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Five Most Popular Countertop Materials
When choosing a material for your countertop in your kitchen, bathroom or laundry spaces, consider several things before slamming your dollars. Let's dive into the five most popular countertop options and which one we recommend.
QUARTZ – OUR RECCOMMENDATION
Quartz is an engineered stone surface. It combines 85-95% natural stones such as granite, marble, with the remainder of the stone made from polymer glues and pigments to give them their look or design.
Quartz brings the best of being made predominatly of luzurious stone, without the challenges that come with granite and marble. Quartz countertops are our recommendation for countertop options as they balance cost, durability, and design options together to create the best countertop surface.
The range of design options is almost endless with quartz, and many different styles are designed to replicate natural stones like granite and marble.
The installation process is more challenging than wood and laminate countertops but less challenging than natural stone countertops.
The most significant advantage of quartz countertops is that they are non-porous and do not require any sealing or ongoing maintenance. Overall, quartz countertops are much more durable than natural stones with less staining with food, far more heat resistant, and do not scratch with sharp objects.
Cost-wise, quartz is cheaper compared with other natural stones, but depending on how you want the stone finished or cut and your choice of design, the price can increase.
We use a wide range of quartz countertops in our design and builds from Cambria, Silestone and Dekton being the most common brands.
DESIGN CHOICES - Many
INSTALL - Expert
MAINTENANCE - No ongoing maintenance
COST - $$$
CONSIDERATIONS
- Although challenging to damage, it is not entirely heat-resistant
GRANITE
Granite is a durable natural stone countertop. Granite is a material that is extracted from the earth and then cut into slabs, where it is then polished in preparation for being sized for use. Granite countertops are luxurious and give a very high-end feel due to their unique and individual appearance, which cannot be replicated.
There is a wide range of design options with granite countertops. As these are natural stones, they are all unique and cannot be replicated precisely.
Installing granite countertops is challenging, and you want to use the experts here. These natural stones require more precise cutting before and during installation, and seams can sometimes be more visible once installed.
Unfortunately, granite is a porous stone. As such, ongoing sealing is required to protect it. If not, it can be easily stained, especially with lighter-coloured granite. Granite can fade if left in more direct sunlight over time.
Granite is definitely at the higher end of the cost due to its being a natural stone.
The good thing about granite is that it is scratch and heat-resistant stone.
DESIGN CHOICES – Some
INSTALL – Expert and challenging
MAINTENANCE – Needs ongoing maintenance
COST – $$$
CONSIDERATIONS
- Needs ongoing maintenance
- Expensive
Marble is also another natural stone countertop material. Compared to granite, marble forms these beautiful natural veins that make each slab unique. Marble exudes an elegant and sophisticated look.
A good range of marble choices is available, and each piece will be unique and cannot be replicated exactly.
Like granite, the installation process is challenging as granite is often very heavy. It also requires accurate measuring and cutting before installation.
Being a natural porous stone, marble requires proper sealing. Otherwise it will stain and absorb liquids and over time it will wear with use and show scratches easily. The one big advantage of marble is that it is very heat resistant.
Cost-wise, marble is at the higher end of countertop surfaces, with the rarer marble surfaces being the most expensive.
DESIGN CHOICES - Some
INSTALL – Expert and challenging
MAINTENANCE – Needs ongoing maintenance
COST – $$$$
CONSIDERATIONS
- Needs ongoing maintenance to prevent staining and absorbing liquids
- Does wear and scratch over time
- Most expensive
LAMINATE
Laminate countertops are the cheapest of the five countertop options here. These are made from several layers of wood, paper and resin. Laminate countertops are very affordable and easier to install than all the other options. They are versatile and can be used in various places throughout the house.
There are many different design options and finishes with laminate countertops. Laminate countertops are very easy to clean and relatively easy to maintain. You can often find a laminate countertop from big box home retailers.
The big downside to laminate countertops is that they are not scratch or heat-resistant. Damage will appear if you put a hot pot or pan on its surface. And don't even think about chopping knives on them.
DESIGN CHOICES – Very wide
INSTALL – Easy
MAINTENANCE – Little to none
COST – $
CONSIDERATIONS
- Not heat or scratch-proof
- Vulnerable to water
- Not suitable for under-mount sinks
WOOD
Wood is the perfect choice if you are looking for a more natural countertop option. Wood countertops look beautiful with their more natural look and bring a rustic and warm element to a home.
The design options for wood are limited to the variety and types of wood available. You can, however, choose a more natural finish, such as a single slab or with a natural edge finish or go with a more engineered design.
Wood countertops are usually more straightforward to install. However, some work is required before and during installation.
Wood countertops require ongoing maintenance with sealing and regular oiling as wood is porous and allows water to enter. You can always sand the wood back and reseal it if necessary.
Cost-wise, wood countertops are on the cheaper end of the various countertop options. However, there is some variability depending on the type of wood you choose.
Like laminate, wood countertops require regular maintaince, as it is susceptible to water due to its porus nature and can be damaged by heat and easily scratched by knives.
DESIGN CHOICES – More limited
INSTALL – Easy
MAINTENANCE – Needs care and maintinace
COST – $$
CONSIDERATIONS
- Not heat or scratch-proof
- Vulnerable to water
OTHER MATERIAL
We have not included every possible countertop surface type here. We have not gone into detail on these ones as we don't recommend them as much, and they are less common.
PORCELAIN
If you need a countertop surface that is the most durable, heat-resistant, stain and scratch-resistant. Then, porcelain is the best choice here for durability. But it comes at a high cost.
ACRYLIC
Acryrlic countertops are made from resins, minerals and colourings. This material can be moulded into whatever design shapes you would love. It's non-porous, so it doesn't require sealing. But it can still scratch and burn easily and can discolour over time.
COUNTER THAT!
There we go, the five most popular countertop materials and our overall recommendation, quartz! If you are after a new kitchen countertop surface,
let us know, as we can help you make the best decision to get a countertop that lasts.
