- Butcher block: It can provide a very warm look to a kitchen and it is easy to clean. However, it is easily damaged by water (or any other liquid) and will stain over time.
- Ceramic tile: In addition to its durability, it's easy to clean and is quite inexpensive. However, it has grout lines which can be difficult to clean and often become stained, And the tiles, which can easily chip, are difficult to repair.
- Concrete: Countertops made from concrete usually look quite industrial and cracking is possible. The price, due to the need for custom installation, is quite high.
- Copper: This can lend warmth to a kitchen. It is handcrafted and is a one of a kind piece. A copper countertop can lend an atmosphere of traditional warmth to a home. And when left unsealed, copper is a germ-free material. But it does have some big negatives. A copper countertop can dent, scratch and discolor. Copper reacts to not only to water, food and oil but to exposure to the air. Overtime, an unsealed copper countertop will take on a mottled, tarnished look. If you don't care about its maintaining its germ-free qualities, the countertop can be sealed using a type of wax; this will need to be reapplied periodically.
- Granite: Slab granite, custom cut to fit the kitchen, is a wonderful choice. The stone is beautiful and adds a richness to the look of the kitchen. It will last a lifetime and is very durable. The biggest con is its cost. There is, however, another option in granite - prefab. Prefab pieces have the same attributes as slab granite but they have been precut in a factory somewhere and the kitchen has to fit the specs of the prefab. These pieces are less than half the cost of slab but with all the attributes of the higher price alternative.
- Laminate: Laminate is sold under brand names such as Formica and Wilsonart. They're made of plastic-coated synthetics with a smooth surface that's easy to clean and durable. But scratches and chips are virtually impossible to repair, seams show and, although the laminate itself is relatively low cost, finishing choices can be expensive.
- Limestone: It is a very versatile stone, available in many sizes and textures. However, it does not come in the wide color palate of many of the other choices and is very sensitive to heat, scratching and staining. For example, if lemon or tomato juice is spilled on it, the surface can be severely damaged. Regular maintenance is needed to this type of countertop. Is your head spinning yet?
- Marble: This is a beautiful stone but it a soft and porous material. It is waterproof and heatproof but it stains and scratches easily.
- Engineered stone: Sold under brands such as Cambria and Silestone, it is made of 93% quartz particles. It comes in a complete palate of colors and has a nonporous, scratch and stain resistant surface. It's easy to maintain. The biggest downside is its high cost.
- Slate: This is a durable option. It has a low absorption rate which means that it doesn't stain. In fact, many types of slate never need any resealing. It is scratch resistant; minor scratches can be removed with steel wool. But slate is not a popular choice in the United States and its cost is quite high.
- Soapstone: This is quite a soft stone and it scratches easily. If you want it to look good, a soapstone countertop must regularly be coated with mineral oil. And it's generally dark gray in color.
- Stainless steel: This type of countertop will give a contemporary or industrial look to a kitchen. It's heat resistant and durable. However, it's very expensive, dents easily and you can't cut on it.
- Solid surface: The most popular brands are Avonite (made in Canada), Corian (made in the U.S.) and LG Hi Mac (made in Korea). This type of countertop is offered in thousands of colors. Because it's solid, small scratches can be sanded out. A countertop made of this material is seamless and stain resistant. It can be damaged by hot pans and stains. And the cost of installation is comparable to granite.
Over a period of weeks, I became a psedo expert and finally came up with a solution that was recently approved by the MVCC members.What is that solution you may ask. It's prefab granite. It turns out that many of the "prefab" places own granite factories in China. And since we'll have 19 kitchens - a fairly large order for any vendor - they'll prefabricate the countertops to our specifications and then ship them over here. So we can basically get slab granite detail for a prefab price.
Now that kitchen countertops have been decided, it's back to my shopping list for investigation into the next item.
