A UNIQUE SELECTION FOR EVERY SCENARIO

Countertops

The surface that tops your cabinets and provides a useful and beautiful surface is extremely varied in material and price. Your consultant will help you find one that fits you needs and budget. Your builder offers a wide variety of surface materials, but may not offer all the materials mentioned here. Talk to your design consultant to see what type of countertop surfaces your builder offers.

Shade Variation

 Slate and marble and granite, because they are natural product mined out of the earth, will have the greatest ranges of shade variation. Natural products give a warm and unique accent to a home, as no piece is exactly the same. It is amazing what materials Mother Nature can create. It is important to remember when selecting a natural product, though, that it will not look exactly like the sample representation in the design center. Your design consultant will talk to you about shade variation and offer you man made alternatives if natural products are not for you.

Maintenance

Slate, marble, and granite products need more maintenance than their ceramic, porcelain, quartz, or other man made counterparts. They are generally softer products that are easier to scratch. They are also porous and can stain. Therefore, these products generally need to be sealed with a stone sealant on a regular basis to minimize scratching and staining.

Types of Countertops

Granite

in today’s market place demand for this type of countertop is extremely high and a staple in many homes. It is generally a higher priced option that can range between $3,ooo and $10,000 dollars depending on many different variables. Granite ranges in color and style as much as it ranges in price. Granite is a beautiful accent to any kitchen or bathroom. It is also important to keep in mind shade variation, porosity, and maintenance when considering this product.

Natural Marble

a natural marble countertop in a bathroom is the epitome of elegance for a bathroom countertop. The veining in marble gives it such wonderful rich character. Marble is a soft and porous stone that need special care and maintenance similar to granite. Talk to your design consultant to determine if natural marble will work in your lifestyle and budget.

Cultured Marble

Cultured Marble is generally a standard countertop selection in bathrooms. These countertops are non-porous and have an integrated sink making for easy clean up. While low maintenance and durable these countertops are still susceptible to staining from things like hot curling irons and cosmetics like in granite and natural marble.

Laminate

Laminate countertops are the one of the most durable and least expensive countertop options. Laminate is a hard plastic sheet laminated or glued to a wood base. Laminate countertops are non-porous, easy to clean and virtually maintenance free. They do need to be protected from heat with hot pads and scratching with cutting boards. Advances in technology have expanded the color and texture options of laminate making it a very affordable and versatile surface option.

Quartz

Quartz countertops have the beauty of natural granite with the reliability and ease of maintenance of solid surface products like Corian. Quartz, a very hard stone (only diamonds, topaz, and sapphires are harder) is more resistant to scratches than granite and marble countertops. It is also non-porous, therefore it does not need sealing or other continual maintenance to prevent staining or bacterial colonization that cannot be reached with a general cleaning on an unsealed granite.

Solid Surfaces

Solid Surface countertops such as Corian and Gibralter are man-made counter tops that are non-porous and easy to maintain. While they are not scratch resistant their color patterns go through the entire product and can be buffed from time to time as needed. While a reflective sheen like in granite or quartz is not an option there are a wide variety of pattern choices that also have a matching or coordinating sinks available for an integrated look.