When choosing a work surface, you should pay attention to its material and quality. Surfaces are used every day and experience a lot of wear and tear. Cheap laminate worktops – chipboard or multiplex core with laminate all around – are easy to clean, but not very durable and can only withstand high temperatures to a limited extent. Solid wood surfaces are more durable, but require more maintenance and need to be oiled or sanded from time to time.
Valuable and very durable are granite kitchen countertops. This stone is very hard, heat-resistant, and insensitive to scratches. Marble is softer and not as durable. This stone also absorbs liquids, which is why stains can form on the surface. Other materials for custom-made countertops are acrylic stone, concrete, ceramic or artificial stone. Stainless steel has become popular in professional kitchens because the material is heat-resistant, easy to clean, and hardly sensitive to bacteria or viruses. Its surface can be welded to the sink and fixtures, so no dirt settles into the grooves or edges.
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Installing Granite on the Countertop
The first step to take, when you want to replace the kitchen countertop with a new one, is obviously to contact a specialized company. The responsible staff will make an appointment to carry out an inspection to determine the size and space that must be provided to include the various components inside such as the stove or sink.
After selecting the materials and all the features of the new top, the company staff will come to install the new top. In a few hours, the operation will be completed and you will have a kitchen with a new look, at a low cost.
If you are one of those who love DIY, then you can get everything you need to replace the new top yourself. After taking all the measurements of the top, you can go to a furniture store and choose your top.
To replace a new custom-made top, you will have to remove the existing one and then install the new one. After installing the top, you can finish it with glue and silicone. Also, in this case with a few gestures, you will have a kitchen that is renewed in appearance and that reflects your taste.
Different solutions for a new kitchen countertop
To renew a kitchen countertop, the market offers many materials with different characteristics:
- Granite: Granite kitchen countertops have a “natural” aesthetic that is less refined than marble that fits well in rural environments. It is harder than marble, heat-resistant, and very practical. It can be damaged if it comes into contact with colored liquids or acids.
- Resin: The resin kitchen countertop is quite resistant and durable. Tt has a continuous aesthetic effect of great modernity, but it is very sensitive to scratches and nicks that are more visible on smooth and shiny surfaces.
- Marble: the kitchen countertop made with the noble material par excellence, has an effect of great value and elegance. It is durable over time. However, it is sensitive to acidic and colored liquids which can alter its brightness and color. Due to its natural porosity, it is difficult to clean.
- Laminate: economic solution very resistant over time, does not tolerate high temperatures well. In case of water infiltration in the joints, unsightly swelling of the kitchen countertop may occur.
- Steel: the kitchen countertop, made of steel, a ductile material, integrates aesthetically with the sink and hob. Creating a beautiful continuity, perfect in modern and minimal spaces. Hygienic and impact resistant, less resistant to scratches. It requires constant cleaning to avoid fingerprints and annoying halos.
- Ceramic: the ceramic kitchen countertop is an elegant and classy solution. It can count on the performance of a material highly resistant to heat and wear, as well as scratches. Beware of impacts, it can “chip”.
- Tiles: a worktop made with tiles is perfect for rustic and classic spaces. It has an excellent performance in terms of resistance over time and against shocks. It is not a continuous kitchen countertop, but is fragmented by joints: tiles over a meter wide are not easy to find. For this reason, it is also impractical to clean.
Cheap and Easy Way to Upgrade Your Kitchen Countertop (Granite Alternative)
Among the materials available for the realization of the top, there is a solution that allows you to renew the top, without replacing it, but simply covering it. It’s about microcement. This 3 mm thick material is superimposed on the existing top, without having to assemble or disassemble it. The operation is carried out in a very short time and at a low cost.
Kitchen countertops made of concrete or, better still, micro cement is very contemporary. Cleared for exclusive use in industrial environments, it fits into modern, classic, or minimal rustic spaces with absolute flexibility. No interruptions due to the continuity of the micro cement layer. It is highly customizable in colors and effects. If properly cared for, the micro cement kitchen countertop is resistant over time, to heat, shock, water and oil penetration, and stains. Without releasing harmful substances into the air.
Microcement is resistant to shock, heat, and scratches; easy to clean; hygienically safe and does not change color over time. You can customize it at will by choosing not only the color but also the texture. A practical and original way to renovate your kitchen.
Conclusion
There are many ways to make your kitchen look more beautiful. You can get creative with various other materials. Granite is indeed a strong, durable, and elegant material. They look luxurious. The choice of granite color for countertops is a bit of a headache. But natural colors such as white, black, gray, and brown will match almost all colors.