When you first step into any kitchen the focal point is always the countertop. Everyone will notice a beautiful or a horrible countertop. A gleaming countertop can make cheap cabinets look better and expensive cabinets look sensational.
However, when it comes time to choose the surface for your kitchen, what do you want, natural stone or a man made product?
The biggest deciding factor can usually come down figuring out your price range.
Natural stone can be an expensive product, as you can typically expect to spend $50 - $105 per square foot installed. It is a very broad range, but it truly depends on what kind of stone you pick and the company you choose. Natural stone will last a lifetime and if it is in your price range then you should compare to it's competitors. Competitors of natural stone are: Corian, Quartz surfaces, cultured marble and concrete. Corian is around the same price and obviously won't look quite like natural stone however it does have a nice appeal.
Concrete is a very flexible alternative as the design elements are almost endless. The only downfall to concrete is the upkeep. It's not a maintenance free product by a long shot. Problems with cracking and color changing are the biggest complaints. That leaves Quartz surfaces. These products are the closest to natural stone because they typically are made mostly of quartz. The product consists of 93 percent quartz, polymer resins and various other natural stone products.
So, what are the advantages to natural stone?
Granite is probably the most popular of the natural stones. The others are marble, limestone, soapstone, onyx and slate. Granite is the most practical of the bunch. It's the most widely used for kitchen applications. The others are used for low traffic areas, more for looks than practicality. Granite is heat proof, up to 350 degrees safely. It is also, typically, a very hard surface, depending on the color of stone. A rule of thumb is the darker the granite the harder it is, in most cases. You can cut on it, but you might leave some scratches. It's a very low maintenance product, some sealers you might only have to do every 3 - 5 years.
The main advantage is no one will have the same countertops as you.
Someone might have the same color stone, but no two slabs are exactly alike. With manmade products, a certain color is produced exactly the same every time.
Every natural stone slab has its own characteristics. Some of the colors are absolutely beautiful. The stones can come from all over the world; Brazil, China, India or right from the area you live in.
You can certainly have a totally unique countertop that no one else has.
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The design team at Lake Builders Kitchen Supply has 75 years of combined experience in the kitchen and bath industry, and can guide you in crafting a functional and stylish space that suits your unique needs.
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