Countertops: Which Choice is Best for You?

COUNTERTOPS: WHICH CHOICE IS BEST FOR YOU?

Thinking of updating your kitchen or bath countertops? Not sure which material to use? Here’s a quick overview of popular countertop choices with some of their most common pros and cons.

Quartz

I’m starting off with quartz since it’s “the” countertop today. It’s taken over granite’s position as the countertop of choice, and at least one study shows it as the fastest growing countertop material through 2024.

Although it sounds and looks like a natural stone, quartz is actually an engineered stone product created in a factory. It’s a composite of natural quartz, other minerals and resins.

Pros
  • Durable
  • Doesn’t need sealing
  • Can look like marble or granite
  • Easy maintenance
Cons
  • Expensive
  • Can discolor from high heat
  • If damaged, needs to be fixed by a professional

Granite

While no longer the cutting-edge countertop, granite is still popular. A natural stone, granite can be fairly uniform, or it can have a lot of variation and movement.

Pros
  • Durable
  • Resistant to heat and scratches
  • Fairly easy maintenance
Cons
  • Expensive
  • Needs to be sealed to keep from staining

Marble

Marble is beautiful and looks luxurious. It usually comes in white to grey tones, but there are also some marbles that have blue, brown or even green tones. Marble is softer than many other natural stones and damages more easily.

Pros
  • Waterproof
  • Heat resistant
  • Classic
Cons
  • Expensive
  • Porous and needs sealing
  • Can be scratched
  • Acids, like lemon or wine, can etch or stain it

Concrete

Thanks to Joanna Gaines, concrete countertops have become more popular. And they allow for more options than you might think. Concrete countertops can be poured to fit unusual spaces. They can be colored or textured. You can even add glass, stones or tile to them.

Pros
  • Durable
  • Repairable
  • Possible DIY
Cons
  • Slow to cure
  • Can crack (but cracks can be repaired)
  • Porous and needs sealing

Stainless Steel

Stainless steel countertops are not just for commercial uses. They can also work in a residential space. But, due to their industrial look, they might not always be a plus for resale value unless they are a good match for the style of the home.

Pros
  • Durable
  • Easy to clean
  • Heat resistant
Cons
  • Can be scratched
  • Can be dented
  • Shows fingerprints and spots
COUNTERTOPS: WHICH CHOICE IS BEST FOR YOU?

Butcher Block

If you are going for a natural look or a more sustainable material, butcher block or wood countertops might be a good option. Plus, your whole countertop can now be a cutting board (only on unsealed wood).

Pros
  • Affordable
  • Repairable
  • Renewable resource
Cons
  • High maintenance
  • Can stain or scratch
  • Porous and needs resealing

Laminate

Today’s laminate countertops are not the Formica we remember from the 80s and 90s. Now designs have many options and do a good job of looking like wood or stone. But they are usually not a buyer’s first choice and may hurt the resale value of a home.

Pros
  • Affordable
  • Nonporous
Cons
  • Can scratch or chip
  • Not heat resistant
  • Less durable than other products
  • Not the best for resale

Tile

Although I have read that tile is making a comeback, I have yet to find a buyer who wants tile on a countertop, especially in the kitchen. Keeping grout clean and in good shape is the biggest complaint.

Pros
  • Affordable
  • Many colors and styles
Cons
  • Grout
  • Cleaning is more difficult
  • Durability
  • Not the best for resale

Sources

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