 Countertops
The surface that tops your cabinets
and provides a useful and beautiful surface is extremely varied
in material and price.
Your consultant will help you find one that fits you needs
and budget..
Types
of Countertops*
*Your builder offers a wide variety of surface materials,
but may not offer all the materials mentioned here. Talk to
your design consultant to see what type of countertop surfaces
your builder offers.
Granite – in today’s
market place demand for this type of countertop is extremely
high and a staple in many homes. It is generally a higher
priced option that can range between $3,ooo and $10,000 dollars
depending on many different variables. Granite ranges in color
and style as much as it ranges in price. Granite is a beautiful
accent to any kitchen or bathroom. It is also important to
keep in mind shade variation, porosity, and maintenance when
considering this product.
Natural
Marble – a natural marble countertop in a bathroom
is the epitome of elegance for a bathroom countertop. The
veining in marble gives it such wonderful rich character.
Marble is a soft and porous stone that need special care and
maintenance similar to granite. Talk to your design consultant
to determine if natural marble will work in your lifestyle
and budget..
Cultured
Marble – Cultured Marble is generally a standard
countertop selection in bathrooms. These countertops are non-porous
and have an integrated sink making for easy clean up. While
low maintenance and durable these countertops are still susceptible
to staining from things like hot curling irons and cosmetics
like in granite and natural marble.
Laminate
– Laminate countertops are the one of the most
durable and least expensive countertop options. Laminate is
a hard plastic sheet laminated or glued to a wood base. Laminate
countertops are non-porous, easy to clean and virtually maintenance
free. They do need to be protected from heat with hot pads
and scratching with cutting boards. Advances in technology
have expanded the color and texture options of laminate making
it a very affordable and versatile surface option.
Quartz
– Quartz countertops have the beauty of natural
granite with the reliability and ease of maintenance of solid
surface products like Corian. Quartz, a very hard stone (only
diamonds, topaz, and sapphires are harder) is more resistant
to scratches than granite and marble countertops. It is also
non-porous, therefore it does not need sealing or other continual
maintenance to prevent staining or bacterial colonization
that cannot be reached with a general cleaning on an unsealed
granite.
Solid
Surfaces – Solid Surface countertops such as
Corian and Gibralter are man-made counter tops that are non-porous
and easy to maintain. While they are not scratch resistant
their color patterns go through the entire product and can
be buffed from time to time as needed. While a reflective
sheen like in granite or quartz is not an option there are
a wide variety of pattern choices that also have a matching
or coordinating sinks available for an integrated look.
Shade variation – Slate and marble and granite,
because they are natural product mined out of the earth, will
have the greatest ranges of shade variation. Natural products
give a warm and unique accent to a home, as no piece is exactly
the same. It is amazing what materials Mother Nature can create.
It is important to remember when selecting a natural product,
though, that it will not look exactly like the sample representation
in the design center. Your design consultant will talk to you
about shade variation and offer you man made alternatives if
natural products are not for you. Maintenance
– Slate, marble, and granite products need more
maintenance than their ceramic, porcelain, quartz, or other
man made counterparts. They are generally softer products
that are easier to scratch. They are also porous and can stain.
Therefore, these products generally need to be sealed with
a stone sealant on a regular basis to minimize scratching
and staining.
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