Countertops should be at the top of the list when updating a kitchen on a limited budget, says Leslie Longoria, president of Form- Cove, a local company specializing in manufacturing products for the kitchen and bath as well as remodeling.
"It's more difficult to replace cabinets or floors, and it's more expensive generally," she says.
"Countertops are the first thing you see. The eye is automatically drawn to the surface so it has an immediate effect. It is the single thing a homeowner can replace to get the most impact."
Some of Form-Cove's customers change their countertops because the material or color dates the home, Longoria says. For others, wear spots on the surface or irreparable scratches or burns may be the motivation.
Many of the kitchen counters Form-Cove installs replace cracked and chipped tile counters or those with stained grout.
Replacement choices include natural stone, engineered stone, solid surfaces and laminates.
Prices vary depending on the product, as well as factors such as the difficulty of the countertop layout, amount of labor and the complexity of the edge treatment, including flat, rolled, bullnose and bevel, Longoria says. Countertops built with a seamless sink also will increase the cost, as do plumbing and hardware.
Lasting a lifetime
Among natural stone, granite is the most sought-after in high- end homes. It is available in hundreds of colors and patterns. When used as a kitchen counter, it is generally cut about 3 centimeters, or 11/8 inches, thick.
If there is a word to describe granite, it is "longevity," Longoria says. With a little attention, granite will last a lifetime. Granite is heat tolerant and scratch resistant. Whatever scratches appear can be polished out.
Because it is a natural stone, granite is porous, but once it is polished and sealed, it is well protected against staining and easy to clean. A sealing solution should be reapplied every year or two with a cloth, she says.
Granite is also heavy so the base cabinets must be strong enough to support the additional weight or they will need to be reinforced.
Among the more costly countertop materials, granite has a starting range of $75 to $100 a a square foot installed.
Manmade solution
Engineered, or manmade stone, such as Silestone, Viatera, Zodiaq and CeasarStone, can closely approximate the colors of natural stone. The patterns in it, however, tend to be smaller and more uniform than the randomness of natural stone. These surfaces are all formulated with quartz crystals mixed with polymer resins. The material is extremely hard as well as scratch, stain and heat resistant. Unlike granite, these surfaces are nonpourous and don't have to be sealed, Longoria says.
Engineered stone for countertops is usually cut to the same 3- centimeter thickness of granite and weighs as much or more than granite. It is also similarly priced to granite with a starting range of $75 to $100 per square foot installed.
More affordable
Among the better known solid-surface brand names are Corian, Hi- Macs and Gibraltar. These products are created from dense acrylic, but other brands offer products made from polyester or a polyesteracrylic mix.
Solid surface countertops are installed using a special chemical adhesive bonding process that makes them appear seamless. They are consistent in color and pattern throughout, nonporous and resistant to stains, scratches and heat. Scratches can be sanded and buffed out. These materials lend themselves to incorporating seamless sinks and backsplashes.
Pricing on solid surface countertops starts in the $45 to $50 a square foot range installed.
Laminates are made when high-grade paper containing a color, pattern or photographic image is saturated with multiple coats of plastic resins and stacked under heat and pressure. The laminate is then bonded to a subsurface of particle board.
Laminates can imitate granite, engineered stone or hardwoods, and they can be made in solid colors or with splashy graphics.
Form-Cove offers nearly 600 colors and patterns in the Formica and Wilson Art brands, but many other companies make laminates for countertops so the choices are almost limitless.
Laminates are among the most economical of countertop materials with entry-level prices from $14 to $30 a square foot installed. They resist dents, are easy to clean and fairly nonporous. Edges can beveled, inlayed, curved or capped.
Laminate countertops are frequently made so the back edge curves up the wall to create an integrated backsplash.
Though resilient, laminates can be cut, scratched or chipped. A cutting board always should be used when slicing or chopping food, and hot pans should be placed on trivets. Chips and scratches are difficult to repair, and standing water or other liquids should not be allowed to seep into seams to avoid swelling of the wood or separating of the laminate layers.
Despite these drawbacks, laminates perform well for their price range.
"I've seen houses that have had the same laminate countertops for 20 and 30 years, and they still look good," Longoria says. "It's a very good product for the price, and it can hold up for an amazingly long time if it's treated properly."
(c) 2007 Albuquerque Journal. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.