When remodeling, picking countertops can be challenging. There’s so much information to take in when choosing countertops. Materials range in cost from around $5 to several hundred dollars per square foot. What kind of thickness do you want? What kind of edge? What kind of finish? What color? And how interested are you in upkeep?
Wouldn’t it be nice to have a cheat sheet? Consider it done.
Here’s your handy guide on how to choose a countertop:
1. The Material
Countertops are made up of a multitude of materials. At one end of the spectrum are stone and concrete. These two natural materials are among the most expensive types of countertops. However, other natural and artificial materials are cheaper. For example, there’s cork, a nature-recycled material. Or there’s bamboo, the fastest growing plant in the world.
Or there’s recycled glass, a material recycled from daily household waste and can be used in high-tech countertops.
2. The Thickness
Old school countertop makers usually offer 2.5-inch thickness. These days, thickness can get as thick as nine inches. The thicker the countertop, the more resistant to dents. However, thickness does come at a price.
3. The Edge
Edge is the next number that you need to know. Edge refers to where the countertop ends. There are quite a few kinds of edges. The most popular is bullnose. The bullnose is the countertop with no edge as it rounds off. The second most popular is the heel. This is the countertop that extends slightly past the edge of the counter.
The third most popular is the quarter sawn. The quarter-sawn has a slight slope that ends at a hard 90-degree angle. The last edge is the one that’s commonly found in your kitchen: the straight edge. This countertop extends from the bottom of the sink, stopping at the edge of the counter.
4. The Finishes
Finishes are how the material is treated. For example, a stone countertop will be polished. A concrete countertop will be sanded. It’s the finish that’ll make the countertop look its best. A finish will also determine how the top looks after use. So, make sure that you get the finish that requires minimal upkeep.
5. The Color
The color of a countertop can be made up of many things. Some of them are exciting, such as embedded pigment. Embedded pigment is when color is stuck into the material. For example, a green marble countertop, where an actual color is added to the marble. There’s also translucent material, where the color is opaque and false. Therefore, it appears to be one color. However, it contains small voids. The voids allow light to pass through the material. This causes the appearance of the material to change slightly.
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When you’ve been through all the options, pick the one that has the least amount of maintenance for your purposes. A natural material would have the most amount of upkeep, while a more artificial material would have a more minimal amount of upkeep. That way, you’ll have a countertop that’s low maintenance, and that looks great.
Hawk Industries provides kitchen countertop installations for residential and commercial spaces in Littlestown, PA. We are a small-town company known and respected for our commercial work of custom countertops, booth work, bars and back bars, and casework throughout the Mid-Atlantic States.
From planning and design through manufacture and installation, we deliver high-caliber products that reflect your brand. Let us help plan your next home or commercial countertop project! Get in touch with us now!
