So you are sick and tired of looking at your old countertop with stains that won’t go away and warped edges that are an eyesore. Switching out the countertop is an easy way to make an instant impact on the overall look of your kitchen. But before you start demolition, here are three things you need to consider:
Traffic
If your kitchen gets a lot of use and abuse because you often cook up a storm, you’ll want to look into heavy-duty materials that are non-porous and won’t stain, including stainless steel, granite, or engineered stone (a.k.a. quartz stone). Unless your countertop is mainly used to hold the take-out food, skip easy-to bruise materials like marble, concrete, and Corian. They will look pretty and cost less, but won’t give you what you ultimately need.
Maintenance
Over time, no matter what material you choose, your countertops are going to show a bit of wear-and-tear. The question is: How much time are you willing to put into making them look great? A material like soapstone needs to be regularly polished with oil. Stainless steel — while durable — is prone to fingerprints and may need to be wiped down repeatedly. Concrete and marble should be sealed a few times a year. Choose a surface with a maintenance schedule that you can keep.
Budget
Countertop materials come in a range of prices. Marble, granite, engineered stone, and stainless steel are much more expensive per square foot (over $100) than laminate or paper composite (under $100). If you’re dying for a high-end material, but don’t have the funds consider mixing-and-matching. Do the island or the area around the sink in marble and cover the rest of the kitchen in a more affordable material.
If you plan on selling your home in the near future, pick a material that’s neutral, complements your decor, and isn’t too trendy. Add your fun colors into accents that are easy to switch out when tastes or owners change. When you change the countertop and find that you need new appliances to complete the makeover, come on into Friedman’s Appliances and let us help you complete your new kitchen. We are all here to help!
