DIY Saturday #56 – How to Choose the Right Kitchen Countertop Material (Video)

Guest Blog #105, Entry #567, June 25, 2011

Happy DIY Saturday! Today we take a look at choosing countertops for your kitchen. Depending on what type of lifestyle you have, budget, and aesthetic you are trying to achieve will help you decide on the perfect countertop for your kitchen.

See what countertop materials are right for your budget

Today, I show you a You Tube video featuring use of a concrete countertop, and how the design style can be custom as well as cost effective. My Guest Blogger today, will show you how the benefits of different countertop materials, in helping you choose the right material for your application.

You Tube video: Kitchen Countertop Ideas

Guest Blog – The Top 6 Materials for Kitchen Countertops

Every home has countertops used in the kitchen and bath among other various spaces in the home. These spaces are often used more than once a day. Countertops in particular, are surfaces that endure rough activity on a consistent basis, whether it is in the kitchen serving as a food preparation area or in the bathroom where the surfaces if filled with cosmetics and hot irons resting on its plane.

Countertops are surfaces that are manufactured from several different kinds of building materials. Materials utilized depend on several factors such as the budget, if partaking in a home remodeling project, to durability and location.

Some countertops that are seen throughout many homes are in the form of marble, granite, quartz, onyx, quartzite, limestone, slate and tiles.

Choose a countertop material to fit your lifestyle

Marble and Granite:

Marble and granite countertops are cosmetically pleasing to the eye, displaying high sophistication and chic style with great durability aspects for use. Marble is one of the most intriguing countertop to be installed in many newly design or remodeled kitchens. It sports a classic, elegant and chic design. Not only is this marble great for kitchen use, but also featured around fireplaces and furniture tops. Homeowners can polish the surface or leave it honed.

Granite is comprised of the hardest natural stone materials used for countertops. Due to the vast durability, it can withstand staining, scratching and any heat, ensuring not melt the top surfaces. It’s also a countertop that offers the largest selection of colors, but ideal for kitchen countertop spaces.

Quartz:

Many modern interiors request a quartz countertop because of its non-porous nature. It’s a prime material that is scratch resistance and offers a very contemporary feel, given the design, layout and colors offered.

Onyx:

Onyx is a great choice coming in a variety of dazzling colors and patterns. It’s actually a material that enables homeowners to backlight the surface due to the translucent elements found in onyx. This is a more contemporary product also used in bathrooms as a countertop and tub as well as furniture and fireplaces.

Quartzite:

Another popular countertop surface is quartzite. This is a non-porous surface also used in many contemporary kitchens with white or black cabinets. Because of the scratch resistant nature of the top, it’s great for any food preparation or cutting that is done.

Materials should all be durable for your family

Limestone:

Limestone has a very warm color scheme with an inviting appeal and typically paired with dark wood cabinetry. This material is most ideal for low traffic areas because it can contain fossils in the surface.

Tile:

Tiles are an exceptional choice due to the basic nature in the material. It’s a perfect complement to stone countertops due its trusted durable elements. The tiles have a very rich yet organic look and feel that replicates mid-century designs.

Slate:

Slate is another surface that provides gray colors in an organic nature like rocks in a river. This is chemically inert and available for many kitchen and bathroom surfaces.

For more information about countertops pertaining to marble and granite surfaces, please visit the blog of Wholesale Granite, a retail location providing granite countertops in Villanova, PA.

For more kitchen & bath ideas on Stagetecture, click here.