Part 1: natural materials

Ahh, the countertops! Do you go with laminate, quartz, granite, marble, tile or porcelain (whaaaa?)?.. Which material is the best, the prettiest, the most durable, the best value for money. And the color choices… goodness.

Well, let’s start with basics: there are two types of material – natural and man made. Any stone you are looking at: granite, marble, onyx, soapstone would be considered natural; the rest – man made. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages, so the choice of countertop comes down to your lifestyle, traffic in your kitchen, your personal preferences and your budget, of course. I will take it step by step for most common natural and man made materials to give you an idea of what is what

Granite

Granite is a natural stone that has been formed under conditions of high heat and pressure. Depending on presence of different metals and elements, the colors and patterns vary greatly. Generally, deeper the granite is formed, larger the specks.

And, large the speck, higher the price of the granite. Compare Santa Cecilia (one of the most affordable granites) to Portinari above (higher-range granite).

Granite

Granite is a very tough stone, but can be brittle. That’s not an oxymoron, that’s the reality, folks! Given the use (countertop), you get a thin (around 1 1/4”) but very long piece of stone, which, unless installed on leveled surface will crack. But, once installed, it will last you lifetime with proper care.

The color options for granite are practically endless, nature is the best designer, after all! Granite slabs have a striking deviation in color and pattern, so the stone needs to be chosen in person and out of slabs! I cannot stress this enough! So many time people chose the granite from the sample in the showroom and ended up with a completely different look! Granite slab has to be picked in person