There are variety of possible options when it comes to countertops and will depend on owner's budget and preference.
Here are some commonly used finishes that you may have encountered already.
1. Marble (natural stone)
- requires sealant since it is a porous material at least a year or two
- less durable than granite and quartzite
- not recommended for too active kitchens
- visible joints
- prone to stain
- pricing will depend from suppliers and availability/rarity
Sample marble catalog
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| image from marblecare.ph |
2. Granite (natural stone)
- requires sealant since it is a porous material at least a year or two
- more durable than marble and recommended for kitchen tops
- visible joints
- prone to stain
- price may be cheaper than marble but best to contact nearest supplier to get actual pricing
Sample granite swatch
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| image from stonedepot.ph |
3. Quartzite (natural stone)
- requires sealant since it is a porous material at least a year or two
- more durable than marble and recommended for kitchen tops
- visible joints
- prone to stain
- bit more expensive than granite
Sample quartzite
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| image from YT by Jerry Pinkas |
4. Quartz (synthetic stone)
- man made/engineered stone mixture of stone chips, pigments and resin.
- pre-sealed from manufacturer unlike above three natural stones which is done during installation.
- seamless (no visible joints)
- more expensive than granite since it is man made and requires time and labor to produce unlike natural stones which requires quarry and cutting.
Quick sample difference of quartz vs granite
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| image from thepruce.com |
5. Laminates (made of paper! + melamine/phenolic resins + pressed at high pressure)
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| image from Formica.com |
- high resistance to wear, impact, heat and staining. (still make extra care and not use direct top as a chopping board, and use pot holders and not directly put hot pans on laminated counters)
- easy to clean
- must be properly sealed at joints and edges to prevent water that may damage the substrates such as particle boards, MDF, marine plywood etc)
two types of laminates based on applied pressure:
- HPL (High Pressure Laminates)-more recommended to use than LPL
- LPL (Low Pressure Laminates)-not suitable for areas prone to moist (for interior cabinets not exposed to water/moist)
Quick sample of laminate swatches
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| image from Formica.com |
6. Phenolic Laminate
If you go to the malls restrooms, you might already noticed of the cubicle partition and doors which is also a laminated board with phenolic resins which is best for damp environment.
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| image from Formica.com |
Boards turned form works from construction sites with a crocodile logo is also an alternative for cabinets, wall partitions which is also out of phenolic resins, others brands with both sides faced with the same material on a plywood substrate like shuta are just a few samples.
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| image from shutagroup.com |
Phenolic laminate is not only limited to partitions or walls but can be of flexible use depending on your needs, which can be an alternative to HPL countertops as well.
Formica released its Compact structural phenolic laminate that requires no substrate with available thickness of 1/8" to 1" thickness, which can be used for tabletops or countertops.
7. Tiles (Ceramic, Porcelain etc)
Very common countertop finish for those who are on a tight budget instead of stone finish, you may choose variety of tiles in different sizes that suits your kitchen top, just take note to use "floor tiles" not the wall tile type for the counter, but may use the wall tile for the "splash back" area.
- Ceramic is more budget friendly and easier to cut and install since it is lighter and softer than porcelain tiles.
- Porcelain on the other hand can absorb less water that's why more recommended on areas prone to moist which has a lesser chance of getting stains vs ceramic.
- unlike natural stones, tiles are more prone to growth of bacteria with its grout in between joints
Sample porcelain tiles from eurotiles.ph
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| image from eurotiles.ph |
As time pass by, tile manufacturers also keep on innovating as some ceramic tiles can now be used outdoors as they were made less porous which is impervious to water or other liquid form making it hard to get stained.
8. Plain Concrete
No one stopping you from being different from the common practice of using natural stone and engineered stone countertops to a simple "plain concrete" finish.
Since natural stone and concrete are porous, adopt the same concept of applying sealer either a penetrating sealer (hardener/densifier) or a top coat sealer (top film) that would add some protection. (You may check sample video from @buildriteconstructionchemicals in Youtube).
Sample concrete countertop
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| image from i.pinimg.com |
Almost above mentioned countertop finishes can last a decade or more, with granite claimed to be 100 years but would still depend on how you properly care and maintain to make it last and be usable for the next generation to come.
As mentioned earlier your deciding factor will be based on your budget but select the best durable options with less maintenance to prolong its lifespan, otherwise there will be endless possibilities that new materials will be soon discovered or invented and come out in the market.
Heard about aluminum countertop? Why not?
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| image from designingidea.com |
Disclaimer: This is not a paid promotion of any brands mentioned in this post but for sample reference only to get some idea.
