|
An unusual and beautiful Granite, Black Mosaic.
There are four different types of countertops (tops) readily
available here in Southwest Florida.
-
Laminate: Formica is a brand name and has become a
generic name for all laminates regardless who manufactured them.
Is is the least expensive top available and widely used in modular
housing and for builders trying to build to a price. It has sharp
edges and corners and the particle board substrate is prone to
water absorption and swelling. Once scratched, it can only be
replaced, not repaired. Laminate tops will actually subtract from
the value of your house on the real estate market.
-
Solid Surface: Corian is just one of several
manufacturers of solid surface (SS) and again, the name has
become generic. The surface is smooth and non-absorbent and
under-mount sinks, if they are the same or similar material, can
be mounted without a seam or caulk-line. The surface has a
pleasing mat finish
and will never shine, but scratches can be sanded and polished
out. Seams are normally invisible. Suppliers normally make cutting boards from the sink cut-out
as an extra, and these can serve as raw material for the repair of
serious damage in the future. Solid Surface tops will add value to
the kitchen if polished before market. SS tops (if generic) are about double
the cost of laminate.
-
Granite: Stone comes in a wide variety of colors and
types and the names can change with different suppliers. Besides
being naturally beautiful, stone is smooth, cool to the
touch and retains a high polish. Most stone sold
locally is from Brazil and arrives through the ports of Miami and
Tampa and hasn't traveled far over the roads, saving costs.
It is a natural product and the material's look will change with
changes in the quarry it comes from. You can choose your slabs from the local stone yard and the
fabricator will put it aside for your project. Hiding
the seams between pieces can sometimes be a problem if the stone
has a lot of figure. This can be minimized by a good fabricator. If well sealed
when new, stone will not normally absorb stains. Do not leave
spilled wine on the surface overnight but care is
usually
limited to just wiping with a sponge and drying with a hand towel.
People have asked if stone is hard on your dishes or glassware.
We have not experienced this after almost five years of daily
living with stone tops. Stone can cost about 1/3 more than
Solid Surface depending on your choice of material. Stone adds
the most value to your house on the resale market.
We are in an especially good buyers market for stone here in SW
Florida. Since the raw material comes through our local ports, the
price is low. In addition, many stone artisans are opening
businesses here due to our building industry. Competition is
fierce and prices are stable or lowering in our market while the
quality of the installations is rising.
-
Quartz: Quartz is a man-made product consisting of ground
granite (about 90%) mixed with solid surface resin. The surface
is hard and takes a polish but not a high polish. It is cool to
the touch but warmer than solid granite, and the surface does not need to be sealed, even when
new. The look is uniform without figure or variation. Quartz is
more expensive than stone. It generally costs about
1/4 to 1/3 more than a normal stone top and adds about the same
market resale value as natural granite. The uniformity of Quartz
can be an asset when there is a large top that requires a seam
as the seam is less visible due to the absence of figure in the
material.
-
Marble: Marble is almost never used for countertops
due to its softness and cost. I have not seen a new marble
countertop installation in years.
I'll try to rate features of the various available top
materials from 1 to 10. As you can see, heat damage resistance
varies as does maintenance and repair ability. This table is my own
view and does not relate to any other source.
|
