Cindy’s Other Blog

Food preparation is done here. It must be easy to clean and sanitize. You want it to be peaceful and colorful. You need to select your counter carefully and deliberately. You want to do it right the first time as it is a major upgrade and expense.

There are any choices to make in selecting counters. Do you like a natural stone, an engineered stone, wood, tile, Solid Surface Acrylic or Laminate?

Natural stones like granite, limestone, and soapstone have a depth and beauty of a polished surface that is hard to match. They do require upkeep of cleaning, sealing and waxing as they are porous and will become discolored if not properly cared for by the user.

An engineered stone usually uses quartz as a filler with a resin, to bind it together. They come in many beautiful colors and blends of rock. They are heat, scratch and discoloration resistant. They are easy to clean to make them sterile and do not require waxing.

Solid Surface Acrylics come in many different colors such as Corian or LG Hi-Macs, they are a fabricated counter. They are durable and easy to clean. You can take a fine sand paper of 400 grit or higher and lightly sand out the stain if the surface becomes discolored. They can be bonded together to make a seamless counter and the sink can be built into it.

Wood counters have a gorgeous look and feel to them but they require upkeep and care to keep them looking good such as teak, maple, cherry, walnut or mahogany. They are easily scratched, burned or stained.

Tile counters can be assembled in many different colors, patterns and sizes. They are durable and easy to clean, except for the grout between the tiles that can become stained so they need to be sealed. This grout is hard to keep clean. The tiles can be broken or chipped, so you must be careful with them.

A concrete kitchen counter can be built in any shape you want. A form is built to hold the concrete until it sets. It requires knowledge and skill to make a quality counter. It must be sealed and waxed to keep it from staining.

Laminates, such as Formica or Wilsonart, have a durable surface and come in numerous styles and colors. They are easy to clean and to take care of but they can be burnt.