Kitchen Countertops Article #1 - Evaluating Kitchen Countertop Prices and Features

Select a color and texture that compliments your cabinetry, floor, wallpaper or paint selection.
It pays to select a material that will withstand years of use without extraordinary maintenance requirements and is easily repairable should an accident occur.
Don't be afraid to combine two or more countertop materials in one kitchen. Complimentary colors or textures on adjacent surfaces can create visual interest.
The quality of the countertop edge treatment is important. As an example, a solid surface counter is easy to clean and repair and will take years of use. It might look terrific with a wood edge to match the cabinets, but the wood will not withstand constant exposure to water and household chemicals like the solid surface material. Restrict the wood edge to an area such as a freestanding hutch and use matching or contrasting solid surface material for the front edge.
Consider combining quality decorative materials such as tile, granite or marble with solid surface. Many fabricators can create custom designs for a spectacular visual effect without compromising durability and easy maintenance.
When there are budget constraints, it makes sense to use the highest quality material for the counter areas that will sustain the greatest amount of use, specifying other materials to less often used areas.

Material	Relative Cost	Advantages/ Disadvantages	Care Repairability
Granite	High	High Style. 'Cool' surface for handling dough. Smooth surface. Does not mar or scratch easily. Will absorb some oils, stains. Heat resistant.	Not repairable. Use cutting board.
Stainless Steel	High	Cool surface, trendy professional look. Does not chip, crack. Does not absorb stains, oils or odors. Heat impervious.	Will scratch easily. Scratches cannot be repaired.
Marble (slab)	High	'Cool' surface for handling dough. Professional look. Smooth surface. Absorbs oils and some odors. Heat impervious.	Scratches somewhat easily. Not repairable.
Wood Butcher Block	Medium high	Warm but 'professional' appearance. Will scratch. Use cutting board. Will absorb stains and odors. Resistant to heat damage.	Sand surface and reseal to repair scratches. Regular application of mineral oil keeps wood in peak condition.
Solid Surface	Medium high	Smooth surface. Difficult to mar. Easy to repair, restore. Does not absorb oils or odors.Resistant to damage by heat.	Easy to repair surface scratches, stains and burns. Deeper damage can be professionally repaired.
Solid Surface 'laminates'	Medium	Smooth surface. Difficult to mar. Easy to restore. Does not absorb oils or odors.Resistant to damage by heat.	Surface scratches, burns or stains are easily repaired. Deeper damage can be professionally repaired.
Tile	Medium	Hard surface. Will not scratch. High Style. Does not absorb oils or odors.Heat impervious.	Grout lines to clean.Can chip and grout can discolor. Somewhat repair-able.
Plastic Laminate	Low	Least expensive to install or replace. Vast color pattern selection. Does not absorb stains, oils or odors. Avoid high heat.	Can scratch or chip. Not repair-able.

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