kitchen

If you are planning to replace your kitchen or bathroom counter top, you are in luck!  I found this great tool from Better Homes and Gardens that will take you through a series of questions to help you find your perfect counter top material, click here to review.

Here is a list of counter top materials for your review with their corresponding pros and cons taken from BHG.com:

Natural Stone:

Pros:  Durable, long-lasting, doesn’t go out of style, heat-resistant

Cons:  Porous and needs to be sealed when installed, requires resealing, softer stones such as marble or limestone might chip or crack, most expensive counter top material

Cultured Stone:

Pros:  Heat, stain, scratch-resistant, easy to clean, does not require sealing

Cons:  Not as natural looking as real stone, costs almost the same as real stone

Solid-Surfacing:

Pros:  Heat and moisture resistant, does not fade or age, easy to clean

Cons:  Can be scorched, not scratch proof

Laminate:

Pros:  Heat, stain, scratch resistant, easy to clean, lower cost than other counter tops

Cons:  Sharp knives and hot pans can damage laminate, scorching, deep scratches and cracks cannot be repaired

Eco-Friendly material:  (for an in depth list of eco-friendly options and their descriptions click here.)

Pros:  Bamboo-easy to clean, Recycled glass-durable, heat and stain resistant, easy to clean, Paper Composite-durable, easy to clean

Cons:  Bamboo needs to be sealed routinely, susceptible to scratches and burning, Recycled Glass can chip, scratch or break with heavy impacts, and paper composite is susceptible to scratches and stains

Wood:

Pros:  Long lasting, timeless material that wears well

Cons:  Vulnerable to moisture, heat, acid, corrosive chemicals, stains, shrinks or expands, require food-friendly sealing and routine maintenance

Metal:

Pros:  Antibacterial, stain and heat resistant, durable

Cons:  Copper, pewter, and zinc are susceptible to scratch and dents, can be expensive

Concrete:

Pros:  Heat and stain resistant, durable

Cons:  Must be sealed regularly to resist stains and water, susceptible to damage from highly acidic liquids

Mix It Up:

If you can’t decide on one particular counter top, you may wish to select multiple types of materials.  To differentiate the space, you may choose to use a different surface on the island than on the other counter tops.

Other resources:

National Kitchen and Bath Association – contact for a free planner.

If you need help with your home redesign, contact Debbie@RedesignRight.com.

Debbie Correale is founder and owner of Redesign Right, LLC. You can learn more about her at www.RedesignRight.com. Find her on Facebook.com/RedesignRight, Twitter @RedesignRight, LinkedIn, and Google+.