When remodeling your kitchen idea comes to real and it’s time to start taking actions, one of the things you will think about is your kitchen countertop; ‘What type of material it should be?’, ‘What color is the best for my place?’, ‘How durable they are?’ and ‘Which one fits my budget?’. Here are our 3 tips for you to know before making a countertop selection;
1-) Household Type
There is a various number of different type of natural stones and man-made materials out there being used as countertop materials. But let’s stick with the ones that are most popular and preferred by most of the people; granite, man-made quartz, marble, and quartzite. Every material has its own specs and reactions against daily threats such as; heat, hit, scratching, getting wet.
Do not consider light color natural stones if you have small children in the house or your household is known for being clumsy. Because they definitely spill things around and any natural stone will absorb the liquids if they are not cleaned within half an hour and it may or may not be possible to get rid of the stain right away. If a natural stone absorbs a liquid into a deeper layer, it will averagely take 6 months for it to drain to the bottom levels of the stone and disappear. Instead having man-made quartz which doesn’t absorb the regular liquids other than chemicals can be the option.
Every countertop material has its own specs and reactions against daily threats such as; heat, hit, scratching, or getting wet.
2-) Kitchen Countertop Cleaning Frequency
Every material requires a different level of maintenance to keep it clean and look new. A regular granite should be sealed once a year where marble/quartzite should be sealed every 6 months. Man-made quartz doesn’t require to be sealed at all but must be cleaned with warm water and a soft cloth. It is a must to do to keep it shiny as it was in the first day. If you are a tidy person who cleans the kitchen regularly then don’t worry about having a granite or marble or quartzite and enjoy the natural look of the stone variations.
3-) Purpose of Having a New Kitchen Countertop
You might be thinking of rent-out or sell and want to update the look to add some value. Then granite is a way to go; it is averagely much cheaper than man-made quartz, marble, or quartzite. They have a very wide price range that starts from $30 a sq.ft to $200. Of course, that is not a smart decision to place an expensive countertop if someone else is going to use it unless you are definitely sure that having a super expensive countertop will increase the value of the house which is not an applicable story for most cases.
If you will be the one enjoying the brand new countertop and do not have any issue with your budget; ignore the price and look for the best available texture that blends in with the remaining parts of your kitchen. Don’t forget that wider textures on the countertop always look more expensive than solid colors or small & consistent textures.