Remodeling is never easy, but it’s worst when you can’t make up your mind! Kitchens are important places, and decisions like choosing a paint color or deciding on the right countertop can plague you throughout the process.
Here’s a great guide to how to choose the best countertops for your kitchen. Now you can get started right away, without any more annoying delays due to indecision.
How to Choose the Best Countertops for Your Kitchen
We’ve put together a list of important kitchen countertop options to consider, like materials, budget, and traffic. Take a look to determine the best choice for your home.
Countertop Materials
Stone-Like Options
Granite is a great option. Heat and scratches don’t damage this material, and there are some very unique colors available because each slab is different, naturally occurring. With proper sealing, this doesn’t stain, either.
Another choice is marble, which is a classic material. Marble is beautiful, but it can be damaged by heat. It’s in the same price range as granite, but a way to save on these types of materials it to request a thinner slab, 3/4 inch thick instead of the more standard 1 1/2 inches.
For your kitchen, quartz may be a good choice – it looks like stone, but requires less maintenance. It can chip, which would need the help of a professional to repair. You can ask for rounded edges, and that will reduce the likelihood of damage.
Soapstone lends a more casual ambiance to your home than stately granite does. Small scratches can be repaired easily, but it does stain more easily, too. Some of the downsides of soapstone are that it needs regular polishing, and can crack over time.
Ceramic and porcelain tile is inexpensive and resists stains. If it gets damaged, usually only a couple of tiles need to be replaced, making repairs easier than other materials. However, it does create an uneven surface, which can be more difficult to work on while cooking.
Synthetic Materials
Laminate countertops are very affordable and require less maintenance. They can be prone to scratching and difficult to repair if damaged, though.
Solid-surfacing, made from acrylic and polyester, can be used for the whole kitchen, including the sink and backsplash, too. This makes it look seamless. It resists stains, but it does scratch easily.
Other Materials
Concrete is great for unique kitchens because these babies are cast to fit your kitchen. This means every countertop is custom. It’s also more durable but is very heavy, so you will need to make sure that the supports are strong.
Stainless steel is almost completely damage proof, which is why many industrial kitchens use it.
Butcher block makes a kitchen feel homier. It is also easy to install if you’re working on this project yourself, and scratches present no challenge to repair.
Traffic
How busy is your kitchen?
If you cook a lot, every meal, every day, you will need a material that holds up with frequent use. Stainless steel, nearly indestructible, is found in most commercial kitchens for precisely that reason.
Little helpers have inexperienced hands and are more likely to scratch or nick the countertop, or miss the cutting board. Make sure whatever material you choose can withstand their level of (unintentional) destruction.
Hosting large groups of people will also mean more set of hands using your countertops. Consider the use this (usually central) room in your house gets.
For others with a less-used kitchen, who don’t have hordes of teenagers traipsing through after school every day, and who prefer to eat out more often, a countertop that is more prone to scratches and cracks would be a great option.
These materials give your kitchen a more grand and elegant look, too. For those looking to entertain for business or pleasure and would like to impress, this may be the better route to go.
Budget
Sometimes saving money is most important, especially when it comes to home improvement projects.
Laminate countertops can be more budget-friendly, some as affordable as $5 per square foot. More expensive materials like stainless steel or concrete can be as much as $125 per square foot, however.
Before you begin, measure your square footage. Once you know how much material you will need, you can divide your budget by the area. Then you have a target price per square foot to shoot for.
Be up front with professionals when seeking the right material. Let them know how much you have to spend, and ask if they can offer a deal or recommend a similar product that can help achieve the look you want at the price you need.
One more factor to include when making your budget is the resale value. It may be worth it to spend a little more if you want to sell your home for more.
Because kitchens are where many people spend their time when they are home, this is a huge consideration for home buyers.
Style
Perhaps the biggest consideration, and the reason you are choosing to install new countertops, is the look of your kitchen. Homeowners remodel because they don’t like the way their rooms look, but do you know what you do like?
It is a big step from knowing that you don’t know like what you have to knowing what you do like and want for your new look.
Country style kitchens are homey, warm, and inviting. Modern kitchens invoke a sense of minimalism, coming in sleek and sophisticated. Contemporary kitchens are family-friendly but also functional.
You might like French country style or cottage charm. Consider a coastal living style for your kitchen if you are on a lake.
No matter the style, it is important to know just what you want before you choose your countertop to match your dream kitchen style.
Let’s Get Started
Now you have everything you need on how to choose the best countertops for your kitchen. No matter what’s next for your kitchen, painting the walls or installing a backsplash, or if you’re moving on to another home improvement project, we are your best resource!