5 Countertops to Update Your Home
Kitchen countertops are one of the quicker areas to fix up when thinking about remodeling and updating. There are lots of different options for new counters and they all have their merits, but below we’ve listed some of our favorites. You can also read on for general price points of each as well as how each of them can be applied in your home.
Marble
Increasingly popular, marble countertops can be a great choice. This material can give your kitchen a clean and traditional feel and is available in lots of different shades. Prices can vary with marble depending on what kind you choose, but generally, look to spend about $60 per square foot. While marble looks great and can help brighten up your kitchen, there are a couple of things to be wary of: marble can scratch easily and can be stained so it may not be ideal for anyone who uses the kitchen heavily.
Granite
Granite is another one of those countertop materials that can take your kitchen remodel to the next level, giving your space a classic and timeless feel. Unlike marble, granite can take a beating and still maintain it’s look and integrity. Scratch resistance, heat resistance, and stain resistant, this material is among the best for people who are constantly in the kitchen. Although it’s durable, granite does need to be sealed from time to time in order to prevent wear and tear. It can be a bit pricey too; expect to pay around $100 per square foot.
Slate
If you want a more subdued countertop, slate is the way to go. It doesn’t quite pop as much as granite or marble, but that’s not to say that it doesn’t look just as amazing. Slate can be a great material to make your house look a little more uniform, both in the material itself and in its ability to reside in multiple parts of your home. One of the best things about Slate is that it’s a non-porous material, so it heat, stain, and liquid resistant. It’s also on the less expensive side and you can expect to pay about $50-$60 per square foot.
Concrete
While concrete probably isn’t the first material you’d think of when it comes to countertops, it should be because they look great and are incredibly durable. The options are almost endless as you can add pigment or other materials to concrete to personalize your countertops to match the rest of your home. This material makes a great choice for any kitchen that gets used frequently. A couple of things to be aware of with concrete are its price, as it’s up there with granite at around $100 per square foot, and the fact that it needs to be sealed frequently (once every couple of years) to maintain it’s stain resistant qualities.
Quartz
Quartz is an engineered stone and is comparable to granite in it’s durability. Since quartz is manufactured, the color and shading options vary greatly and can be tailored to your home. Like slate, quartz is non-porous, resisting stains, liquids, and bacteria. On the downside, quartz is definitely one of the most expensive countertop options as you can expect an average of $150 per square foot. It is also not as heat resistant as granite or concrete so it might not be the best for frequent kitchen users.
If you’re looking to upgrade your countertops, any of these choices would make a great addition. It really depends on what you’re looking for out of your counters though; high durability and industrial or a classic marble that may not get used as much. There are definitely more options than these, but these are all great to modernize and update your kitchen.