Limestone is up there in maintenance with marble. It is heat resistant but etching is common it can burn and absorb liquids and stain. It is a beautiful option but The $50-100.00/ sqft installed & fabricated can be a benefit. This is not a great option if you have children just like marble.
PORCELAIN SLAB
Variety of colors
Not real stone
Priced fair
Not available everywhere
Continuation of slab/ Matchbooking
Polished or honed options
Heat, water, scratch & stain Resistant
Great Alt. to Marble & Quartzite
This material takes ceramic to the next level of strength (it’s tougher than granite but lighter), heat resistance and durability. It isn’t super popular in US yet, but it is a great option. It is also great for showers, floors and wall accents Cost can range from $50.00- 100.00/ installed and fabricated.
Counter top options:
These are all your counter top options! These will tent to be the most common and versatile options you will find. No matter your design preferences, budget, and time these can all be great options! You don’t have to sacrifice beautiful for functionality or quality when picking out options for your kitchen or bathroom. There are alternatives and colors that can fit budget, functionality, and beauty when you know what you are up against.
Fabrication & Installation:
I know most must be wondering about what fabrication is. Don’t think it is a stupid question! Fabrication is when the slab you pick has to create edges or a lip on the side. That will cover the plywood the counter top sits on. There are different grades of countertop thicknesses most come in a 2cm or a 3cm but it can come in 1.2.
The thiner, the lighter but also more fragile! a 2cm is a great medium as well as produces a a beautiful statement.
Here is an example of what the counter tip looks like on the bottom, it will have a lip on the edges all the way around its perimeter to not only cover the plywood but to also make it secure to the cabinets. This is a lip made with a seam, some of the products have a better turn out for seams. Butcher block and concrete are really the only counters not needing this fabrication but will need other forms of fabrication.
NO matter what it is key to know how much the material plus fabrication and installation will cost. I would a lot the same amount for material and fabrication ( fab tends to be more.) Fabrication & install is normally charged per square foot and can range from 20-30 depending on material.
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