Home Improvement
Countertops Material Guide — From Granite to Marble and Quartz
Preparing yourself and your home for renovations can be difficult. Renovations often involve the process of replacing (or adding) certain components of a house for the sake of improving its value as well as enhancing the comfort it can provide, but it is very common to do it just for the sake of improving the aesthetical value of a place.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with it, since we all want to live in a place that suits us in many different aspects, and how a home looks can greatly influence our lives in it. Frequently speaking, renovations are targeted towards doors, windows, floor tiles, paint, walls, roofs, as well as kitchen and bathroom appliances.
In this article, however, we will focus on a very specific type of kitchen and bathroom appliance known as a countertop. If you are having trouble choosing the right type of countertop for your kitchen or bathroom remodeling process, this article is definitely for you.
Let’s Talk About Countertops
Countertops, as showcased over https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Countertop, are very useful accessories for any kitchen or bathroom. Ideally speaking, a countertop should be able to provide support for different activities inside of those specific rooms. From cooking to
One countertop can be used to comfortably deal with kitchen wares or amenities inside of a bathroom such as creams, soap, toothpaste, shampoos, among many other things. Simply described, they are tools that can increase the level of comfort of kitchens and bathrooms as long as they don’t cover too much space and provide enough space to work on.
They can also have cabinets below them that can be used to store things, which adds a whole new level of comfortability in some situations. This aspect of countertops is more common in kitchens, but some bathrooms can use them as well.
With that said, there are way too many types of countertops out there. Some are rectangular while others are shaped like triangles or circles. Some of them are small while others are too big, so choosing the right countertop can be complicated, but as long as you have your needs and your house in mind, this process becomes much simpler.
Another aspect of choosing a countertop is the materials used to build it. Of course, each material can provide the same level of utility on most occasions, since this is mostly decided by its shape, size, and whether it has cabinets or not. Materials are important because of three reasons: Durability, aesthetics, and of course, your budget.
Choosing the Right Countertop Material
Renovations are mainly decided by your budget, and this is a sad truth we have to live with. We work around said budget to fulfill our needs and meet our objectives, but it is what limits the number of changes and the level of quality we can get.
This is important to understand when it comes to choosing a material for countertops, since it narrows downs our options, making the planning process a much simpler one. With that said, getting to know all the materials available in the market can get us an idea of what we should aim for, so we are going to cover some of the most popular options.
- Granite: Granite is probably the most popular
choice when it comes to choosing countertops, but it is also among the most
expensive options we will cover. It provides any bathroom or kitchen with a
whole new level of luxury, making even the simplest place a much more fancy
setting. If you can’t believe us, you should check out Granite Prestige
to get a glance at what it looks like!
Generally speaking, this specific material is known for being quite beautiful with a lot of variety in colors and combinations, very durable, and requires little maintenance. It also adds a lot of value to any property, but it should be dealt with by professionals because of its worth.
- Marble: Marble is another popular
choice, and it is also among the expensive options. However, it is a very
beautiful material for countertops with all the benefits enjoyed by granite,
but it has a problem: it requires more maintenance and is a little more fragile
with repairs being a little too complicated to handle. However, it tends to be
more affordable than granite.
- Ceramic Tiles: Now, although the
previous two options were indeed popular, there’s hardly a material as popular
as ceramic tiles when it comes to countertops, not because of its level of
fanciness, but because it can be a rather affordable option that is capable of
granting a kitchen or bathroom a lot of personality.
The great thing about ceramic tiles is that they are capable of providing the same benefits without being too complicated, so those who are into DIY adventures can handle them by themselves. Generally speaking, this is the recommended option for most people!
- Wood: Wood, in contrary to the other options, is known for being a material that provides a homely feel to it, which can make some houses way cozier. Wood is known for having too many variations, some of which are affordable while others are expensive. It is up to you to choose which one suits you the most.
When it comes to its properties, it also depends on the type of wood, but it
tends to be quite durable but it does require a certain level of maintenance.
Sadly, some activities shouldn’t be performed on wood countertops, and wood is
not usually recommended for bathrooms.
If you are interested in learning more about other types of materials, you should definitely check this one article.
And remember, although it is true that your works a huge part in the process of choosing a specific material for your countertops, you can always choose viable options out of the many alternatives available in the market, and if you are patient enough, you can take your time to check out different providers and hunt down discounts to come up with the best deals available!