I was aiding my little girl having her cooking area remodelled lately. She was having troubles attempting to select a new counter top material. Walking through the counters location in Home Depot offered her a couple of suggestions, but she was still undecided when the moment involved select a month later. I decided to draw up a quick comparison of all the materials as well as expenses for her and also when I was done I thought other individuals may find it helpful also, so right here goes.
Most people recognize with laminate counter tops. (Formica is one brand name.) They're a thin surface area of high-pressure laminate put on a thicker base of plywood or particleboard. Pluses: The standby, readily available in literally thousands of patterns and also colors, laminates are the least expensive (beside tile) as well as durable, calling for less maintenance than tile. Minuses: Easy to swelter with hot kitchenware, the use of layers in their building and construction makes it tricky to fix chips, reveal scrapes, especially lighter shades, so not usable as a cutting surface area. Much less resilient than all-natural rock or solid surface; usage with under place sinks is not recommended. Expense: $25 to $50 foot
Strong surfacing, (brand Corian, Fountainhead, Avonite and also Surrell) a more recent countertop material, is long lasting and also mimics the appearance of natural rock materials like marble or granite. Pluses: Provides smooth surface areas, very easy to care for. High impact resistance, quickly fixed, impermeable and also smooth, so will not catch dust, collect bacteria or stain; easily. Minuses: May melt from hot pot; looks non-natural in some color design, certified specialist needed for setup as well as repair. Expense: $60 to $110 per foot
All-natural timbers. Utilized in butcher-block style arrangement. Maple, oak as well as other woods, make long lasting and also sophisticated counter tops. Pluses: Good surface for reducing foods; scrapes quickly repaired by sanding; easy suit with timber cupboards and floors. Minuses: Calls for a coating to protect appearance, might swelter with hot pots and pans, allows microbial growth, so needs normal cleaning. Not useful for whole counter top-- great for small areas. Price: $50 to $75 per foot.
Granite. Popular for their classy and rich appearance, natural rock counter tops will last much longer than most cooking areas. Ands also: Contributes to worth of residence, hard sturdy surface, really warm immune. Minuses: really expensive, requires treatment since it is permeable and need to be secured regularly, oil will discolor. Expense: 60 to $200 per foot for granite $60 to $130 per foot for marble (spots easily as well as not advised for food preparation countertop).
Ceramic or Porcelain Tile: This is the kitchen counter product my daughter was replacing. While the counters were in quite negative shape, reconditioning was an option. Tile has a soothing, timeless appearance and is inexpensive. Pluses: Easy to clean up after a mess. Much more warmth resistant than laminates solid surfaces, cost-effective, unless you are thinking about custom or hand-painted ceramic tiles. Minuses: Can chip as well as fracture conveniently; requirements regular maintenance to maintain microorganisms out of grout. Scrubbing cement. Price: $10 to $25 per foot.
So, what countertop material did she select ultimately? For it's reasonable expense and also reparability, Corian got approval for the brand-new kitchen. We located a color that was extremely near a granite look and we likewise liked the ten year warranty.