For many houses, kitchen is one of the most essential areas, including the bedroom and bathroom. There are many ways for you to remodel and improve your kitchen, which can contribute in increasing the value of your house. As an example, you can replace the kitchen cabinet, install new floor, purchase new appliances and install a brand new countertop. However, choosing the right countertop material can be rather tricky. It is important for you to be able to devote enough effort and time; so you can get the best possible results. The type of material used for the countertop could serious affect the look and style of your kitchen. The type of the countertop should be become a focal point of your entire room.
When choosing the material for your countertop, granite is often the first one that comes into our mind. However, you should know that although granite is quite popular, it is also very, if not the most expensive. Granite is scratch resistant and can withstand extreme heat, even direct fire. Well processed and polished granite should last a long time and very durable. Having a granite countertop could increase the value of your house quite greatly. However, even if you have a large enough budget to choose a granite countertop, there’s a drawback. Granite is a natural stone and it’s porous, which may capture moisture and stain. It means that the granite block should have a proper sealant. Although granite is hard, you shouldn’t use it as cutting board, because it will eventually look dull and you may ruin your knives as well.
There are also other natural stones that you can use for the countertop, such as soapstone, limestone, marble and quartz. Marble looks cool and smooth, which idea for preparing food. However, marble is less durable compared to granite. In order to prevent staining, the marble surface will need to be stained even more. Slate is typically used for roofing material, but it can be used for countertop as well. This material shouldn’t require as much sealant, but some form of maintenance is needed. Limestone is a more affordable solution, but it is very porous and heavy duty sealant material will need to be applied. You should also know that limestone tends to have weathered look that may slowly darken and deepen over time.
Natural quartz should be quite similar to slate, which doesn’t easily scratch and stain. You may also choose engineered quartz for the same purpose. However, this material can be significantly more expensive, but the addition of pebbles, small stones, polymers and epoxy should provide unique feel and look. If natural stones are too expensive for you, you can use porcelain tile with texture and appearance that resemble real, natural stone. Good quality porcelain stone could have similar heat resistance to granite. However, tile can chip easily on its edges, but you can replace it with a new one. So, it is a good idea to have some extra tiles for replacement.
