When remodeling or structuring your home kitchen, most people would love to go for the exquisite look of marble. However, one of the most vital elements you will have to consider is the exact surface material to use for the kitchen countertop.
A most-sought after material for the kitchen worktop is marble, and this is why it is wise to have an idea about the advantages and disadvantages of all the marble alternatives.
For marble, its most obvious pro is that of its:
- Timeless appeal
- A texture that is premium
- Flexibility
This is because each marble slab is special, and you can always select diverse colors as well as veining for a personalized surface for work. Every good thing has its con, and marble also has some drawbacks.
Since it is a natural product, it is quite porous and easily gets stained. Also, it is much softer and quite brittle than manufactured stones or granite. This would mean that it will need to be sealed every 6 to 12 months.
Furthermore, marble showcases wear and tears more than the majority of other surface materials for the kitchen. Don’t also forget that it is costlier than other worktop materials.
With due thanks to technological innovations, marble has been recreated in other surface materials.
Marble Introduction
Visually, marble is striking as a result of its natural streaking in the stone. It is among the most popular worktop materials in luxurious kitchens, and this is in both contemporary and traditional kitchens.
Pros Of Marble Kitchen Worktops
Some of its advantages include:
- The luxury feels and looks good
- It is resistant to heat
- Depending on the type of marble you select, it is cost-effective
Disadvantages Of Marble Kitchen Workshops
Its cons include:
- It easily stains as it is porous
- It scratches easily
To maintain it, you will need a mild and non-abrasive soap that is mixed with water and a cloth.
Marble Alternatives For You!
Some of the alternatives that are available for marbles include:
Easier To Clean, Affordable – Ceramic
Asides from enabling you to prepare food straight on the countertop, ceramics are scratch, heat, stain, and bacteria resistant. It holds up well against any form of humidity.
Advantages Of Ceramics
The pros include:
- They have diverse colors and styles available
- Easily affordable
- Simple to clean
Disadvantages Of Ceramics
Its cons include:
- The tiles are brittle and can easily crack under forceful impact
- The custom tiles are expensive
- Its prestige is not the same as quartz or even granite
Cleaning entails making use of a damp cloth and warm water. Depending on you, using mild acidic detergent is not bad. However, things containing bleach should be avoided.
Inexpensive, Simplier Installation – Laminate
They are not just simple to install but quite affordable to purchase as well. The laminate surfaces are the right choice to go for if you like remodeling your kitchen after some years. It is easy to clean and scratch or chipping resistant.
Pros Of Laminate
Its advantages include:
- Lots of options are available
- Simple to maintain
- It is inexpensive
- Installation by yourself is easy
Cons Of Laminate
Some of its disadvantages include:
- The surfaces can either be chipped or scratched, and the damage is almost not possible to repair
- The seams are visible
To maintain it, you can easily wipe it clean using a majority of the available cleaning products.
More Durable, Easier To Maintain – Granite
Granites are much more resistant to heat than marble. They are a durable igneous rock that will give your kitchen a look that is natural and incredibly similar to marble.
However, like marble, it is porous, and this means it can get stains in time.
Based on history, granite has actually been a costly material, but then its cost has reduced a little bit as supplies have gone up over time and engineered stone became regularly used.
Pros Of Granite
Some of the advantages of granite include:
- It is almost impervious to any form of heat
- It has roughly three thousand diverse colors as well as types
- It is very durable and strong
- Granites add real estate values to every home
- It is nearly maintenance-free when they are treated with new sealers
Disadvantages Of Granite
Some of the disadvantages include:
- It is a costly material
- The slabs have some imperfections
- Its stone is porous and needs sealing in a bid to avoid stains
- It is capable of cracking if it is stressed or not installed properly
- Do-it-yourself installation is not suitable here
Granites are easy to clean as all you will need to do is to wipe it with a soft microfibre cloth, warm water, and a mild soap or granite spray.
Abrasive cleaners and sponges should be avoided.
More Durable, Easier To Maintain – Engineered Quartz
First of all, quartz is a hardy material that does not only look; it also feels like natural stone. It is non-porous and does not need the exact same level of maintenance. Engineered quartz is mostly composed of resin and crushed quartz.
Advantages Of Engineered Quartz
Some of its pros include:
- It can be custom-fabricated in any shape or size you want
- It is easy to maintain, and it does not require sealing
- It is stain-resistant and impervious to not just heat but acid as well
- There are no imperfections in the slabs as they are uniform
- Do-it-yourself installation is possible although the countertops are quite heavy
Disadvantages Of Engineered Quartz
- Its only disadvantage is that it is costly
For its maintenance, quartz surfaces are quite simple to clean as well as maintain. All you need to use in cleaning it daily in warm soapy water and a cloth.
Easier To Clean – Synthetic Solid Surfaces
These surfaces composites that are made up of synthetic materials such as mineral dust, resin, and acrylic. They are all mixed to look just like natural stone.
They are not only non-porous, but they are also created by thermoforming to fit certain shapes. Also, solid Surfaces are perfect for Worktops and counters that are curved.
Pros Of Solid Surfaces
Some of its advantages include:
- They are available in diverse patterns and colors
- The seams are practically invisible
- It is stain resistant
- Any damage can be sanded out
Cons Of Solid Surfaces
Disadvantages of the solid surface include:
- It is susceptible to damages from hot pans
- Quite costly
- Does not make use of do-it-yourself installation
Solid Surfaces are low to maintain when it comes down to cleaning. It does not need any treatment, and you can easily clean it with mild detergent and a soft cloth.
