One of the most frequently asked questions during kitchen remodeling is “What type of solid wood kitchen worktop will be best for my kitchen?” There are a number of different worktop materials available for consideration and each of the different types of cheap kitchen worktops have specific properties that may be beneficial for the homeowner. Knowing the properties of various wooden kitchen worktops can help you make an informed decision on what type of worktop will be best for your home.
Contents
Marble Kitchen Worktops
One of the most expensive types of oak kitchen worktops on the market today is the marble kitchen worktop. Marble is considered to be some of the most beautiful stone in the world and there are only a few quarries around the world that can extract high quality marble in the large slabs needed to produce a fitting kitchen worktop. The process of turning the stone into a worktop for the kitchen takes precision and skill to avoid marring the natural beauty of the marble or altering the appearance of the stone.
Marble kitchen worktops are heat resistant, but a high temperature item placed directly on the surface of the worktop can result in burns or discoloration in the sealant layer protecting the marble surface. Although the actual marble will not be damaged, hiring a trained professional repair the damage by stripping and resealing the affected area can cost hundreds of dollars for each occurrence. Before deciding to purchase a marble kitchen worktop, you should consider the price of maintaining and repairing the worktop along with the initial price of having the worktop manufactured for your home.
Granite Kitchen Worktops
If you are looking for a kitchen worktop high in strength and durability, then you may want to consider a granite kitchen worktop. These worktops are made from natural granite stone and can be purchased as whole stone slabs or thinner granite tiles that are placed on top of a secure foundation to create the kitchen worktop. Natural granite is available in a wide variety of colors, from traditional browns and grays to exotic pink or blue toned stone, enabling manufacturers to create worktops to complement many different kitchen color schemes.
Granite kitchen worktops can be very expensive and is purchased by square footage, often costing thousands of dollars depending on the size of the worktop to be built. Because of the high cost of the base materials for creating this type of worktop for the kitchen, most homeowners also choose to hire a certified professional contractor to put together the worktop in their home. This ensures that the worktop is assembled correctly and lessens the chance that any of the components of the worktop will be damaged during the installation.
Ceramic Tile Kitchen Worktops
One of the most popular types of kitchen worktop is the worktop made out of ceramic tiles. These worktops can be made in any color, style, or design that you choose and can be planned to match any type of kitchen décor. A ceramic tile kitchen worktop is created by applying heat resistant ceramic tiles to a worktop base using strong adhesives and using a thick layer of high quality clear sealant to create a protective layer over the top of the tiles.
Many people prefer a ceramic tile kitchen worktop because of the ease of maintaining and repairing the worktop. If a tile on the worktop becomes scratched, stained, or broken, it can easily be replaced with a new ceramic tile without compromising the integrity of the entire worktop. Replacing ceramic tiles on a kitchen worktop is so simple that many people choose to perform the task as a do-it-yourself project with the assistance of a home improvement book that details ceramic tile replacement.
Laminate Kitchen Worktops
Laminate kitchen worktops are one of the least expensive types of worktops for the home, but with lower price comes lower quality. The worktops can be found in a wide variety of colors and patterns, which makes it easy to match the worktop to an existing color or design scheme. Laminate kitchen worktops are non-porous, stain resistant, and can be cleaned quickly using a simple solution of soap and water.
On the other hand, laminate is not a durable material, so caution is needed when performing normal duties on the worktop. Expert advice states that homeowners should avoid cutting food directly on the worktop surface, placing high temperature items on the worktop surface, dropping heavy items on the worktop, or placing sharp objects on the surface of the worktop as each of these actions can damage a laminate kitchen worktop beyond repair. Minor damage can be repaired using a laminate repair kit, which is sold in many home improvement stores, but major damage will require the replacement of the entire laminate kitchen worktop.
There are many different types of hardwood kitchen worktops to choose from and each variety will have pros and cons associated with their use. By carefully considering all of your options, you will be able to make the right decision about the best type of kitchen worktop for your home.
Related Posts
