What are you looking to get out of your countertop?
What you want to get out of your new kitchen or bathroom cabinet countertop determines which material is best for it. We’ll look at the pros and cons for the options in both rooms to help you narrow down your choices.
Bathroom and kitchen countertop material options
Replacement for the Kitchen
Marble countertops
Pros:
- First in any class for style, wow factor and sophistication
- Good variety of colors and patterns
- Smooth surface for preparing food, favorite amongst bakers
- Surface is heat resistant and will not melt or warp when hot pans are placed on it
- Chip and dent resistant
Cons:
- One of the more expensive types of stone
- You must be vigilant with stains as it is more porous than other stone varieties
- Can be etched or scratched by acids when not sealed properly
Granite countertops
Pros:
- Incredibly dense, making it durable
- Difficult to break, chip and scratch
- Low maintenance
- Very wide variety of colors
- Heat resistant, can handle your hottest pans and pots
- Water resistant when sealed
Cons:
- Slightly less affordable in the short term than synthetics
- Minor maintenance required in the form of sealing anywhere from once a year to once a decade
- Usually requires a team to install as it is quite heavy
Quartz countertops
Pros:
- Fourth hardest material on Earth, making it the most long lasting kitchen countertop material
- Non porous, resists water and stains better than nearly any other material
- Heat resistant against the hottest pans
- Wide variety of colors
- Little to no maintenance required
Cons:
- Quite heavy and requires a team to install it
- More expensive over the short term than other materials
Stainless Steel kitchen countertops
Pros:
- As stain proof as the name implies
- Easy to clean and maintain
- Reflects light to brighten up a room
Cons:
- Easily scratches, leads to frequent replacement
- Shows fingerprints readily
- Very noisy when you set objects on it
- Can retain heat from pans and pots, making it slightly dangerous when you’re not careful
Ceramic tile kitchen countertops
Pros:
- Easy to install yourself
- Durable
- Resistant to heat
- Water resistant
Cons:
- Uneven surface can lead narrow bottomed items falling over
- Tiles are easily scratched and chipped
- Grout is easy to stain
Still confused about what to choose for your bathroom or kitchen countertop?
Many people in Nashville have come to us at Stone World to sort out which material is the right replacement for the kitchen or bathroom. Call up our design team and ask them any of your questions. You can also take a look around our kitchen gallery, or bathroom gallery, to find some inspiration.