Even if your countertop looks okay, there may be small, telltale signs of wear that deserve your attention. A small chip in the laminate, a burned patch, a minute edge that has started to peel—all can be indicators of mounting woes that after a while add up to trouble. Don’t wait. If you can take preventative or minor repair measures now, you can extend the life of your countertop.

Let’s say you’ve found a slight bubbling section. It may not be overtly obvious to everyone else; but you know it’s there. If you’re lucky, and extremely careful, you can re-activate the original adhesive by covering the section with a pillowcase and iron the bubble down with a clothes iron—set on the lowest setting. Once it’s heated, the surface can be pressed into place with a brick or a stack of books, but keep the pillowcase in place.

For small chips or cracks, try laminate-repair paste, available from your home improvement store. Take a scrap of the countertop (you should have kept extra laminate) with you to match up the color of the paste.  If you find that sections are curled back and peeling, try the iron-heat process first and if the adhesive won’t engage, than use contact cement and press down the sections with books or another heavy object. Clean the surface with rubbing alcohol before pressing down with the iron.

When It’s Too Late
If your countertop is beyond simple repair, you may want to start planning for replacements.  Depending on your budget, there are options in materials from granite, engineered stone, new laminates, or ceramic tile. Designs, colors, and options may have changed radically since your original countertops were installed.

If you’re not wiping down your cabinets regularly, you may be saving up grease, soap, food residue, and bacteria for a rainy day. Finishes and solutions vary widely, so it’s always wiser to use the least caustic cleaner available and make up for it with some good, old fashioned elbow grease.  Non-alkaline soaps made for dishes or human hand care mean less chances of abrasion. Never—never use an abrasive scouring soap or soap pad on a wood kitchen cabinet.

Wash out cabinet interiors with a dust cloth (chamois) or a soft clean rag and soapy water.  Never scrub your cabinet doors or glass with a used cloth that may have kitchen or bath cleaners with harsh chemical deposits; you just might be transferring them to your cabinet. Clean glass doors with a safe window detergent or cleaner.

Wood Cabinets Deserve Care
Commercial wood oil products or olive oil works great in restoring a warm wood finish.  Again, avoid the use of any cloth or used towel that may contain leftover abrasives or lint. Use a preservative or conditioner made for your kind of wood at least twice a month. Take out your glassware or dishes and work it in with a little muscle.

While you’re at it, clean your cabinet hardware, too. Remove hinges, pulls, and knobs and let them soak an hour in soapy water. Wipe off any residue when dry and polish it up to a shine. You’ll find a polish made just for the kind of metal or ceramics used in your hardware.

If you really want to clean up and add pizazz to your cabinets, replace the hardware if it begins to show wear or looks completely out of date with your current motif.

If you can’t stand the way your cabinets look or if their appearance brings down the entire appeal of your kitchen, you’re probably at the crossroads.  Before making any decisions, are your current cabinets working properly and really need a face-lift or do you need to toss it all out and start over?

Evaluating your options isn’t as confusing as it looks at the outset.

But there are three pertinent questions to answer before leaping into any quick solution:

• Are you planning to stay in this house or sell it in the near future?
• Have you already painted the kitchen, added new countertops, and window treatments?
• Can the cabinets be improved by a fresh laminate, new hardware, attractive knobs, hinges, panels, and drawer fronts?

Considering a Refacing Makeover

There’s a good possibility that you can save half the cost in having your cabinets refaced than if you try and replace them entirely. Many homeowners remark that a refacing project also allows them to choose “green” materials that they’ve been wanting for a while.

Once you settle on the idea of refacing, then the variables are really about your choice in materials and costs.  New veneers can cut remodeling costs by upwards of 60 percent of the cost in replacements.  But at the same time, you can secure more durable and attractive coverings that extend the life of your cabinets.

Another thing to consider is that refacing projects can be modified to suit your décor or motif, right down to antique or distressed designs.

You can start collecting information by contacting cabinet contractors and visiting showrooms before locking yourself into a project that busts your budget.

Many of today’s consumers are as interested in finding environmentally friendly building materials as they are discovering the best products for their money. Of course, there’s no single, simple answer.

The Environmental Protection Agency has identified Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) as a major contributor to hazardous indoor air quality. So if you’re concerned about your family’s health as well as the long-term health of the environment, you may want to look at countertops made of materials low in VOCs.

VOCs enter your home as gases. They’re found in paints, cleaning products, furnishings, and solvents.  It’s easy to get overwhelmed by consumer stories and investigative reports. And so-called “green” materials can cost more of your green dollars than conventional products.  I wanted to alert you of one material I’ve been reading about widely: Terrazzo.  (Remember:  I’m not endorsing anything.)

Countertops Materials and LEED Certifications

The U.S. Building Council has developed a certification system for evaluating building materials for toxicity, especially VOCs.  LEED also measures water and energy efficiency, CO2 emissions, and building design and construction practices.

Concrete is a common choice, but it’s not considered a “green” countertop material. However it’s a long-lasting product that can be crushed and recycled, and when sealed properly, resists bacteria and does not typically emit VOCs. More recently, environmental builders are recommending terrazzo countertops and paper composites.

Terrazzo is comprised of 95 percent recycled glass and crushed stone, bound together by cement or epoxy. Sealed properly, it is durable and if bound by cement has a strong green rating. Epoxy, however, can release dangerous phthalate vapors. If you’re shopping around for an attractive, environmentally sound countertop material, have a look at terrazzo.