Tag Archives: countertops care

Tips for Keeping Your Kitchen Countertops in Good Shape

Having the correct kitchen countertop surfaces can be incredibly advantageous in the long run. For example, high-quality countertops bring significant worth to your life and help attract serious purchasers if you decide to sell your house later.

They also significantly increase the functionality of your kitchen. Cleaning up with high-performance kitchen countertop surfaces is a breeze, streamlining your everyday routine.

One of the most significant advantages of installing new kitchen countertops is that they can completely transform the appearance of your kitchen.

Your kitchen will look substantially better if you’ve invested in beautiful countertops. You don’t want your new countertops to look out of place, do you? To ensure this doesn’t happen, here are tips to keep your countertops in good shape:

Ensure the countertops are correctly installed

One of the simplest ways to keep your kitchen countertops in good condition is to hire an experienced professional to perform a proper installation.

Keep in mind that some kitchen countertop materials require high maintenance. If you’re not up to the task, it can be challenging to maintain your countertops.

As a result, it is essential to start by consulting an expert to determine which kitchen countertop material is most suited for your needs. You should also search for a kitchen renovation contractor with experience installing new worktops.

Ask someone you know who has recently installed high-quality countertops you admire for a referral.

You can also look online and read reviews to find a professional to install it properly. If you’re inclined to do the project yourself, you should reconsider because there is a severe learning curve.

The last thing you want to do is learn on the job. When done incorrectly, your kitchen countertops may become misaligned and have poorly sealed seams. You don’t want this, do you?

Improper installation might make keeping your countertops in good condition challenging due to uneven surfaces, discoloration, and peeling. As a result, if you want long-lasting countertops, investing in superior craftsmanship is worthwhile.

While this is the case, you should note that an experienced professional doesn’t come cheap. Due to this, you should be ready to spend some money. The beauty is that you will have excellent results.

Seal the countertops regularly.

If you’re lucky, your kitchen countertop materials won’t need you to apply surface sealant. However, if you have granite, wood, or concrete countertops, this is a prerequisite as it helps protect against scratches, stains, and drying out. Kitchen counters with porous surfaces can trap moisture if they’re not properly sealed, which causes all sorts of problems, such as the growth of bacteria.

This can negatively impact the function of your countertops because when you can’t correctly disinfect the surfaces, it might not be safe to use them for meal preparation.

On the other hand, sealed surfaces don’t absorb spills, and they are much easier to clean. Sealing them also prevents etching, which happens when things like lemon juice spill and you don’t immediately spill them.

Sealing makes countertops easy to clean and helps preserve the countertop’s natural surfaces. Typically, surfaces are best sealed during installation. That’s why it’s a good idea to use a professional for the installation; they know what type of sealant to use.

Besides sealing the countertops at the time of installation, you should also reseal them regularly, at least once yearly.

Protect the countertops from heat.

Keeping heat away from your countertops makes sense because it is harmful and warps materials. Heat causes materials to expand and then constrict when they cool. Repeated expansion and contraction can be detrimental to countertops.

While this is the case, you might be shocked by how many individuals believe it will make little impact. If you ignore these guidelines, your countertops may not look worn out today or tomorrow, but they will wear down faster.

The more susceptible the countertops are to heat, the more quickly they may be harmed.

To protect the surfaces, ensure that no direct heat gets into contact with the surfaces. This requires you to use trivets when placing hot pans on the surface. While you’re at it, use a cutting board rather than slicing right on the kitchen countertop. This will allow you to avoid persistent and ugly scratches.

Clean the countertops with the suitable materials.

If you follow the proper cleaning procedures, your countertops will remain in excellent shape for a long time. One of the most effective preventative methods for maintaining the appearance of your kitchen countertop materials is to clean spills as soon as they occur.

This prevents stains from accumulating on your surfaces, which are difficult to remove. Even if you invest in a spill-resistant material, it is still possible for the material to absorb the spill over time.

Watch out for acidic substances, as they can be harmful to most kitchen countertops. As a result, act swiftly when dealing with low-pH spills.

This contains acids such as lemon, citric acid, and vinegar. In any case, keep your counters dry and wipe them down often to remove any moisture.

Using abrasive items on most kitchen countertop surfaces is a bad idea. Tools like steel wool are prone to scratching the surfaces, giving them an ugly appearance.

Typically, You can keep your countertops looking neat and clean using a simple cleaning solution and a microfiber cloth.

A microfiber cloth, in particular, can work wonders because it is incredibly absorbent and excellent at removing grime. Use mild cleaning because harsh chemicals or acidic cleaners might cause more harm than good.

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These are some tricks you can use to keep your granite countertops Durham or any other ones in top shape. Remember that taking good care of your countertops keeps them in top shape and good-looking and saves you money, as you don’t need to replace the counters after a few months or years.

What Shouldn’t You Do To Your Kitchen Countertops?

To keep your countertops in top shape and have them last for as long as possible, you need to be cautious of what you do to them. What shouldn’t you do to your kitchen countertops? There are plenty of things, with the common ones being:

Don’t use knives on your countertops

As much as your countertops look tough, they can easily get damaged by knives and other sharp objects, so you need to be cautious about how you go about it.

When you cut directly on your surfaces, you leave surfaces with slice marks that are not only unpleasing to look at, but are also unhygienic as harmful bacteria and other microbes can hide inside.

To avoid damaging the countertops or even your knives sometimes, make it a habit to use a cutting board. Of course, get a high-quality cutting board that will last for a long time.

Don’t use bleach when cleaning the countertops.

When used properly, bleach is one of the most effective cleaning tools you can use to clean the various parts of the house. While this is the case, you shouldn’t use it in every situation. As a rule of thumb, keep it out of your countertops as it will discolor the countertops, making them look too old than they are.

You shouldn’t use bleach the same way you shouldn’t use harsh cleaning pads such as steel wool or Brillo pad.

Most of the countertop dirt can be removed with a soft piece of cloth, soap, and water. If you have tried cleaning the surfaces, but things aren’t getting better, chances are the countertops are stained, and you need to hire a professional to use specialized products to clean them.

Don’t store cleaning supplies on your countertops.

The cleaning supplies are safe to place on the countertops. After all, you clean the surfaces using them, right?

Well, as much as you clean the surfaces using the products, you shouldn’t place them on the countertops. This is because the products contain plenty of chemicals that can stain the surfaces, especially when you let them sit on the countertops for a long time.

The chemicals can also get to the food, putting your life and that of your loved ones at risk.

The best way to go about it is to store the products under your sink, or any other place far away from where you prepare the food.

Don’t let the dishes dry on your wooden countertops

Wooden countertops give the kitchen a character. They can also look as excellent places to place your dishes, waiting for them to dry, but they aren’t.

This is because, with time, the seal on the surfaces wears out, meaning that the water from the drying dishes seeps through, creating mold spots.

Some people place a towel across their counter to prevent water from seeping through, but this also isn’t enough as with time, the towel too gets moist, and water starts passing through. The wet towel is also a huge source of germs in the kitchen, putting you at risk of food poisoning.

Never place dishes on your wood countertops to be on the safe side. Instead, use a drying rack at all times.

Don’t sit or stand on the countertops.

If you visit most homes, you will find the homeowners sitting on the countertops while waiting for food to get ready. Others will stand on the surfaces as they reach for the top shelf or replacing the bulbs. This is wrong as it puts too much pressure on the countertops, increasing their chances of cracking.

To keep your countertops in top shape, don’t sit or stand on them. If you want to sit while in the kitchen, get a chair. Do you want to reach for the top shelf or replace the bulb? Get a ladder or step on a stool.

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These are some of the things you shouldn’t do to your countertops to prevent them from getting damaged and being forced to undertake countertop replacement Durham.

If you notice even a minor issue with your surfaces, get in touch with a professional to have the issue looked at and fixed before it worsens.

How Do You Paint Countertops?

Whether you have wooden, laminate, or any other countertop materials, painting the countertops will save you a lot of money, as you don’t have to undertake countertop replacement.

Painting the countertops also goes a long way towards improving their look and that of the entire kitchen, not to mention making the kitchen appear hygienic.

How do you paint countertops? Here are the steps to follow:

Step 1: Find the right colors

Begin with choosing the right paint colors for your countertops. Of course, this will be heavily influenced by your taste and desired look. If you love granite, find a color that matches your desired granite color.

If you have never painted before, this is the time to practice how to paint. Thankfully, painting is easy, and you can get a handle on it within a short time. You simply need to buy extra paint and find a blank canvas, and practice.

Step 2: Prep the surface

If you have been using your countertops, they are definitely dirty, and you need to clean and degrease them. Besides doing this, you have to sand the surfaces to provide a larger surface area for the paint to adhere to. First, use 150-grit sandpaper, then go over it with a 220-grit paper.

Once you have done this, tape off the walls, around the sink, and under the counters to prevent the paint from getting there.

To ensure that your countertops are immaculate, wipe down the surfaces with paint thinner.

Some of the other things you should do to prepare the surfaces include:

Remove any caulking around the countertops. One of the best tools to use for the job is an Exacto knife and screwdriver. When removing caulking, take care not to gauge your drywall.
Plug the faucet holes with proper towels or something that will prevent the paint from going down the openings.
Remove the drain and faucet.
Keep the kitchen area well ventilated by keeping the windows open and, if possible, place a box fan in the window pointing the outside to suck the fumes out. When painting, wear a respirator to avoid inhaling the fumes.
Place a baggie over the drain pipes and secure it with a rubber band to prevent the sewer gas from coming into the room.

Step 3: Prime the surface

Priming the surface simply means applying the primer on the surface. This prepares the surfaces for the paint, so you are more likely to get ideal results. For the best outcome, you might have to apply at least two coats of the primer.

Step 4: Paint the countertops.

Once the surfaces are properly primed, now it’s time to paint them. How do you do it? If you had practiced earlier, you will have an easier time painting the surfaces.

Begin with dipping a sponge in the paint and apply it on the countertops. Start painting from the smallish section of the countertops, then step back and look at it. Do you like how it looks? If you do, proceed and cover the entire countertop surface. For the best outcome, you might have to apply two paint coats on the countertops.

Step 5: Seal the countertops.

To lock the paint in place, you might have to seal it. There are plenty of sealing products you can use, and all you need to do is choose the most appropriate for your surfaces. The sealer you choose should be tough such that you can’t easily remove it by water. It also shouldn’t have an off-putting smell.

Step 6: Re-caulk

It’s always recommended that you wait at least 24 hours before doing anything with your countertops.

After 24 hours, re-caulk around the edges to prevent water from settling into the spaces between the counter and wall. Use bath and kitchen waterproof caulk for the best outcome and the caulking to last for a long time.

When applying the caulk, you should note that it’s not only about the caulk doing its work—it also needs to look good. Some of the tips to make this possible include:

Wear a latex glove
Caulk the edges
Dip a gloved finger in the water and run it over the wet caulking. The purpose of doing this is to give the caulk a smooth finish.
If you find it hard to properly caulk the kitchen countertops NC, hire a professional to help you out.

Can You Paint Your Kitchen Countertops?

kitchen countertops

If you don’t like the current look of your countertops and don’t have money to install new countertops, you might be thinking about painting them. Can you paint your kitchen countertops? The good news is yes, you can paint the countertops.

That said, before you paint your countertops you need to consider several things:

How long will you be using the painted countertops?
Will you be selling your house or renting your house in the near future?
How will you be using the countertops?

If you are planning to renovate your house in the future, you can go ahead and paint the countertops as you have nothing to lose. After all, it’s temporary. If you don’t like the painted countertops it’s a matter of a few months and you replace the countertops with new ones.

If you will be selling or renting your house in the future, it would be unwise to paint the countertops as painting might bring down the value of the house or make it less attractive to the buyer or renter.

Finally, you should realize that painted countertops aren’t as heat resistant as their unpainted counterparts, so when using them, always have a trivet under the hot pans.

How to paint kitchen countertops

If you feel painting the countertops is the only way to improve their look, you should go ahead and do the painting. How do you do this? Follow these steps:

Choose the right color

You don’t want your countertops to resemble a doodling table, do you? To avoid this, choose the right color for your countertops. For the perfect look, you need a base color and 2-3 more colors that complement each other.

You can see pictures on Pinterest for inspiration or get professional advice from a color expert.

Prepare the surface for painting

Once you have the colors locked in, your next step is to prepare the surfaces for painting. Some of the things you need to do include:

Remove everything from the countertops and relocate them somewhere else.
Remove caulking around your countertop using a screwdriver and knife. When doing it, be cautious you don’t gouge the drywall.
Remove faucet and drain
Place a baggie over the drainpipe and secure it with a rubber band. This will prevent sewer gas from coming into your room.
Plug faucet holes with paper towels or other things to prevent paint from going down those openings.
Sand the countertops
Tape the edges with painter’s tape
Tape up drop cloths around the room using painter’s tape to prevent spray paint from getting into areas you don’t want to paint.
Wipe the countertops with paint thinner to ensure they are completely clean.
Ensure there is as much air coming in as possible by opening the window, placing a box fan in the window pointing on the outside to such the fumes out, or by turning on a vent fan if you have one.

Apply 1-2 coats of your base color

It would be good for the base color to cover the original countertop color, but if your color doesn’t, you can still proceed with the painting as you are still going to add more color on top.

After applying the base color, now apply the first color accent. Pour the paint onto a plate, then proceed to apply it onto your countertops by tapping the paper towel onto a plate and then onto the countertop.

You should apply the color this way until you cover the entire countertop.

Once you are done, give the colors time to dry, then apply the topcoat. For the best results, you may have to do at least 3 coats of the color.

Sand the countertops

It’s common to find uneven spots on the countertops or feel an uneven texture due to paint application. If this is your case, you should lightly sand the countertops. You might have the impression you will harm the look of the countertops by sanding but this isn’t the case.

Since you have multiple color coats, you most likely won’t harm the look of the countertops. Instead, you will get an extra smooth finish.

You can do the painting if you have the skills but for exemplary results, let experts experienced at painting quartz kitchen countertops NC and other materials handle the work.

How Do I Know What My Countertop Is Made Of? Granite Contractors Answer It

If you are asking this question, how do I know what my countertop is made of, you must have moved to a new house, and aren’t sure of the material used to cover your countertops. Don’t worry, you aren’t alone. According to granite contractors, there are plenty of new homeowners that can’t tell whether their countertops are made from marble, quartz, or granite. To help you out, here are three of the most popular countertop materials and how they compare:

Marble

Marble is said to be the most elegant natural stone in the world. Just like granite, it has been around for years, and it has been used to construct palaces for kings and statues dedicated to gods.

Impurity free marble is solid white. Unfortunately, most of the marble contains other minerals that give it a myriad of colors such as black, pink, gray, and yellow.

Real marble tends to have unparalleled glossiness. When you are inspecting the stone, don’t take this as a telltale sign your countertop is made from marble as unscrupulous business people can replicate it by adding small pieces of glass and other materials.

The colors of the countertops will appear as veins or swirls throughout the stone, and since the countertop is natural, it won’t have repeating or symmetrical patterns.

Unlike granite, marble is translucent; hence you can see a few millimeters past the surface, which gives the material more depth.

Granite

Granite has been around for years, and it’s one of the most popular countertop materials in the market. It contains an assortment of different minerals such as: mica, feldspar, and quartz. It comes in different colors such as brown, gray, white, and red.

Granite is referred to as a phanerite rock. This means it contains crystals and mineral clumps that are large enough to distinguish with naked eyes. When you look at a granite slab, you will see various pieces in a speckled pattern that come together to form the stone.

You will come across some granite that has a veined look similar to marble, but when you look at it closely, the color patches tend to be grainy and blurry, instead of having distinct streaks. Since the stone is opaque, you can only see the outermost layer of the surface.

Quartz

Quartz counters are humanmade, where they are made by mixing ground quartz stone, resins, and polymers. Some quartz countertops can be a mix of ground granite, marble and other natural stones giving birth to engineered stone.

Since the countertops are humanmade, they come in a variety of colors and patterns.

If you are new with countertops and would love to know whether you are using real or fake countertops, you should look at the pattern. Every slab of marble or granite is unique since it’s made from natural stone. As a consequence, no two areas of the stone will look the same.

Since quartz is humanmade, it tends to have a fairly uniform color and consistency throughout with little variation in patterns and texture.

So what should you do after knowing?

Once you have known the countertops you have in your home, the next move should be to take care of them. In most cases, you give the same care to all types of countertops.

One of the things you should do is to clean the countertops. When you notice dirt, clean the countertops with mild soap and sponge. Avoid using harsh chemicals as they will etch the surfaces.

You also should avoid placing a lot of weight on the countertops. Marble, granite, and quartz countertops appear sturdy and indestructible, but they easily crack when you place a lot of weight on them.

To keep them in shape, avoid sitting on them. You also should avoid placing a heavy cooking item at the edges of the countertops.

Finally, you should make a habit of clearing any debris from the countertops as soon as it happens. This ensures the countertops don’t stain, so you don’t have to undertake countertop replacement Raleigh. Just like when cleaning the surfaces, avoid getting rid of dirt using harsh products that can harm the surfaces.