Many people favor stone kitchen work surfaces over their laminate counterparts. Stones are chosen mainly because of the expensive look they exude, not to mention their durability. On the other hand, laminates are not too bad either. Some are designed to be very tough and durable, and we must say that they are good to look at too. Unfortunately, laminates are very far from natural looking, and we guess this is the main reason why many people shy away from them.
Among the stones, the popular ones are marble, granite, and quartz. If durability is your number one criteria, then, eliminate marble. Among the three, this stone is the most vulnerable to acid. And since the kitchen is full of acids (tomato sauce, orange juice, vinegar, lemon, even cleaning products), you can imagine the amount of work you need to do to maintain your marble countertop.
You are now left with granite and quartz. Both are durable and require very little maintenance. But there are two other criteria you want to work around here – price and looks. In terms of price, granite comes in a very big range. Fancy granite slabs can be thousands of dollars more than the regular quartz top. However, there are also cheaper granite slabs you might want to consider, and these usually cost less than thehigh quality quartz counters. So you must decide on how much you are willing to pay.
In terms of looks, well, what can we say? Does not beauty lie in the eye of the beholder? Granite is an all-natural stone, so you must expect some flaws in the design, which many people find attractive. On the other hand, quartz is human made, and so there is hardly any flaws that you can see in its pattern. Quartz comes in a range of vibrant colours you can choose from. It’s a tough decision, so take your time making it!