/ Home & Garden

10:45 AM PST on Wednesday, February 11, 2004

By Linda Swift / Special Contributor

Day after day, the abuse goes on – the beating, the scalding, the cutting, the scorching. And through it all, the kitchen counter is expected to retain its good looks.

Fortunately, there are plenty of attractive countertop materials – both natural and manmade – that can take what your family dishes out. The choice is a matter of taste, budget and lifestyle.

Natalie Caudill / DMN Mother Nature's colorful artwork rendered in stone, Rain Forest Green marble is aptly named.

The average kitchen has about 70 square feet of counter space, and topping it is likely to cost between $1,000 and $7,500, sometimes more, depending on the materials used and the difficulty of installation. It pays to make informed choices, because mistakes can be costly; removing some types of countertops can damage the cabinets beneath them.

Fabrication and installation can account for 80 percent of the countertop cost, especially with labor-intensive concrete or natural stone, which are too tricky for the nonprofessional to work with. Installing your own solid-surface counter, such as Corian, is likely to void the warranty. But do-it-yourselfers can take heart: Ready-made laminate counters and butcher block are user-friendly projects.

It pays to educate yourself before choosing a surface for your kitchen counters. Here's a look at several popular materials, along with their good points and counter points.

Natalie Caudill / DMN

LAMINATE

PROS: Wide range of colors and patterns; durable; inexpensive.

CONS: Can't be repaired; can't withstand chopping or hot pans.

• Laminate, sold under brand names such as Wilsonart and Formica, remains the most popular counter material. In the more expensive versions, color extends below the surface, eliminating dark lines at trimmed edges. Patterns, light colors and matte finishes are the best choices for hiding imperfections.

PICTURED: Wilsonart offers more than 250 laminate designs, including (from left) Mesa Ridge, which has a premium finish to resemble polished granite; Radium EV in a luminous green with a slightly reflective surface; and Glazed Cinnamon, a terra cotta with an Old World crackled finish.

SOLID SURFACE

PROS: Easy cleanup; can be shaped and customized; wide range of colors and styles; self-supporting; mid-range pricing

CONS: Requires professional installation; can be damaged by household chemicals such as oven cleaner and paint remover.

• Products such as Corian, Gibraltar and Surell are made of acrylic or polyester resins and are usually ½-inch to ¾ -inch thick. Because the color is solid throughout, most stains and scorches can be sanded or buffed out. Seams are invisible; installers can piece together contrasting colors to accent edges and backsplashes. Many brands offer integral sinks that eliminate joints where dirt can collect. When shopping, look beyond the words "solid surface;" some lower-priced versions are actually thinner veneers bonded to particleboard.

PICTURED: There's a Corian solid surface for any color scheme. Above from left, Mediterranean, Verde (from the new Artisan Series that features feathery, multitone veining) and Kilimanjaro (1-800-426-7426 or www.corian.com).

ENGINEERED STONE

PROS: Closely resembles natural stone; scratch-, stain- and heat-resistant; never needs sealing or polishing; doesn't promote bacteria growth; sample-to-slab consistency.

CONS: Requires the same expensive fabrication and installation as natural stone.

• Marketed under names such as Zodiaq, Silestone and Avanza, these countertop newcomers are made mostly of quartz, combined under heat and pressure with tough polymers. These nonporous products offer a variety of decorative edge treatments.

PICTURED: DuPont's Zodiaq (1-877-229-3935 or www.zodiaq.com) shares many characteristics with natural stone, but this quartz-based line includes some colors not found in nature, such as Indus Red. Also shown are Cloud White and a new color, Argo Green.

GRANITE

PROS: Durable; heat-resistant; easy cleanup; wide range of colors and visual textures; adds lasting value to a home.

CONS: Heavy weight requires a sturdy base; needs sealing to prevent absorption and staining; fabrication and installation require special tools and expertise.

• Granite is the Rolls-Royce of countertop materials and priced accordingly, so make sure you're putting it on quality cabinetry; it's very difficult to remove and reuse granite. Because each layer of stone looks different, the pros recommend picking out the slab you want, rather than ordering from a sample.

Honed (unpolished) granite has a matte finish that's easier on the eyes than the reflective finish of polished stone. Designers love it because the granite's depth and beauty aren't lost in the glare of intense task lighting. Look for stone that is factory-honed; restoring a polished slab to a honed finish can produce uneven results.

PICTURED: Blue Pearl polished granite

Some slabs come honed on one side and polished on the other, for greater design flexibility.

STAINLESS STEEL

PROS: Heat-proof; works well with commercial-grade appliances and urban décor.

CONS: Scratches easily; must be well-supported to prevent denting.

• A study by the Hospitality Institute of Technology and Management comparing bacteria resistance of countertop materials found stainless steel the most sanitary. For the kitchen, choose 14- or 16-gauge stainless in a satin or vibrated (shinier) finish. Expect it to become scratched over time; most people who choose stainless counters like the patina that scratches give the surface. Expensive.

PICTURED: Stainless steel is the most popular metal for kitchen counters.

SOAPSTONE

PROS: Stain-proof; withstands heat and cold without cracking.

CONS: Scratches easily; needs periodic sealing; heavy weight requires a sturdy base.

• Soapstone, a rock composed mainly of talc, gets its name from the smooth, soapy feel of its surface. This stone acquires a patina with age. The only recommended sealer is mineral oil, which deepens the color. Expensive.

PICTURED: Soapstone comes in smaller slabs than most other natural stones, so a counter is likely to have more seams (the good news is that seams in soapstone are often unnoticeable).

Natalie Caudill / DMN Mother Nature's colorful artwork rendered in stone, Rain Forest Green marble is aptly named.

MARBLE

PROS: Beautiful; smooth, cool surface is ideal for pastry preparation.

CONS: Prone to staining and scratching, even when sealed; acid spills such as orange juice can cause etching that dulls the finish.

• More porous than granite, marble is a poor choice for an entire counter. If you're a baker, however, consider a marble inset for rolling out dough. Expensive.

Mother Nature's colorful artwork rendered in stone, Rain Forest Green marble is aptly named.

BUTCHER BLOCK

PROS: Adds warmth to kitchen décor; scratches can be sanded out; won't dull knives; mid-range pricing.

CONS: Susceptible to stains and water damage, even when sealed.

• Butcher block is made of hardwood strips glued together. Even when it's properly maintained with a nontoxic finish such as pure tung oil, water can damage the wood, so use another material around the sink.

Although some say that butcher block harbors bacteria even after cleaning, recent research proves otherwise, according to The Art of Kitchen Design ($25, Sterling Publishing). Author Johnny Grey cites a study at the University of Wisconsin, which found that germs actually diminish on wood surfaces.

CERAMIC TILE

PROS: Heat-resistant; wide range of colors and designs; damaged tile can be replaced without removing the entire counter. Mid-range pricing.

CONS: Poor chopping surface; periodically needs re-grouting; requires separate edging.

• A tile countertop is laid on a deck of plywood, sometimes layered with cement board for moisture resistance. The grout, not the tile, causes most of the problems associated with this type of counter; grout lines may stain or trap dirt. Either floor or wall tiles can be used, but floor tiles are likely to hold up better (they're also usually larger, hence fewer grout lines). Choose water-repellent tile and use epoxy grout, which resists water and stains.

CONCRETE

PROS: Heat-resistant; versatile.

CONS: Heavy weight requires a sturdy base; needs sealing to prevent absorption and staining; labor-intensive installation is expensive.

• Concrete countertops, once a design statement for urban lofts, have gone mainstream. Concrete can be stained any color, inlaid with decorative tiles, textured or scored for a variety of looks. Hairline cracking is not unusual, but it doesn't affect the structural integrity of the counter.

- Linda Swift is a free-lance writer for The Dallas Morning News.