Kitchen Countertops Best Practices

Is this the first time you are installing kitchen countertops in your home? Here are some tips you should put into consideration:

Choose the right material

There are many countertop materials you can install in your home. You will be spoilt for choice from granite to quartz, as you have an entire gamut of countertops.

As you can tell, not all countertops are ideal for your home. To choose the right ones, you need to consider your preferred look. If you like a plain kitchen, you should go for countertops with a plain design and vice versa.

Your lifestyle will influence your choice. If you are at home most of the time, you can get away with countertops that need a lot of care as you have the time to care for them, but if you are out most of the time, get those that are easy to maintain and don’t need a lot of attention.

If you aren’t sure about the right countertops that will look good for your home, get the input of a professional.

Buy from a reputable store.

In the same way, there are many countertop materials to choose from is the same way there are many stores you can buy countertops from.

Many new homeowners buy countertops from the first countertop store they find. This is wrong.

The right way to go about it is to take your time and visit a couple of stores and see what they offer. While in these stores, compare the prices of the different countertop materials and settle on the store selling the materials at the least cost.

Due to their popularity, you might think big box stores are the best places to buy countertop materials, right? Well, wrong. In fact, you will be wise if you can ignore them as much as possible.

This is because they usually don’t have many countertop options to choose from. They also tend to sell their materials at extremely high prices.

Buy your materials from small stores to access a wide range of materials to choose from and at affordable prices. These stores might not be as popular, but they provide excellent services.

Since they specialize in countertop materials only, they tend to stock a wide range of these materials, so you have plenty of options.

These stores also work together with expert installers, so when you buy from them, you don’t need to worry about where to find an expert to install the countertops for you. When you purchase plenty of materials from some of the stores, you get free installation, which, as you can guess, means more money in your pocket.

Think about the functionality of the kitchen

How will you be using the kitchen? You need to think about this before you buy the countertops. This is because the different countertop materials have different applications.

If you love cooking, chances are you will make your kitchen dirty more often. To have an easy time maintaining a clean kitchen, go with easy-to-maintain countertops such as quartz.

If, on the other hand, you don’t cook too often but love having a clean and elegant-looking kitchen, you can go with granite or marble countertops.

Remember that even if you aren’t using your kitchen often, you must seal these countertops at least once a year. This prevents them from developing ugly stains that are hard to remove.

Besides sealing the surfaces, you also need to clean them daily to remove dirt and other materials that might ruin the original look of the surfaces.

Work with experts

When installing the countertops, be cautious of the person that installs them, as having them installed by the wrong person can lead to problems.

As mentioned above, you are more likely to find a reputable installation professional when you buy your materials from a reputable small store.

Whether you are looking to install marble, quartz, or granite kitchen countertops, Durham ensures that experienced professionals install them. Some homeowners try to cut costs by hiring a cheap contractor. Don’t do this, as you often end up damaging the countertops.

Guide to Taking Care of The Various Countertop Materials

You have to take good care of your countertops to last for a long time. Since different countertops have different features, you take care of them differently. How do you take care of your countertops? There are plenty of ways to go about it. Here is how to do it:

Quartz countertops

Quartz countertops are loved by many for their heat, stain, and scratch-resistant nature. The countertops are also non-porous, so you don’t need to seal them.

To maintain their elegant look, prevent the stains from coming about as much as possible. One of the ways to go about this is to never place hot pans on them. You should note that while the countertops are heat resistant, they aren’t heatproof. This means that when you place hot items on them, they will get damaged.

To protect the units, always have hot pads or trivets on them.

If stains develop on the countertops, apply a paste of hydrogen peroxide and flour on them. A good rule of thumb is to apply the paste on the surfaces and then let it sit for up to 24 hours.

In most cases, the paste will lift the spot right out within this time.

Wooden countertops

To keep your butcher block wooden countertops in top shape, apply mineral oil to them at least once a month. If your countertops aren’t butcher block, apply marine oil that will prevent the countertops from fading.

You should prevent burns and other marks from your countertops as much as possible, but if they come about, sand them out. For the stains, remove them using hydrogen peroxide or lemon juice.

Soapstone

Since it’s naturally non-porous, soapstone doesn’t require any sealing. Unfortunately, it’s soft and prone to nicks and scratches. Due to this, you should be ultra-cautious when preparing your meals or working around surfaces.

The countertops are also prone to discoloration, but luckily, you can easily get rid of them when you catch them early on. To remove slight discoloration, rub it out using mineral oil.

Marble countertops

Marble countertops usually require high maintenance than other countertop materials. Since they are naturally porous, they require regular sealing to prevent stains.

The porous nature of the countertops also makes them susceptible to etching, so you should be ultra-cautious when interacting with them.

Chemical corrosion is common with these countertops, but you can buff it with marble polish. For the oil stains, remove them using hydrogen peroxide, ammonia, or mineral spirits.

In the event food stains develop, lift them with water-based paste or dish soap and baking soda.

Laminate countertops

The most common problem with laminate countertops are stains. Luckily, you can get rid of the stains using a paste of baking soda and water. Leaving the paste on the countertops for 3-5 minutes will remove most surface stains.

If you have hard-to-remove stains, remove them using household bleach. For the best outcome, rub the bleach gently on the surfaces with a cotton ball.

Stainless steel countertops

The major issue with stainless steel countertops is the never-ending scratches on the surface that give the surfaces an ugly look.

Luckily, you can buff the scratches out with an abrasive pad.

Stainless is also prone to rust, but you can prevent it by avoiding the surfaces from coming into contact with a cast iron pan.

If the surfaces develop rust stains, remove them using baking soda and lemon juice paste.

Solid surface countertops

If there are fine scratches or stains on the surfaces, buff them out using a mild abrasive. Even with the best care, it’s common for countertops to develop a plastic-like patina. When this develops, move with haste and have it removed by an experienced professional.

Granite countertops

Like marble countertops, granite countertops Durham are porous, so you have to seal them regularly to prevent stains from developing. To tell whether your surfaces are ripe for sealing, you should splash water on them and seal them.

If the water gets absorbed, it’s time to seal them.

Besides sealing the surfaces, also take care of the items you place on the surfaces, as you don’t want to ruin them.

What Countertop Do I Have?

When you install countertops in your home, you know what you are working with, but when you move to a new house, you don’t know the countertops installed there. If this is your current situation, you must be asking, what countertops do I have, right?

Well, there are several ways you can tell the kind of kitchen countertops you currently have. Some of these ways include:

Check the uniformity of the countertops

You can tell the nature of your countertops by inspecting their uniformity. If your units have a uniform color and consistency throughout, you are probably looking at quartz countertops.

Since quartz slabs are manufactured, they tend to be uniform, with little variations in patterns and textures.

To make quartz slabs, manufacturers mix ground stones with resins and polymers. Some quartz countertops blend ground marble, granite, and other natural stones.

The beauty of quartz countertops is they are tough and take a lot of abuse. They also require little maintenance, so you don’t need to worry about them getting easily stained.

Look out for grainy and blurry color patches.

If your countertops have grainer and blurry color patches instead of distinct patches, you are most likely looking at granite countertops.

Granite stone is naturally available and has been around for thousands of years, and over the years, it has been heavily used in the construction of monuments, bridges, and buildings.

Granite countertops come in different colors as a result of an assortment of different minerals available in the stone. These minerals include: mica, feldspar, quartz, and many others.

Besides identifying granite by its grainier and blurry look, you can also identify it by the many crystals and clumps of minerals that it contains. When you look at the granite slab, you see veracious pieces in speckled patterns that come together to form a stone.

Look at translucency

Can you see a few millimeters past the surface? You have marble countertops in your kitchen. Marble is one of the most elegant natural stones in the world, and for centuries, it has been used to construct palaces fit for kings and statues dedicated to various gods.

Marble free of impurities is solid white, but this is not always the case. In most cases, it contains impurities that make it pink, bluish, gray, yellow, or black.

The colors appear as swirls or veins throughout the stone, with no repeating or symmetrical patterns and varying dimensions and depths.

True marble has unparalleled glossiness that lasts for a long time.

Most people are confused about whether they are looking at marble or granite countertops. If you aren’t sure about what you have on your surfaces, undertake the cut test.

Here you cut the countertop with a sharp object such as a knife. Real marble will show scratches and etching over time. The countertop is most likely granite or manufactured stone if you scratch the surface but don’t see any damage.

Which is the best countertop to have?

Well, there is no right or wrong countertop—it depends on your preferences. If you like the current look of your countertops, you need to take good care of them to retain the elegant look.

Regardless of the countertops on your surfaces, one of the things you shouldn’t do is expose them to heat. As much as the countertops are tough and can withstand high temperatures, you should note that they aren’t heatproof.

You might get away with placing the hot pots and pans on the surfaces a few times, but when you repeatedly do it, you stand to ruin your surfaces.

To protect your quartz, marble, or granite kitchen countertops Durham, have trivets and other heat-insulating materials that will prevent the heat from getting to the countertops.

For your marble and granite counters, you will need to seal them at least once a year to keep off stains.

How to Keep Your Countertops Looking Like New

When you install your kitchen countertops, you want them to look good for a long time, don’t you? The good news is that it’s possible to do it. How do you go about it? Here is what you need to do:

Don’t cut directly on the countertops

As much as the countertops look tough and indestructible, they aren’t. When you repeatedly cut directly on them, you are bound to damage them permanently.

You can get away with it the first few times, but when you continuously do it, you leave permanent knife marks on the surfaces, which are not only unsightly to look at but also give your counters a cheap look.

The best way to go about it is always to have a chopping board where you do all your chopping. Here is where you chop your vegetables, tomatoes, onions, meat, and other items you might be interested in.

Of course, ensure that the chopping board is in good shape and doesn’t scratch your counters.

Be ultra cautious when doing the cleaning.

Cleaning your counters removes dust and other materials from the surfaces, but you should be cautious about how you go about it. This is because you can easily cause more problems than were originally there.

As much as you want your countertops to look good and new, don’t use harsh cleaning products, as you will damage the surfaces. As a rule of thumb, don’t use products containing strong acidic ingredients as they will remove the sealant or coating.

To be safe, use mild cleaners to clean your surfaces. If you aren’t sure about the right ones to get, consult a professional. Your manufacturer will also guide you pick the right cleaner for your surfaces.

Keep the counters away from heat.

The same way, some people have the impression that they can safely cut directly on their countertops in the same way they have the impression that they can place hot pots and other hot items on their counters without causing any damage.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the case.

As much as granite surfaces are tough, they aren’t heatproof. This means that when you place hot items on them, they will get damaged, and you don’t want this, do you?

To protect your surfaces from heat damage, have hot pads, trivets, and other protective materials on the countertop surfaces.

As you protect your surfaces, remember that it’s not only the hot pots from the fire that can damage your surfaces but also, hot plates and cups can cause extensive damage, so always have coasters to place your hot cups and plates on.

If you don’t have these protective materials on your surfaces, don’t risk it. Always let your hot pots cool down completely before you place them on the surfaces.

Don’t sit on the counters.

When you look at your countertops, they look like excellent sitting surfaces, right? While they are, you shouldn’t succumb to sitting or standing on them.

Besides the risk of the countertops breaking, there is also the risk of the metal parts of your jeans and other pieces of clothing scratching the surfaces and giving them a dull look.

You don’t want this, do you?

Avoid sitting or standing on your surfaces at all costs to ensure this doesn’t happen.

To eliminate the temptation, have a chair in your kitchen to sit on as you wait for the food to cook.

Have a ladder in the kitchen to avoid having to stand on the counters to replace the bulb or reach the top shelves.

Seal the countertops

If you have porous countertops such as granite and marble countertops NC, make it an effort to seal them at the time of installation, then at least once every year.

Use high-quality sealing products to get the most from your sealing work. As a rule of thumb, use products specially designed for your countertops.

Besides this, ensure that the sealing work is done by an expert who has been at it for a long time. Don’t hire a noob who will likely cause more problems than were originally there.

4 Things That Will Destroy Your Granite Countertops

Did you know that your granite countertops can be destroyed even by the most mundane things? Here are some of the things that can wreak havoc:

Raw meat

As much as it appears harmless, raw meat can be highly harmful to your countertops. The harm comes when the fluids from the meat seep into the granite layers.

Here bacteria and other microbes grow and not only give your countertops an ugly look, but also easily give you food poisoning.

The situation is even worse when you decide to chop the meat on your countertops. As much as granite appears tough, it’s not immune to knife damage. This means that when you decide to chop the meat directly on the surfaces, you are bound to damage your precious countertops.

Don’t make it a habit to place your raw meat directly on the countertops to protect your surfaces. When you accidentally do it, move with haste to clean and disinfect the surfaces.

As you use disinfectants, be cautious, as you can easily cause more harm than good. As a rule of thumb, don’t use vinegar or bleach solutions as they have been shown to discolor the countertops. In other cases, they have been shown to cause extensive wear and tear.

To protect your surfaces, don’t cut directly on them. Instead, always have a chopping board on hand.

Hot pans

The other thing that will destroy your countertops is a hot pan. As much as granite appears tough, it’s not fireproof.

You might get away with placing hot pans on your countertops a couple of times, but when you repeatedly do it, you stand, causing significant damage to the surfaces.

It’s normal to have accidental slips and place the hot pans on your surfaces, but to stay on the safe side, don’t place hot pans or any other hot item on your surfaces. The right way to go about it is always to have trivets or hot pads on your surfaces.

If you don’t have these, always let the pans and hot pots cool completely before you place them on the countertops.

Food

Yes, you read that right. Food can be harmful to your countertops. A classic example is a red wine. As much as it makes you feel relaxed and happy, red wine is acidic and can be extremely harmful to the countertops when you let them sit for a long time.

The acids in the wine etch the countertop surfaces, degrading the seal and exposing the vulnerable stone underneath. This not only gives your countertops an ugly look but also makes your countertops develop stains that are hard to remove.

To protect your countertops and keep them in perfect shape, ensure that you wipe all the spills as soon as they happen. As mentioned above, don’t use harsh liquids such as vinegar and others as they might cause more problems than were originally there.

Children

You must have visited a friend and found them bathing their child in the kitchen sink. While this looks fun, don’t try it in your kitchen.

This is because doing it puts too much pressure on the countertop sink, putting it at risk of getting damaged.

As much as the sink in your kitchen appears tough, it’s not designed to handle too much weight. This means that placing the baby in the sink increases the chances of it getting damaged.

Regardless of how happy you want to make the baby, don’t bathe them in the sink—use your regular bathing area for this.

The same way you shouldn’t use the kitchen sink for bathing your child is the same way you shouldn’t sit or stand on your countertops.

Most homeowners are guilty of this. They will sit on their countertops while waiting for the food to cook. Others will stand on the surfaces as they reach the top shelf or replace the bulbs.

To protect your granite kitchen countertops Durham, don’t sit or stand on them. Have a chair to sit on while in the kitchen. It’s also wise to have a ladder to step on when looking to replace the bulb or reach the top shelf.

Best Kitchen Countertop Colors

Are you thinking about installing kitchen countertops but aren’t sure what color to go for? There are plenty of color options you can go with, with the common ones being:

Rustic wood tone

Wooden countertops give your kitchen a homey and warm atmosphere, so if this is the atmosphere you are after, this is the best countertop color. This choice is also smart when you want to give your kitchen a transitional appeal.

To make your kitchen more interesting, install a wooden island, then pair it with a stone countertop on the sides adjacent to the kitchen wall.

Neutral gray tone

The neutral gray tone is friendly and highly versatile, especially with other accents and fancy colors. When properly installed, the gray tone gives a balance between stark white and dark tone, while lifting the aesthetics of the countertops.

The gray countertops work best when you want different vibrant colors for your kitchen cabinetry. The tone also comes in handy when looking to complement any chrome plated finish in the kitchen area.

White with fine veinings

If you want to install marble countertops in your kitchen, avoid being like everyone else. While the stark white beauty of the white marble is elegant to look out for, it gives a kitchen a cliché look.

To stand out, use a different color of marble. For example, use marble with white background with a grainy or fine veining.

If you have always wanted to have granite countertops instead, go for countertops with white or beige colors that perfectly match the color tone.

Besides a white kitchen countertop looking great, it also makes your small kitchen space look bigger. There is also the illusion of cleanliness and an airy feeling.

Regardless of the white countertop you choose, ensure that you get it from a reputable store. You also should have it professionally installed by an expert that knows what they are doing.

Rich black tone

The beauty of black countertops is that they work extremely well with dark and colorful cabinets.

If you want to draw attention to them, install them in such a way that everything else around them has a light color hue.

Install the countertops with a mirror or backsplash for an interesting look.

Are you a minimalist? Go with a black-and-white tone. Besides giving your house a simple look, it also gives an interesting traditional and contemporary atmosphere.

Stark white countertops

Stark white countertops are the perfect choice for those looking to give their kitchens a minimalist look.

Besides being simple, the countertops can fit with a variety of cabinets. For example, they can fit with wooden grainy cabinets, chrome plate surfaces, etc.

If you have a narrow kitchen, the stark white color cuts the cave-like feeling, making your kitchen more comfortable to live in, not to mention making your kitchen feel airy and look spotlessly clean.

Countertops with bold veinings

You choose these countertops when looking to give your kitchen a dramatic look. Due to the veinings, you make your countertops the center of attention.

To get the most from the veinings, ensure that you install them in a large kitchen. Don’t install them in a smaller kitchen, as they can be overwhelming and even make the kitchen look smaller than it already is.

Parting shot

These are some of the countertop color options you can choose for your countertops. To get the most from them, choose the right color. If you aren’t sure about the right one to go for, get the input of a professional.

Regardless of whether you are installing marble, granite, or quartz kitchen countertops NC, have them professionally installed. Take your time finding an experienced contractor that will properly install the surfaces.

You might argue that you will be late finding the right contractor but remember that you are better late than having a botched kitchen.

Besides the contractor you hire being experienced, they also should be insured. This way, you are sure that in the event an accident happens, you won’t be held liable. The company will also compensate you in the event it damages your surfaces.

Things To Consider When Buying Kitchen Countertops

When you are looking to buy kitchen countertops, there are plenty of things you need to consider to buy the right units. These things include:

Your lifestyle

Different countertop materials are ideal for various applications. If you have small children, so you cook a lot, chances are your home has plenty of spills and accidents. In such a scenario, you should avoid marble or white granite countertops as it will just be a matter of time before the countertops develop ugly stains giving your kitchen an ugly, unappealing look.

Here, you need tough but easy-to-maintain countertop materials.

If, on the other hand, you live alone and rarely use the kitchen, marble or white granite countertop surfaces are an excellent choice as you won’t worry about them developing ugly stains.

If you aren’t sure about the right material for your lifestyle, get the input of a professional.

Ease of maintenance

How much care do the countertops need? You should ask this question before you make the purchase.

Of course, to have an easy time, you should buy countertop materials that are easy to maintain.

As much as granite and marble surfaces are excellent, they need regular sealing to prevent stains from developing. Is this something you are comfortable doing at least once or twice a year? You should think about this.

If you aren’t comfortable with this, you are better with quartz countertops or other materials that don’t need sealing.

Remember that even if you go for easy-to-maintain countertops, you need to protect them from damage so they can last for a long time. This calls for you to avoid cutting directly on them.

You also should avoid standing or sitting on the countertops as you can easily break them.

Your preferred look

How do you want your kitchen to look? We all have a preferred look, and you should consider this when purchasing.

Some countertops can give your kitchen a traditional look, while others give it a contemporary vibe. Give your kitchen the look you want.

If you aren’t sure about the right countertops you should go for, get the input of an expert.

Your preferred sink mounting

Over-mounted and under-mounted sinks are two popular ways to mount your sink to your kitchen countertops. You should note that the style of sink you install will influence the size and style of countertops you choose.

Here is more about the mounting sink types:

Under-mounted sinks: With under-mounted sinks, the sink’s edge lip is mounted below the countertop. This sink mounting style creates a continuous flow, making it easy to clean up crumbs when a mess comes about.

Some of the best materials for under-mounted sinks are granite, marble, concrete, and quartz.

Don’t try to install under-mounted sinks on other materials, as there is the risk that the materials won’t be well suited for these sinks. In most cases, there are risks of having too many seams and grout lines.

Over-mounted sinks: Also known as drop-in sinks, these sinks involve dropping off the sink into the countertop. Unlike the under-mounted sinks, this style has edges over the kitchen countertop giving it a traditional look.

Your home layout

The kitchen is the heart of every home and should tie the entire house together. As a rule of thumb, ensure that the style and layout of the house flows throughout the house.

For example, choose countertop materials that maintain the look if your house has an open concept. In such a case, keep a simple color palette that looks good on the open layout.

Your budget

As you can tell, this influences everything from the store you buy the countertops to the contractor your hire.

Many people make the mistake of rushing to the stores with little money. You should note that quality comes at a price, so there is no way you will get quality granite or marble countertops Durham on a small budget.

Instead of being in a hurry, always take your time and save some money until it’s enough for your desired countertops.

Can I Put A Toaster On A Quartz Countertop?

best kitchen countertop contractor

If you love toasted bread, you must be wondering whether you can place your toaster on your quartz countertops. After all, you don’t want to damage your countertops, right?

Well, you shouldn’t place your toaster directly on your countertops without a protective barrier such as a trivet, glass cutting board, or ceramic tile to prevent the heat from transferring from the toaster to the countertops.

What happens when you place the toaster directly on the countertops?

Placing the toaster on the countertops without any form of precaution will bring about a number of issues such as:

Heat from the toaster will damage the polyester resin on the quartz

Quartz is an engineered stone created largely from tough minerals, usually consisting of 90% quartz stone and 10% polyester resin. The polyester resins hold or bind the quartz together, helping quartz to be one of the most durable materials on the market.

Unfortunately, the polyester resin in quartz can be easily damaged by heat from the toaster oven, electric frying pan, oven, crock pot, or any other appliance that produces a lot of heat.

The heat weakens the polyester resins when you place the toaster unprotected on the countertops. In the long term, the resins swell or even swell.

The toaster oven harms indoor air quality.

As you use your toaster, the heat produced by the appliance gets transmitted onto the countertop’s surface, where it emits harmful pollutants into the air.

This happens due to synthetic polyester resins releasing chemicals into the atmosphere.

The pollution from these chemicals can be anything from carbon monoxide to hydrocarbons that can cause respiratory problems, especially for people with asthma, pregnant, and infants, still in their growing stages.

The toaster dulls the countertops.

In most cases, when you use the toaster directly on the countertops, it makes the countertops duller. In some cases, the countertop begins to form stains, which, as you can guess, isn’t a good look.

How can you protect the countertops?

To prevent the dangers of placing the toaster directly on the countertops, you should protect the countertops from damage. How do you do it? Here is how to go about it:

Trivets

Trivets are an excellent way to avoid direct contact with your countertops with the toaster. Trivets are made from steel, ceramic, and even silicone.

The best and most affordable trivets you should go for are silicone trivets. They can tolerate the same high heat as the other trivets made from ceramics and cork.

At the same time, they stay cool, and you can leave your toaster on them for a long time without worrying that they will get too hot to the extent they damage your countertops.

When buying the trivets, ensure that you buy them from a reputable store. This way, you have peace of mind that they are high quality and will give you a long service.

Ceramic tile

Ceramic tiles come with an in-built protective coating that enables the tiles to withstand daily use without showing signs of damage.

The beauty of the tiles is you don’t need any special tools to install them, which makes them an excellent and cost-effective solution to the hot toaster. All you need to do is to align the tile around your appliance, and once you complete the four sides, you are good to go.

Cardboard or wood

You can always use cardboard if you don’t want to invest in a trivet or ceramic tile. Be cautious of your safety when using a board, as the plastic board can melt fast.

As much as a wooden board won’t melt, it is risky to staining, especially when exposed to high temperatures.

Steel baking sheet

Steel baking sheets don’t scratch or damage the surfaces and, at the same time, remain durable enough to withstand heat from different appliances, including toasters.

When buying the sheets for your quartz kitchen countertops Durham, pay close attention to how wide and deep the coaster is. As a rule, ensure that the sheets perfectly fit your appliance.

How Do You Protect A Countertop From Heat?

As much as they appear tough, most countertop materials will get damaged by heat. You don’t want to replace your countertops as it’s too expensive regularly, do you? To ensure this doesn’t happen, you should protect the countertops from heat.

How do you do this? Here is how to go about it:

Use silicone mats

They are large, thick, and highly effective at protecting your kitchen countertops from heat. The mats work by blocking the heat emitted by your appliances, and to protect your countertops, you should place the mats under your stove, coffee maker, toaster, microwave, or any other appliance you might be having.

The cool thing is that besides the mats protecting your countertops from heat, they also protect the surfaces from spills, scratches, and grease.

Silicone is non-slip, which means that your appliances will stay in place, without moving around, which comes in handy in ensuring that the appliances remain where you want them.

The mats effectively take heat ranging from 40 degrees to 446 degrees Celsius, keeping your countertops as safe as possible.

Heating pads

You place heating pads beneath hot dishes and pans where they block the heat from getting to your precious countertops. Most of the pads are made from cloth, but they can also be made from other materials such as cotton, rattan, cork, or even silicone.

Some people use towels for heating pads. While they work, you should be ultra cautious when using them as the loose ends can be a hazard for accidents that could lead to a serious injury.

The condensation from the pad can get trapped beneath, damaging the surfaces.

For peace of mind when preparing your meals, use silicone pads or thicker cloth pads specially designed for hot pots and pans. These will keep your food accessible and your counters safe from heat damage.

Ceramic countertop protectors

These protectors are highly effective when looking to protect your surfaces against high temperatures. Some manufacturers make higher-grade protectors that can withstand as high as 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

While the protectors are highly effective at taking high temperatures, the downside is that they sometimes get hot, putting your countertops at the risk of getting damaged.

To prevent your counters, go for protectors with a protective base to ground them. These bases can be made out of rubber or silicone.

Ceramic protectors come in all colors and designs, which gives your surfaces a splash of color.

The cool thing is that they always come with a cork backing that ensures that scratches and other possible accidental surface damages don’t happen.

As you are buying ceramic protectors, you should note that they aren’t the most durable materials on the market. This means that after some time you will have to replace them. The good thing about this is that they are easy to replace when they chip or crack.

Peel and stick countertop covers

From their name, these are covers that you can easily stick to your countertop, and in the process, you not only alter their look, but also protect them from damage.

The covers are sold by the roll, making it easy to cut and tailor them to the exact dimensions of your countertops.

To install them, you need to measure the size of your countertops, cut your desired countertop, peel off the backing, and get ready to go.

Should they get damaged or change your mind about their design, they are easy to remove as all you need is to peel them off without worrying about damaging the countertop beneath or leaving residues behind.

Wooden countertop protectors

Besides being highly decorative and improving the appeal of your kitchen, they protect your counters from excessive heat.

The only downside of the protectors is they aren’t as heat resistant so if you aren’t cautious in the kitchen, you can easily damage your granite kitchen countertops NC or any other countertop surfaces you might be having.

To get maximum protection and stability, go for countertop protectors with rubber feet and a rubber base.

Best Practices When Living With Marble Countertops

Marble countertops are not only beautiful and give your home a high-end look, but they also can last for a long time when you take good care of them. And the good thing is that you can do several things to ensure that they last for as long as possible. Which are these things you should do? Here they are:

Keep acidic substances away from your countertops

Acidic substances can etch into your countertop surfaces and leave your surfaces dull and lackluster. To be on the safe side, don’t use an abrasive or acidic cleaner such as bleach or vinegar on your surfaces. You also should never use harsh scrubbing pads on the surfaces.

Certain fruits such as tomatoes, citrus, and others have been found to contain high acid levels, so you should keep them off your countertops.

To keep your countertops in top shape for a long time, have specialized bowls to store the acidic fruits.

Don’t cut on the countertops.

Marble looks tough and damage-proof, but it isn’t. This means that when you cut directly on it, you are bound to damage it. To ensure this doesn’t happen, have a cutting board where you cut your vegetables, and chop meat, among many other tasks.

Clean the countertops with a gentle soap

You might have the impression that you need abrasive cleaners to clean your countertops, but this isn’t the case. You should know that marble is one of the easiest materials to clean, and you can achieve almost perfect clean surfaces using gentle soap and warm water.

All you need to do is to wash the surfaces with a solution of soap and water, then wipe them with a wet, hot dish towel. Once done, dry the surfaces with an absorbent towel.

To avoid deep stains that are hard to remove, make it a habit to spot clean any spills immediately. Remember that the longer you leave substances on marble, the more they are likely to stain, so keep them off the countertops as much as possible.

Always thoroughly wipe your counters.

Here you need to spray the counters, then use a cloth dipped in soap and water to wipe down the surfaces, focusing on any dried food or debris.

To ensure that your counters really shine, dry them thoroughly with a clean, dry cloth. Some of the best clothes for this are microfiber clothes. In some cases, you have to repeat the polishing to achieve ideal results.

For perfect-looking countertops, clean the surfaces daily, especially if you have a high-traffic kitchen. For the bathrooms, wipe them once a week.

Buff out impurities

In the event your countertops develop stains, you can try and get rid of them by buffing them out. One of the best products to use for the work is #0000 steel wool.

If the nicks, gouges, or dull spots are large, don’t try to remove them, as you will most likely damage your surfaces. In such a case, hire a professional to sand them out. If you aren’t sure whether you can remove the scratches, check with your manufacturer or the company you bought the countertops from.

Seal the countertops

Like granite, marble is highly porous, meaning that when you go for a long time without sealing it, water and other impurities can easily get into the countertops and stain them.

To prevent the stains from coming about, make it a habit to seal your countertops at the time of installation then once every year.

You can seal the surfaces by yourself or hire a professional to help. Regardless of how you go about it, ensure that you use a high-quality sealer. Using a sealant specially formulated for marble surfaces will be better.

Parting shot

Like granite countertops Raleigh, marble surfaces are porous, so they need to be properly maintained to prevent them from getting damaged. As a rule of thumb, don’t treat your counters as chopping boards. Always have a chopping board in place.

Also, don’t clean the surfaces using abrasive materials regardless of how dirty they look. Remember that marble is one of the easiest materials to clean, so don’t put so much effort into it. Warm water and gentle soap are enough.