Doing a Kitchen - What's Available and What Will It Cost

These days a great many different types of countertops are available. They vary in cost quite dramatically, although all of them look very presentable.

Be aware that certain types of countertops are in vogue, while others are not. Tile, for example, makes an excel-lent countertop. However, in higher-priced homes today, it is almost universally avoided in favor of more expensive granite, or one of the newer synthetic tops. Modern laminate also makes a wonderful-looking coun¬tertop, because colors and styles can be mixed and matched. However, it is infrequently seen in upscale homes because of the reminder that, in its early days, it was an inexpensive solution. Of course, fashion is fickle, and what's out today could be in tomorrow.

From a building code perspective, it really doesn't make much dif¬ference what top you put on the counter. Most codes specify that the top must be nonporous and washable. In other words, food must not be able to permeate the top and decay, producing a health hazard. Therefore, a highly polished surface of almost any kind will do.

For practical purposes, however, there are four basic materials that you're likely to use: laminate, tile, synthetic, and stone. You can install tile or laminate yourself at a considerable savings. There are numerous books available that give you step-by-step instructions.

Laminate
Laminate countertop has been popular for at least 50 years. However, don't mistake the old laminate tops you may have seen years ago with their modern cousins. Today's designs are far more colorful, the material is laid down better, the seams can barely be seen, the material is more durable, and the presentation is nothing less than awesome!

Pluses.
Laminate is probably the least expensive countertop. It's often prepared at the factory with sections already laminated to the base; the sections are then quickly assembled in the home, making laminate one of the easiest countertops to install. Alternatively, it can be glued down (the glue is similar to rubber cement) at the site. The surface is hard and easily washable and it's difficult to chip.

If you decide to install premade laminate tops (with the laminate already glued to the base) by yourself, be care¬ful to get extremely accurate measurements. (You may want to have a professional do the measuring for you.) How the final product looks and how big the seams end up will depend on those initial measurements.

Minuses.
If you put a very hot pan (right out of the oven) on a lam¬inate surface, it could burn, leaving a permanent and unsightly brown or black mark. Also, if the installation is less than perfect, the seams will show and will accumulate unsightly dirt.

Tile
The granddaddy of countertops, tile has been used for millennia. It offers a hard surface that will not be damaged by heat. Tile is basi¬cally clay that has been molded into shape, hardened by fire, and often finished with a glaze. Tile countertops are beautiful and have the look of ages about them. They are more expensive than lami-nate but about half the cost of synthetic and granite. Tile comes in a variety of hardnesses (grouped 1 to 4) and is priced accordingly.

The least expensive tile is around $2 per square foot uninstalled; the sky's the limit from there for truly exotic tiles.

Tile is available from many parts of the world. European, particu¬larly Italian, tile has been in demand for many years. Domestic U.S. tile has improved in recent years to the point where the variety, color, and size are comparable to almost anything available any¬where in the world.

For a different look, consider Mexican tiles. They tend to be irregular in shape and very colorful. And they are often less expensive than tile from other areas. They produce a distinctive appearance that some people find appealing.

Installation costs vary with labor charges around the country. A good rule of thumb with medium-priced tile is to triple the price of the tile itself for the cost of materials plus installation. Smaller tiles often come attached to a threaded (fiberglass or nylon) backing so that you can lay down a square foot at a time.

Pluses.
Tile is versatile. It comes in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, patterns, and colors. It also comes in glazed or unglazed surfaces. (The glaze is the glossy surface that protects the tile.) You can choose between high gloss, semigloss, or low gloss. For kitchen/bath applications a high gloss or semigloss is usually preferred, because it makes the tile impervious to penetration and, thus, to stains. Tile is close to permanent. If applied correctly, it can (and has) remained steadfast for centuries.

Because tile is laid down in pieces, it is relatively easy for a home¬owner to install. If you get good instructions, and then follow them slowly and carefully, you can do a good job the first time out.

Minuses.
The biggest minus with tile is that the grout tends to get dirty as the countertop is used. Although sealers can be helpful and cleaners can lessen the dirt, the grout tends to be a high-mainte¬nance surface. Eventually, after five or more years, you may find that the dirt is permanent and that regrouting might be the only solu¬tion. As noted above, this involves digging out the surface of the existing grout, putting new grout in, and resealing it. It's not a huge project, but it is time-consuming and messy.

In addition, tile can crack and/or chip. A heavy pan slammed onto a tile counter can do major damage. On the other hand, it's relative¬ly simple to break out a damaged tile and replace it with a new one.

To clean tile, try using a mild solution of hydrochloric acid, the kind that is used to affect the pH in swimming pools. Also, a mild solution of hydrogen peroxide may work well, too. And, of course, there are a wide variety of commercial grout cleaning products available.

Synthetics
Corean is a new type of surface that has been available for a couple of decades. Corean and other synthetic materials are available in a wide variety of colors and textures, although you cannot easily cre¬ate patterns with them as you might with tile or even laminate.

Good synthetics cost about twice as much as tile, installed. And you pretty much cannot do the installation yourself, unless you have been specially trained. Professional installation is a wise choice.

Corean produces a look that defines a home as high-quality. Indeed, because of the cost it is rarely found in any but upscale properties.

Pluses.
There are no seams at all. A synthetic surface is all of a piece, from one end to the other. It comes in large slabs which, once laid, are glued together. The gluing process is so perfect that it is impossible for anyone but a professional to detect where it was done. The surface is hard and does not chip.

Minuses.
Like laminate, synthetics will burn if a hot utensil is placed on them. However, the burn is easy to correct. It is cut out, a piece of the original material is put in its place, and it is reglued. The new surface is as good as the original, and it's impossible to detect where the burn was.

Stone
Stone is currently the most prestigious countertop to own. It is avail¬able as natural granite or natural marble (as opposed to synthetic marble, frequently found in bathroom countertops). It is what it says it is: stone from the ground. It is quarried and cut up into three-quarter-inch slabs, which are then cut to fit for the countertop. (Stone tile cut smaller and thinner is also available.)

For years marble was the stone of choice. However, it is porous, and the cost has gone up with its decreasing availability. Granite has become popular in its place. There is, seemingly, no end to the amount of granite available. The colors and textures of granite are more limited than those of marble. However, more and more gran¬ite is coming to the United States from quarries around the world; hence the variety of colors and textures is growing.

If you want granite, go to the quarry, or the importer. There you'll be able to pick out the exact pieces you want and have them cut to fit. That's the only way to know exactly what color and texture you'll get.