Are you looking for kitchen countertops? There are plenty of options you can go with. From stainless steel to granite, limestone, wood, and quartz, you can be confused about the right countertop surfaces to choose from. For you to make the right choice, you need to consider three factors:

Your budget: How much money do you have? If you are on a budget, lean towards laminate, stainless steel, and tile.  On the other hand, if you have a larger budget, gravitate towards natural stone, granite, and glass.

Your lifestyle: How do you lead your life? If you have a large family with children, go for more durable countertops. If you love cooking, go for a tough material that can withstand heavy usage.

If you are a single person and you are more interested in how the countertops look than their functionality, go for the most beautiful countertops in the stores.

Color and texture preferences: Countertops come in all types of colors and textures. When you visit a countertop store, carefully go through the countertop materials and choose the ones that accentuate the look of your house.

As mentioned above, there are plenty of countertop materials to choose from. The most popular ones being:

Granite

It’s the most popular countertop material in the market, and every new homeowner wants to install it. The good side is that when you take good care of it, it can last for a long time. It’s also heat resistant, so you don’t have to worry about it getting burnt.

It comes in an array of colors such as white, green, pink, black, and beige. This gives you peace of mind you will find the color of your liking.

You have two choices when choosing granite: polished or honed. Polished granite has a shiny finish while the honed finish has a matte look to it. If you aren’t sure of the one to go for, consult your countertop contractor, and he/she will recommend the best one.

While the countertop is an excellent kitchen and bathroom countertop, it’s expensive, so you need to have a large budget. You also have to re-seal granite at least once a year to prevent it from staining.

Marble

Marble countertops are the go-to pieces for bakers as they provide a soft, cold surface for rolling dough. Just like granite, they come in an array of colors. Since they are natural, no two marble slabs are the same, which gives them a unique look.

They are also heat resistant and won’t mark even when you put a hot pan or pot on it.

While bakers love marble, it quickly develops knife scratches, so if you love chopping things on the countertops instead of using a cutting board, this isn’t the best option for you.

The cool thing is you can prevent the scratches from coming about by covering the surfaces when working.

Since it’s soft, marble easily scratches and chips. This calls for you to be ultra-cautious when using it.

While it’s tough, marble is super porous. This means oil, wine, and other spills easily seep into the countertops, making them harder to remove.

Engineered stone

Termed as the hardest countertop material, engineered stone is mainly composed of quartz, which is a known hard material that doesn’t require any sealing. Quartz comes in a wide range of colors and patterns.

Upon installation, it’s hard to find the seams, the material is extremely durable, and stains aren’t too prominent.

While the stone is excellent, its main flaw is its expensive (almost as expensive as granite).

Concrete countertops

While not as popular as the others, concrete countertops are extremely tough and durable. They also come with plenty of finishes such as ground, trowel, and pressed. To give the surfaces a unique look, embed a glass into them.

While the countertop is tough, you need to seal it regularly. Sealing concrete countertops is highly expensive as temperature changes and acidic spills alter the shape of the surfaces.

Since the surfaces are made by the same materials used to build sidewalks, the countertops can crack. Countertop replacement Durham professionals recommend you add fiber reinforcement or wire mesh to the countertops to prevent them from breaking.

Wooden surfaces

They are also not popular, but they are excellent additions to your home, especially if you are operating on a budget. You have plenty of wooden surface options to choose from, such as oak, teak, walnut, and cherry.