Whether remodeling or designing your kitchen for
you new home, one of the most important considerations to make is about
your kitchen counter tops. These surfaces will be the most visible
areas of your kitchen and the most used as well. Choice of material
will play an important part in both the appearance and ease of cleaning
of your kitchen counter tops. Some of the materials available are
ceramic tiles, stainless steel, stone, stone composites and man-made
materials.
Ceramic tiles can make a beautiful surface for
your kitchen counter tops. The variety available is only limited by
your imagination and pocketbook. There are artists available that will
design your tiles to suit your decor needs. This may be the easiest way
to design a decor suitable to your hopes for your new or remodeled
kitchen. The biggest drawback is the extra effort required to keep a
tile counter surface hygienic for your food preparation. A sealant coat
should be applied to the grout used to hold the tiles in place and
extra attention will be needed to keep that area of your kitchen
counter tops clean and bacteria free.
Stainless steel kitchen counter tops will bring
the appearance of modern technology to your kitchen. Easy to clean
surfaces of bright shining metal make for a space age appearance that
will suit almost any kitchen decor. This tough material will take the
abuse that an active kitchen can endure from the use of harsh cleaning
chemicals and everyday food preparation. Stainless steel will resist
scratching and dents from normal use and does not chip. If a sleek
modern look is what you want to achieve in your kitchen decor, this
material should be on the top of your list for consideration.
Another metal not often considered for kitchen
counter tops is pure copper. This softer metal, when in its pure state
has a "lining finish" and is extremely hygienic. Tests have shown that
pure copper will kill many bacteria that live in kitchen environments.
The soft brown finish that copper achieves over time will give a mellow
appearance to your kitchen decor. The softness of the metal will
scratch more readily than other materials, but the "living finish" will
repair the appearance of your kitchen counter tops very quickly. Just
buff or sand the metal smooth again and in a few weeks, the warm brown
color will reappear.
There are a variety of stones used for kitchen
counter tops. The most popular are marble, granite, travertine and
slate. These stones come in a variety of colors with travertine having
the most variety. The drawback of travertine is the natural pits and
grooves this stone has. Filler is needed to give the smooth surface
desired in kitchen counter tops. Marble is smooth and comes in several
shades, but the porous nature of this stone requires a sealant to
resist stains and liquids. Granite also needs to be sealed against
liquids and has limited shades available. Natural slate is highly water
and stain resistant and very easy to keep clean and hygienic. Slate
resists scratches well due to its very dense nature as well. These
properties make this material highly sought after for laboratory
counter tops.
Stone composites have all the natural toughness of
stone, are already sealed against moisture and come in a variety of
shades that extend all through the composite. These are readily
available in both granite composite and quartz composite materials.
Granite composite is a bit tougher than quartz composite due to the
higher density of stone in the composite material. Quartz composite
comes in more shades than granite and the colors extend throughout the
material. Both of these composites will give you strong long-lasting
kitchen counter tops that can fit into your kitchen decor easily. There
are aggregate composites available that use natural material mixed with
durable resin filler that is almost as tough as the fore-mentioned
stone composites. This aggregate composite can be found in more shades
than other stone composites, giving you flexibility in your choices for
decor.
Man-made materials will offer you the most choices
for your kitchen decor. From the older Formica kitchen counter tops to
the solid surface choices available today, the variety of patterns and
colors available from man-made materials gives you more leeway in
designing your kitchen decor than other materials. Solid surface is a
solid one-piece kitchen counter top that has the basins for your
kitchen sink included in the counter top. This makes for easier
cleaning of the surface and has a space age appearance as well. The
color of this style of surface extends all the way through the material
and is easy to take care for. It is available in a veneer like Formica
to save on expenses and maintain the beauty of these materials.
Man-made materials should be given consideration for your kitchen
counter tops in your new or remodeled kitchen.
This should give you some more ideas of how you
want to design your new or remodeled kitchen. There are a wide variety
of materials available for your kitchen counter tops to be made from.
All of these materials have their advantages and disadvantages, but the
possibilities presented here will help you to make your choices for
your new or remodeled kitchen. Your choice need only be limited by your
budget. You can allow your imagination to soar when picking out your
new kitchen counter tops.
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