Countertops are almost always part of a remodel project. In order to make it more convenient for our customers, we offer a wide variety of counter top materials for you to choose from. While we do not make any of the counter tops ourselves, we work directly with the suppliers for you. The materials we have to choose from are laminate, solid surface, engineered stone, and stone.
Laminate still stands to be one of the most frequently chosen type of counter top. The most obvious reason being, it is a fraction of the cost of most other counter tops. Laminate tops are made by binding layers of printed paper and resin under high pressure to create a sheet that can be cut, shaped and glued to particle board. The two most popular brands we carry are Formica and WilsonArt. Laminate is a popular choice because there is such a wide variety of colors and styles to choose from. It is easy to clean and maintain and the backsplashes may be covered or seamed depending on the edge style selected. Under-mount sinks are now also an option with laminate counter tops, which tends to amaze a lot of people and makes it a little more enticing. The few drawbacks of laminate tops are that marks are typically permanent, they are susceptible to burns and scratches, and seams will be visible and detectable.
Solid surface counter tops are made with acrylic polymers and stone material. Things people like most about solid surface tops are that the surface is renewable (scratches can be buffed out), they are easy to clean and maintain, have a wide variety of colors, seams are smooth and inconspicuous, fully integrated solid surface sinks are available, and you can upgrade to a backsplash that is coved as one piece. Some downsides to solid surface tops are that they look less natural than stone, they are not heat or scratch resistant, and solid and light colors are susceptible to staining.
Engineered stone, mainly known as Quartz, is one of our most popular countertops that we sell. Quartz is made by combining stone aggregate with resin and pigments. This combination makes it more uniform with few imperfections to compromise the strength. A lot of people choose quartz because it resembles stone but does not require as much maintenance. Quartz is also heat and scratch resistant, easy to maintain, extremely durable, and certified food safe (no bacteria build-up). The cons to quartz are that it is less natural looking than the real thing and backsplashes are applied with a caulk joint. Another con some people say quartz has is that the joints will be visible and detectable to the touch – the joints are filled with color match caulk. One brand we carry, Cambria, is known for their ability to camouflage the seams in their tops, making them difficult to see. However, they are still somewhat detectable to the touch. Along with Cambria, we carry Viatera, Caesar Stone, and Silestone brands.
Stone is the final counter top option we offer. Granite is the most popular material of stone. Stone is a very natural and timeless option. It is also extremely durable, resistant to heat, and no two stone counters look the same. A few things that sometimes can deter someone from choosing stone are it can stain and scratch, occasional sealed is needed, it is tough on dishware and glasses, bacteria issues due to its porous surface, back splashes are applied with caulk joint, and joints will be visible and detectable to the touch – joints are filled with color match caulk.
Stop in today for a quote on your new counter tops!