There are countertop options in all colors, styles and materials. What goes with what? A couple of things are going to influence your ultimate decision – how long are you staying in the house? How much time do you spend in the kitchen and what do you do there? And what can you afford? A Marling HomeWorks designer can help with your decision and quote several options for you.
Typically, the most economical option is laminate. Today’s laminate is not your parents laminate! You can get decorative edges, high definition finishes, and colors that mimic marble and granite. You can even get an undermounted sink. One of the knocks on laminate is that the tops don’t have the solid “feel” of natural stone, quartz or even solid surface.
The price point of laminate means you can change it out in a couple of years and not break the bank. Laminate is a thin layer of melamine resin on top of a decorative layer with the design on it and then stacks of craft paper with hardeners and resins on top of a board. It is great for DIYers if your cabinets are level, you order the right size and if you are doing an island – you remember to get end caps. But you need to remember its paper and resin, so it can chip on the ends or get gouged if you drop something on it. Laminate will scorch and if you are really liberal with water usage you may have swelling issues. Each of the laminate companies have a patented “finish” but many of the colors are similar. The best-known laminate manufacturers are Formica, Wilsonart, Pionite and Nevamar.
A number of the laminate companies also make material for vertical applications including leather and decorative metal. There are also chalkboard laminates and laminates with a “white board” finish so you can color or write on them and then wipe it off.
Moving up on the cost scale takes us to solid surface or acrylic. The most recognized name is Corian, but Formica also makes a solid surface as does Wilsonart, Staron, Avonite and Hi-Macs. Solid surface is made by mixing acrylic polymers and pouring the mixture into a mold. The slab can then be “fabricated” to different shapes. Some of the solid surface companies also add polyester to the mix to produce some vibrant colors or a surface that is semi-transparent and can be backlit. There have been innovations in the past several years to get more “movement” veining and swirls, in solid surface but there are still limitations to the color palate. Although it is cheaper than granite or quartz, a full kitchen with a decorative edge and an incorporated sink can still carry a hefty price tag.
You can get a molded-in sink with solid surface and the backsplash area can be “coved” so there is no seam. Solid surface can be scratched, but the benefit of solid surface is the scratches can be buffed out. As the name implies, it is a solid color all the way through so you won’t be buffing down to a layer that is a different color. Like laminate, it will scorch.
Granite or natural stone is priced on how easy the color is to get and how much of it can be quarried. Some of the really exotic granites can cost as much as quartz. Quartz is generally at the top of the price scale, but it has the highest resale value and it requires little maintenance.
Granite needs to be sealed, but it does come with a seal from the fabricator that can last for more than 10 years. While the big box stores may give a square foot price, most design houses quote on the project. A square-foot price quote factors in how much of a slab a project will use. If your project would use 7/8ths of a slab and the last bit wouldn’t be useful – the store is going to figure in the waste into your square foot cost. A quote based on the project should just include the material used. Cost varies depending on the edge profile you want. There will be seams and that’s another thing to watch for when you are getting a project quoted. Marling HomeWorks designers work with fabricators who will do the longest run possible so there are fewer seams. Big box stores tell the fabricator they need to make a certain price and that may mean lots of seams – even on an island.
Quartz is a manufactured “stone” containing pulverized rock mixed with resins and then made into an extremely strong slab of material using heat and pressure. It has a continuity of surface meaning the pattern is consistent – while you may pick your granite slab and be fairly certain of the color, fabricating can bring up some different colors and textures because that’s just the way Mother Nature decided to stack those materials.
Granite also has pores so heat and a break in the integrity of the seal means wine, tomato sauce, orange juice or whatever can get into your stone and its going to stay there. Quartz is diamond polished and it is tough to nearly impossible to break the integrity of the surface. Many restaurants use quartz countertops because they are easily cleaned and there’s virtually nowhere for bacteria to hide.
If you are considering a kitchen upgrade with new countertops, a Marling HomeWorks designer can help with colors and price. Design services are complimentary, so what are you waiting for?