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Countertops
Finding the perfect countertop for the most active room in your home can be a challenge.
The countertop that you choose must be durable, stain-resistant, easy to clean, attractive and fit your budget.
This page will explain the types of countertops, including edging and examples of available textures,
to help you choose the best surface for your kitchen.
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| Selecting a Countertop for your Kitchen
Perhaps the hardest working tool in the kitchen is one most would never even think of as a tool; the kitchen countertop.
Here you place all the ingredients, all the other tools; everything you need to work with to cook and clean and prep in your kitchen.
Countertops need to be durable, easy to clean, aesthetically pleasing to the homeowner.
Determine how hard you will be on your countertops. Other factors that come into play is how much time you are willing to spend on cleaning
and maintaining them, the look that you are going for with your kitchen, and your budget.
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| Countertop Materials
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1. Synthetic Stone: Solid Surface
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Solid surfaces are man-made materials, such as Corian which is carried
by Kitchen World. They are just what they sound like, countertops made from a solid material. Scratches and chips can often be sanded out.
See Formica & DuPont Corian for more information on our Product Page.
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2. Soapstone
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Soapstone is a dark gray or green metamorphic rock composed of 40-50% talc and 40-50% magnetite that has a soapy texture.
Soapstone, also called steatite, has been used in America since the early 19th century to make everything from sinks and washtubs to countertops.
Soapstone is inert, so alkalis and acids won't etch the material, as they will other types of stone surfaces.
Soapstone is also non-porous and very dense. Soapstone is popular for its' ability to withstand intense heat and thermal shock,
making it an ideal choice for fireplaces and cookware. This somewhat soft, but very strong material is resistant to splitting, stains,
and water and it doesn't absorb germs or chemicals, making it a good choice for kitchen countertops.
If properly maintained, this unique material can last several lifetimes.
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3. Quartz & Engineered Stone
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For those who love the look of granite but are concerned about its drawbacks, quartz may be the answer.
Unlike granite, which can be permanently stained by cooking oils and grease, or which can be etched by the acids in such common household products as
hairspray and other toiletries, engineered stone is impervious to these hazards. And while granite is subject to unpredictable variations in color
or pattern between slabs, making matching of sections of a countertop difficult, engineered stone is uniform in color, pattern, and texture.
It provides nearly all of the benefits of natural stone but with few of the drawbacks.
Engineered stone is the most durable surface material, combining the hardness and durability of quartz with the exceptional low maintenance
qualities of man-made materials (resin).
Quartz (Silica/Silicon Dioxide, SiO2) is the most common mineral on the earth's surface. It is present in nearly every geological
environment and is a component of almost every rock type and exists in an impressive range of varieties and colours.
Quartz ranks 7.0 on Moh's Hardness Scale, which is used to measure the scratch-resistance of a material.
Only the diamond (at 10), topaz and sapphire (at 9) are harder than quartz. (Granite is ranked 6 on the scale).
Cultured stone does not contain quartz and is not recommended for Kitchens as it is much softer than engineered stone
For more information on Quartz and Engineered Stone countertops carried by Kitchen World, please visit the
Avanza link on our Product page.
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4. Stainless Steel
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Stainless steel is the choice for countertops by professional cooks, restaurant and food service facilities. Above all other materials,
it identifies the owner as someone who takes cooking seriously. Super-strong, hygienic and resistant to water and heat, stainless steel has
long been considered an ideal surface for food preparation. Today's kitchen designers are pairing this cool classic with other materials,
such as warm wood and hand-painted tile.
Stainless steel actually requires very little maintenance. Frequent cleaning actually keeps the surface looking new.
Smooth stainless steel shows watermarks and fingerprints, and needs more cleaning than a brushed finish.
When preparing food, use a cutting board rather than the top. Not only will the surface scratch, but the metal will dull knives.
Minor scratches can be polished out.
Kitchen World carries custom fabricated Stainless Steel countertops from Formica.
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4. Plastic Laminates
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Plastic laminate is the most widely used surfacing material for builders and remodelers, due to its durabilty,
wide range of colors and patterns, and its moderate price.
Plastic laminates are produced in hundreds of colors and patterns including metal, granite, marble, wood, and even leather.
Surface textures range from smooth or grained to shiny or matte. Your choices are almost unlimted.
Kitchen World carries custom fabricated Stainless Steel countertops from Formica.
Return to the Planning Page
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