Countertops: Just Don’t Take Them for Granite PART 1

The story goes: The homeowners traded their old natural stone countertop for a beautiful new quartzite surface, but now they miss the old one. They just took it for “granite.” Despite the bad pun, granite countertops are still among the most popular, however, there are plenty of other choices for kitchen and bath surfaces. Here’s what you need to know in our three-part countertop series. 

Countertops and surfaces for kitchens, baths, laundry rooms,  mudrooms, libraries, and other interior spaces are an investment in your home. They are one of the most visible design elements, not to mention the importance of their functionality!

Cambrian black leathered granite counters with straight-edge. Photo by: Michael Lefebvre

Considerations for countertops and surfaces:

Materials

• natural stone

• engineered stone

• slate

•  wood

• laminate 

• acrylics solid surface 

• stainless steel and other metals

• glass

• concrete

• porcelain or ceramic tile

Colors and Patterns

a.     every color imaginable;

b.     river pattern, 

c.     directional veining, 

d.     shading, silica placement in man-made  

e.     mineral deposits in natural stone

 Thickness

a.     Typically surfaces are 3 cm (approx. 1.25 inches) 

b.     Sometimes engineered stones are 2 cm – thinner is more modern and less bulky; often used in bathrooms; commonly used in Europe

c.     Sometimes the edge is mitered to appear thicker using a laminated edge

d.     Thicker stone like marble is sometimes used on fireplace mantels or specialty areas

Edges 

a.     Ogee, 

b.     eased-edge

c.     pencil edge

d.     waterfall edges

e.     Dupont

f.      Beveled

River White granite counters with a quarter bevel edge. Photo by: Michael Lefebvre

PROCESS 

·      Sourcing – What’s a slab? You choose a slab at a supplier – they can be 5-6 feet by 8 to 11 feet long. Always best to choose and tag a slab. For design purposes there are less options in natural stone than in tile and cabinets, so we choose surface first

·      Base cabinets installed first

·      Templating – can be virtual template with lasers or physical template with wood or plastic

·      Fabricating – Fabricators turn the slab into your countertop by cutting the template that fits with your cabinetry, fixtures, appliances etc.

·      Installing –  Another part of the team are the people who deliver and install the surface in your home

·      Sealing natural stone – All countertops need maintenance, some more than others. 

Some slab suppliers are also fabricators and installers. The process is a little different for engineered stone. You don’t need to choose a slab in the same manner because they are more uniform than natural stone. Engineered stone is easier to cut for waterfall edges than natural granite or marble. 

If you do run into a problem with natural stone,  we love the team at Boston Stone Restoration. They can fix just about any natural stone issue. They also seal stone to prevent headaches and heartache later.

NATURAL STONE SURFACES

Among natural stone surfaces, these tend be the most common:

·      Granite & textured granite

·      Limestone

·      Marble

·      Onyx

·      Quartzite

·      Soapstone

·      Slate

·      Travertine 

We don’t recommend using soft natural stones that etch like marble, limestone and soapstone in kitchens. Be mindful of stains as well: red wine, red sauce, oils and make-up. These stones look gorgeous but require a lot of care! They must be sealed often and that can get expensive.

ENGINEERED STONE

Engineered stone has some natural components mixed with man-made resins. Color and patterns tend to be more uniform, and maintenance can be less intensive than with natural stone. However, prices are often comparable to natural stone and sometimes more expensive depending on the product and brand.

·      Quartz 

·      Concrete – a more rustic mixture of sand 

·      Neolith – a type of ceramic composed of clay, sand and resin in an ultra-compact surface

·      Corian® Quartz

Brands specializing in engineered stone include: Cambria; Cesarstone; Silestone; Pental; LG ViaTerra; Curava (concrete and glass mix); The Royal Group; Crystaline ®; ColorQuartz®; Corian® Quartz, WilsonArt;

Pental Super White Quartz surface master bath. Photo by: Michael Lefebvre

The number one most important fact to know about countertops no matter what the surface composition is: 

Don’t ever put anything hot on your countertop! No matter what they say.