What Type of Kitchen Countertop Should You Choose?
How are you supposed to remodel your kitchen without knowing the kitchen countertops? With nearly all of my Naperville kitchen renovations the clients hit a bottleneck in the process when it comes time to select the kitchen countertops. So to help today I put together a list of kitchen countertop choices.
Granite Countertops
Granite countertops, once a mainstay of homes for only the rich and famous, are common in many homes today. Granite kitchen countertops are a natural stone that is forms under the ground from volcanic pressurization. You can view a great article on the process of how granite is formed today and how the production technology dramatically dropped the price by following this link via Marble.com.
When dealing with clients the ones that love granite are looking for a very customized piece, something that no one else will have. With the natural stone selection the odds of having the exact slab are slim to none. Where clients will get frustrated when choosing granite for their kitchen countertops is blending the natural veins together for their kitchen. Most countertop fabricators will be able to match up the lines the way you want them, but the odds are you will need to be willing to make some sacrificing, especially if you want fancy edging done to your countertops.
Quartzite and Quartz Countertops
They are one in the same right? WRONG Quartzite kitchen countertops are also a natural stone. This is a sandstone that also forms over time from the heat pressure in the ground. Quartz on the other hand is a man made stone. The funny thing about quartz is that manufacturers are getting better about making their man made product look more natural. Recently the quartz and quartzite countertops have taken over in popularity. The natural thought is that they are more expensive, but it is not always the case. Quartzite, like granite will have inconsistencies in the veining and overall appearance from stone to stone. Quartz is known for being more uniform with veining and designs, which allows you to make easier choices when selecting a stone that you like. MSI, one of the leading stone suppliers has a great article on the difference between the two here.
What you will find with stone selections, granite, quartzite and quartz is the selection process can be frustrating. There are only a few places to pick out the physical slabs of stone, yet there are hundreds of fabricators out there. I recommend finding a knowledgeable representative that can walk you through the process and help make your selection enjoyable.
Epoxy Countertops
One other style of countertops that I am seeing a lot of attention for lately is epoxy kitchen countertops. Much like finished basements and garage flooring epoxy countertops are becoming a very popular and economical choice. There are not as many professionals available who offer this service, but it is something that looks fantastic when completed. Also, this is something for you DIYers out there that you can try on your own. I recommend looking at Countertop Epoxy and their methods so you can learn the steps and tips they offer. They provide incredible knowledge for FREE on how to use epoxy for your project.
As always, if you are looking for more information and ways that you can custom renovate or custom build you own home please feel free to reach out to us and we would love to partner with you. Ryan@SGHomeBuilders.com