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One of the hottest trends in home design today is stone kitchen countertops. These durable, heat-resistant, luxurious counters are a beautiful and practical addition to any home. Though the various types of natural and engineered stones available, choosing the right one for your home can feel daunting. It may take a little time to look into, but all these counter materials do have pluses and minuses, so it's crucial that you determine what the first is right for your preferences.

Granite Countertops

Granite is a very common sort of igneous (volcanic) rock that forms beautiful crystalline textures. A hard kind of rock, granite is well suited for use as a counter in kitchens and bathrooms which is both heat and scratch resistant. Granite is made by pressure and heat over ages, so no two components of this natural stone are ever exactly alike. This one-of-a-kind characteristic is particularly popular with homeowners who want a really unique space. Granite countertops can be bought in a variety of naturally occurring colors and patterns, from neutrals to striking blues and greens. Stone countertops like granite do typically improve the value of your own home more than engineered stones like quartz as buyers tend to gravitate toward natural materials.

However, despite its prestigious reputation, granite countertops have several disadvantages. To begin with, granite can be a relatively porous stone, meaning it should be chemically sealed to resist stains. The sealing process is easy, nevertheless it must occasionally be repeated; many people consider this to be requirement for routine maintenance a negative. Secondly, granite is often a pricey material. While granite tiles can be utilized instead of granite slabs to reduce the buying price of the countertop, few people have enough money a granite countertop.

Marble Countertops

Homeowners are drawn to the luxurious appearance of marble countertops. The distinctive appearance of marble can dramatically boost the value of your property, since it is typically considered a prestigious, sophisticated material. Furthermore marble countertops would be the preferred surface for serious bakers since the cool stone is fantastic for pie crusts, pastries, and also other baked goods. Marble countertops can be found in a huge variety of colors from delicate blushes to vibrant blacks, each uniquely formed of course.



Marble is equipped with some distinct drawbacks as a countertop material. For starters, marble is often a more supple stone than granite, in order that it has a greater tendency to scratch and mar than granite countertops. Additionally, polished marble is vulnerable to etching when acidic liquids are invariably spilled on it. These spots and marks can destroy the finish of your respective countertop; you can avoid this issue by choosing a honed finish in place of a cultured finish, but many homeowners like the appearance of polished marble. Finally, marble is really a porous, absorbent stone, meaning it tends to stain. While many homeowners such as the patina their marble countertops develop over the years, many do consider it a drawback.

Soapstone Countertops

You're likely informed about soapstone from your secondary school chemistry lab; those black tables were made from soapstone. Today soapstone has become popular in kitchen countertops because of its extreme stain resistance. It's also heat resistant and won't etch.

One problem with soapstone counters is that they are simply obtainable in a small quantity of dark colors. Soapstone generally is a grayish color in nature, even though it is generally oiled to some black finish for commercial and residential use. Soapstone counters can also be vulnerable to scratching. However, soapstone counters can actually be sanded to eliminate nicks and mars, this susceptibility to scratching is not always viewed as a huge shortcoming.

Limestone Countertops

Limestone is often a sedimentary rock with qualities just like marble. For sale in many neutrals and whites, limestone countertops use a smooth appearance, unlike granite. Formed from sand and also the shells of aquatic life, limestone frequently includes small fossils and shells; some homeowners particularly value this unique element of limestone countertops.

However, like marble, limestone is a soft rock: it will stain and scratch easily and it is vunerable to etching. Your limestone counter might be sealed to assist prevent staining and etching, but limestone is just not appropriate for high use areas including kitchens.

Quartz Countertops

Quartz countertops are constructed from an engineered stone created from 93% quartz, pigment, and resin. This stone counter material has many of the qualities of granite, but with no upkeep issues. Quartz countertops are heat and scratch resistant and does not stain. And, unlike granite, quartz never should be sealed. As a man-made material, quartz counters have a very uniform color and pattern. Some homeowners do prefer this consistent check out the initial aspects of piece of rock. In addition, it implies that if your segment of one's quartz countertop is broken, the same replacement section can be acquired from the manufacturer without concerns about matching.

Though it may appear that quartz countertops are inherently superior, they certainly have a number of drawbacks. The primary concern is that despite a similar cost, engineered quartz counters don't improve the valuation on your property around granite countertops do. House buyers choose to natural material in the man-made counter, so you should bear this in mind in case you are remodeling your home as an investment. Additionally, although quartz counters are designed to mimic all-natural appearance of granite, many people believe that quartz lacks the depth and wonder of granite. To make certain which look you prefer, be sure you see samples of both natural and engineered stone. Finally, with quartz your color and pattern choices more limited compared to piece of rock. There are a large numbers of colors available, but particularly when you're wanting to exactly match your existing colors you could prefer the limitless rainbow of piece of rock.

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