Shopping For Kitchen Countertops

Browsing different types of countertops for your kitchen can be a stressful and often baffling task, but it can be made a little easier with some fundamental knowledge about the industry. Below are some of the most important things to consider when shopping for your next kitchen countertops.

Know the Price

You want to have a firm grasp of how much counter you are going to need. The price of a countertop is calculated using the number of square feet you require, so this will be crucial to remember when doing the math for each of your prospective choices. Remember that $60 per square foot for 50 square feet can all too quickly become $3000, and something like marble will cost much more than $60 a square foot.

Understand the Samples

While samples are fantastic guidelines for judging between countertops, you need to know how reliable they are. For example, solid surface and laminate samples will be indistinguishable from the final product you get in your home whereas granite, marble, and quartz are likely to differ more drastically from the store samples. In this case, choosing a natural or engineered stone in person is often your best bet.

The Ideal Edge

You can often decide which edge type you would like for your counter. A bullnose edge is a popular choice because of its rounded shape. This makes it a safe, comfortable, and excellent looking choice. On the other hand, you may want a bevel, ogee, or waterfall profile instead. All of them look great, so choosing the best edge profile is really a matter of personal preference. Some are safer, some are easier to clean, and some simply prioritize a certain aesthetic.

Colour or No Colour?

Sometimes it can be less expensive to opt for a neutral colour over something more exotic. While this decision should be made based on the rest of your kitchen and house, it is hard to not appreciate the cleanliness of a crisp, white counter in the kitchen. Neutral colours are also good choices for a more modern looking household that is all about those stainless steel appliances and glossy surfaces.

Different Materials

To truly understand all of your options you will have to do much more reading! To summarize, granite, quartz, and marble are all popular choices for kitchen countertops, though they can be somewhat expensive. Granite is the most resilient and heat resistant option, quartz comes in a stunning variety of looks and is the least prone to stains, and marble is the most expensive countertop and is often regarded as the most elegant. Cheaper alternatives include laminate, tile, and solid surface countertops. Soapstone, butcher block, recycled glass, and stainless steel are also possibilities.

Something More Affordable?

Laminate is easily the most cost-effective kitchen countertops solution. Its price combined with its vast array of available colours, patterns, and textures make it an attractive choice. Just remember that it is also less durable than the more expensive options and that it can occasionally fade over the years.