Tips on selecting the best countertop for your project · countertops is an arduous process that entails applying a poultice, and is best handled by a professional. Maintenance and

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5-10 percent. Costs aside, everyone hasdifferent needs and desires when itcomes to countertop performance.Therefore, before investigating specificcountertop materials, consider thefollowing factors in choosing the rightcountertop for you and your project.

Stain Resistance: How effective is thecountertop material at resisting stains?Think of a water-resistant watch versus awaterproof watch. Most countertopmaterials will resist stains, provided youwipe them up in a timely manner, butthis will depend greatly on the porosity ofthe material and the type of sealant, ifany, applied to the material. Ask yourself:Are you a neat and tidy person who

cleans as you go or are you morespontaneous and don’t mind a mess? Ifyou fall into the latter category, you willwant to choose the most stain-resistantmaterial available.

Scratch Resistance: How effective isthe countertop material at resistingscratches? This will depend on how “soft”the material is and how easily it can berepaired. Do you allow people to sit onyour counters in jeans with rivets on thepockets? Do you typically placehandbags with metal “feet” on yourcountertops? Are you in the habit ofplacing rubber bumpers or felt tabs onsmall appliances and own objects d’eartthat you place on your counters? Do you

TEXT BY MOLLY ER IN MCCABE , AKBD , CGP

Countertops are the workhorse of boththe kitchen and the bathroom. Theyperform a myriad of tasks including foodpreparation, writing surface for billpaying and homework, buffet servingspace, supporting small appliances,facilitating daily hygiene routines andmore. They are subjected to a widevariety of abuses including hot pots,acidic foods, alcohol-based personalcare products, metal rivets on smallappliances, ladies purses, etc. Countertops typically comprise 5-15

percent of an average full kitchenremodel budget while bathroomcountertops (not including tub or showersurrounds) will comprise approximately

Tips on selecting the best countertop for your project

PHOTO COURTESY A KITCHEN THAT WORKS/CREATIVE COUNTERTOPS


enjoy home-maintenance repairprojects? If you answered yes to the firsttwo questions and no to the second two,then look for countertop materials thatare hard and durable.

Heat Resistance: Can you put hotpots off the stove or hot curling ironsdirectly on the countertop? With theexception of glazed ceramic or porcelaintile and metal, the simple answer is no. Atrivet, hot pad or towel should be placedunder hot items before they are set downon most counters. As a point ofclarification, typically it is not thecountertop material that is damaged bythe heat but rather the sealants such asthose applied to quarried stone counters(granite, marble, limestone, etc.) orconcrete counters. Once the seal iscompromised, the countertop maybecome susceptible to staining.Removing stains from quarried stonecountertops is an arduous process thatentails applying a poultice, and is besthandled by a professional.

Maintenance and Repair: Be honestwith yourself, make sure you choose acountertop that possesses maintenanceand repair requirements that fit yourlifestyle and your skill set. This willensure that your countertop investmentlooks beautiful for years to come.

Countertop TypesIt is important to select a countertop

material/color that will render a timelesslook (think back to the orange andapple-green martini countertops thatwere wildly popular five years ago anddiscontinued shortly thereafter) as well asone that you will happily face day in andday out for years to come with pleasure.Also consider whether the material is agood match for the architectural style ofthe home and room. When one thinks of contemporary

styled kitchens and baths, engineeredstone, solid surface, concrete or metalcountertops spring to mind. Traditionallystyled kitchens and baths tend to bringthoughts of quarried stone or butcherblock. Country styled kitchens and bathslend themselves to tile. The design policewill not haul you away for installing aquarried stone countertop in your

contemporary kitchen; however,architectural style is just one morecriteria to factor into your decisionprocess.Now that we have the basics of the

selection criteria down, it is time toconsider the various countertop materialoptions. Price ranges quoted areindicative of installed costs (without backsplashes or cutouts) in the PacificNorthwest.

Laminate: Laminate is comprised ofmultiple layers of paper plus acolor/pattern sheet with a clearmelamine overlay. The layers are bondedtogether with phenolic resin andcompressed under great pressure, whichis where the material gets its secondaryname, high-pressure laminate. Laminatesheets are adhered to a base or substratesuch as plywood. Generically referred toas Formica, bur Formica is just one ofmany brands of laminate.

Wood: Wood countertops, oftenreferred to as butcher block, can bemade of a variety of wood species, withmaple being the most common. Butcherblock comes in two styles — standardand end-cut. Unfinished wood countersare common for food preparation while

finished wood counters are more forshow.

Ceramic Tile: Tile countertops arehighly durable and can be designed witha wide variety of colors, shapes and styles.They are highly durable if the grout is“color seal,” which significantly reducesstaining and maintenance requirements.

Composite Paper: Paper compositesare comprised of paper (often recycled),bamboo fiber, recycled wood fiber,salvaged wood fiber and renewable,wood-sourced cellulose fiber frommanaged forests that is then compressedand typically held together with apetroleum-free phenolic binder. They arevery smooth to the touch and have aleathery look.

Wood

Paper composite

Laminate

Ceramic tile

Solid surface


Solid Surface: Generically referred toas Corian, a solid-surface countertop ispetroleum-based acrylic or acrylic-and-polyester resin composite. It can bemanufactured in multiple thicknessessuch as ¼-inch panels for showersurrounds and ½-inch slabs for kitchenand bathroom countertops. It is verymalleable, can be molded into a varietyof shapes and can be inlayed withcontrasting color bands or shapes.

3-Centimeter Engineered Stone:Also referred to as quartz, engineeredstone is comprised of 93 percentcrushed quartz rock and 7 percentpolyester resin that are pressed into 2-centimeter (3/4-inch) and 3-centimeter(1 ¼-inch) slabs using avibrocompression vacuum process. Thismaterial is highly durable and has verylow-maintenance requirements.

3-Centimeter Polished Granite: Notwo slabs are identical, which makespolished granite counters unique.Although sequencing is common in

PHOTO COURTESY SHAIN HAMILTON


quarried slabs, you may not have accessto the quantity of sequenced slabs thatyou need for your project, which meanscolor and veining can exhibit vastdifferences. Provided your installationfabricator has applied a high-qualitypenetrating sealer, polished graniteshould be a low-maintenance surface.

Metal: Metal countertops made ofcopper, stainless steel or zinc, are theepitome of low maintenance. Sheets aremolded and typically secured to aplywood subtop. Metals are relatively softso they scratch very easily but repairscan be buffed out with the right tools.They are extremely hygienic due to theirnonporous nature; they will not growbacteria and are extremely easy to clean.

Glass: Countertops can be made ofcustom solid slabs of clear or coloredglass. Beautiful and unique, they arenonporous and can provide severalunique design features such as backlighting, creating a beautiful glow. Onecharacteristic that many people aresurprised by is that they can beunexpectedly noisy and contribute tosound reverberation in a room.

Glass Terrazzo: Terrazzo countertopsare typically made from recycled glassmixed with either a cement or resinbinder. Other materials commonly addedto the mix include shells, pottery,discarded china bowls and toilets,stemware, windshields and other glassmaterials. Beautiful and relativelyunique, these countertops are oftenspecified in projects that are LEEDcertified.

Concrete: Concrete countertopfabrication is either cast in place(fabrication is done directly on thecabinetry on the job site) or customprecast where fabrication is completedin a fabrication shop then installed onthe job site. Concrete countertops arehighly customizable, making each oneunique. Colors are muted but somewhatlimitless while edge options arecustomizable. Integrated sinks, drainboards and backsplashes are some ofthe hallmarks of concrete countertops.

Little Extras• Certain edge options are offered as an

upcharge due the fabrication laborrequired. Ask your fabricator for a listof standard edge options and thosethat come with an upcharge.

• Expect to pay for the section ofcountertop that has been cut out foryour cooktop, sink, etc. If you havespecified an undermount sink, therewill be an upcharge for the laborrequired to polish the exposed edge. Ifyou have a radius (curved edge) onyour countertop, there will be anupcharge for the added fabricationlabor.

• Understand that different materialshave different tolerances forunsupported bar top overhangs. Forexample, a 2-centimeter quarried

stone countertop can only cantilever 6inches unsupported while 3-centimetercountertops can cantilever 10 inchesunsupported. A 3-centimeterengineered stone can overhang 12-15inches, assuming there are no cutoutsnearby. As a point of reference, to sitcomfortably on a 24-inch stool at a 36-inch bar top, you should have 15-18inches of knee space or overhang.

• Ask your designer or fabricator wherethe seams are likely to be placed if youhave an L- or U-shaped configuration.Additionally, if you have an intricatelyveined granite, consider how you wantthe countertop laid out, bearing inmind that your fabricator will offer youthe best material utilization possible

3-cm polished granite

Glass

Concrete

3-cm engineered stone

Metal

Terrazzo


CeramicTile Laminate Wood Solid

SurfacePaper

Composite

3CMEngineeredStone

3CMPolishedGranite

MetalCustomPre-CastConcrete

Terrazzo Glass

Unique Appearance 2 1 2 3 2 3 4 2 4 4 4

Color/Pattern Options 4 4 2 4 1 4 4 1 4 3 2

Visibility of Seams N/A 3 1 1 2 2 3 2 2 1 1

Edge Options 1 2 4 4 3 3 3 1 4 1 2

Max. Overhang* N/R 9” 12” 12”-15” 12” 12”-15” 10” 6” 12” Varies 12”-15”

Heat Resistance** 4 1 2 3 2 3 3 4 1 3 3

Scratch Resistance 3 1 2 3 2 4 3 2 1 3 4

Stain Resistance 4 2 2 4 3 4 3 4 3 3 4

Ease of Cleaning 1 2 3 4 2 4 3 4 3 3 4

Repairability 1 2 4 4 3 3 3 4 2 2 2

Sealant Required Yes No Oiling No Yes No Yes No Yes No No

Undermount Sinks No No N/R Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes

Integral Sinks No No No Yes No No No Yes Yes No No

SBC Points*** Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No

Warranty Available No Yes Varies Yes Yes Yes No No Varies Yes Varies

Price Installed**** $15–$50per sq. ft.

$35–$45per sq. ft.

$50–$150per sq. ft.

$50–$85per sq. ft.

$80–$110per sq. ft.

$75–$95per sq. ft.

$65–$450per sq. ft.

$100+per sq. ft.

$80–$125per sq. ft.

$95–$150per sq. ft.

$150–$350per sq. ft.

COUNTERTOP MATERIALS TABLE High = 3Exceptional = 4

Key: Low = 1Moderate = 2

N/A = Not applicable N/R = Not recommended

*Maximum unsupported overhang predicted on multiple variables, check with your fabricator.** With the exception of ceramic tile and stainless steel, for a variety of reasons, hot items should be set on a trivet rather than straight onto the counter.

***For eligibility for Sustainable Building Certification Points, look for individual product certifications on manufacturers website.****May not include the backsplash, cutouts or intricate edge details.

PHOTO COURTESY JANET WEBER/CREATIVE COUNTERTOPS


and that if your desire is to exhibit aspecific section of the slab, you mayneed to purchase an additional slab.

• Determine whether you want abacksplash of the same material asyour countertops. If so, how highwould you like it — 4 inches, 6 ormore? If made from the samematerial, do you want it the fullthickness of the slab or does thefabricator offer a gauged-downversion?

• Determine whether your countertopbid includes removal and disposal ofyour existing countertop. Somefabricators provide this service andsome don’t.

• Quality stone countertop fabricatorswill install ¼-inch steel rods under thefront edge of a sink or cooktop.

• Ask the fabricator or installer ifcaulking the backsplash is includedin the installation price.

• Be prepared to sign a waiver if youwant a honed finish.

• Remember that all cabinets must bein place and level and that allplumbing fixtures and appliancesmust be on site at the time oftemplating your countertops.

• Request a list of care andmaintenance requirements for yournew countertops.

• Remember to register your countertop

with the applicable manufacturer inorder to validate your warranty.There are many, many variables to

consider when selecting countertops. Tostreamline the selection process andensure you get a quality countertop,consider working with an experienceddesigner and a licensed and bondedcountertop fabricator/installer.

PHOTOS COURTESY CREATIVE COUNTERTOPS

Tips on selecting the best countertop for your project · countertops is an arduous process that entails applying a poultice, and is best handled by a professional. Maintenance and

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