Countertop Materials

phone: 604-729-6561
email: nikki@cornerstonekitchendesign.ca

Countertop Materials

	Laminate Laminate is a good old standby when there just isn’t the budget for anything else. Great for basement suites and rental properties, if it gets damaged after a few years, replace it. With so many colours and textures to select from, it makes for a suitable alternative. Stay away from the solid colours or you’ll be constantly trying to wipe away watermarks.
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	Acrylic Composites Corian Made of acrylic, Corian solid surfacing does have all the same benefits as quartz. The colours and applications of this product are endless. Seams can be eliminated and because it has the colour all the way through, it is repairable. It is also warm to the touch and glass doesn’t break so easily when you drop it as it does on stone surfaces. Avonite Avonite is a solid surface material that is made for kitchen countertops. Even though it is a solid surface, it is not recommended that you chop food directly on the surface. Even though many cutting boards are made of this material, each time you bring the knife down on the surface it will create tiny marks. The more stuff you chop, the more noticeable the marks will be. Another potentially damaging practice you will want to avoid is placing hot pans and trays directly on the surface. It is true that the material is more durable than Formica, but these types of practices will slowly wear down the product and cause undesired results. Treat your counters with care and they will last for many years to come. Avonite surfaces are non-porous and stain resistant, easy to clean and maintain, water and chemical resistant, wide variety of edge profiles, has inconspicuous seams and numerous undermount sink options.
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	Granite By far, Granite has outsold every other countertop combined. Falling into the least expensive countertops in the solid surface category, it gives you affordability as well as the undermount sink. Sealing the granite is simple and takes little time and effort. It is as real as you can get and is always accompanied with the “wow” effect.
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	Quartz Quartz is often selected when we have a kitchen that requires a solid white or cream counter over dark cabinetry or when a minimalist modern look is being achieved. The quartz granules are ground up and poured with an epoxy to create an exact blend of colour and pattern every time. We would recommend quartz to restaurants and hospitals as it is an authorized non porous surface which inhibits bacteria growth.
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	Marble Being softer and more porous than granite, Marble is a no go for the kitchen. It is lighter in colour and therefore will easily show stains from red wine and coffee. We have sold many marble countertops for the bathroom especially with a dark vanity. It also makes great matching seats and thresholds for the shower.
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	Soapstone Soapstone is created by nature, composed of talc, quartz and various minerals that has compressed over millions of years. There are two types of soapstone, artistic and architectural. Architectural is harder and denser, making it suitable for the counter tops, sinks, etc. that we fabricate. It varies from light grey in its natural state with moderate to heavy amounts of veining. With age, use and the application of mineral oil the stone darkens and the character and beauty becomes more apparent. A soapstone countertop is solid rock that will last many lifetimes. It is so dense that it allows nothing to penetrate it (not even bacteria), it is impossible to stain, and heat will not affect it (it's used to build fireplaces). Apart from the initial treatment with mineral oil and the occasional wiping, the countertops require no extra care.
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Top 5 Countertops Sold in the Past 5 Years

North Vancouver

Type of Counter	Price Range	Appearance	Main Benefit	Maintenance	Draw Back	Undermount Sink
LAMINATE (Plastic wrapped over fibreboard)	Least expensive	Plastic, all colours, granite look alike, textures	Price, Variety of colours &textures	Stains easily, Water is its enemy	Scratches easily, looks old quickly	No, except with a corian ring: they cost too much
GRANITE (Rock that comes out of mountain in slab form)	Mid-least expensive of solid surface countertops	Busy, Lots of Colours usually medium to dark,	Price, can look like the bottom of riverbed, Wow appeal	Needs to be sealed twice/year	Porous, Stains easily, can chip out, price higher than laminate	Yes
MARBLE (Rock that comes out of mountain in slab form)	Mid-least expensive of solid surface countertops	Few colours, light with veining	Price, looks great with dark cabinetry in bathrooms	Needs to be sealed twice/year	Porous and softer than granite, not suitable for kitchens	Yes
QUARTZ (Rock that comes out in granola form)	Mid-High: Depending on material	Smooth, solid colours, and speckled Patterns	Non porous, modern look, Food Safe, twice the hardness of Granite	None	None-other than price and you won’t have the pattern of a riverbed	Yes
CORIAN (Acrylic Composite)	Mid-High	Smooth, solid colours, and speckled patterns	Non Porous, Modern look, Food Safe Seamless	None	Doesn’t look like stone, price is high	Yes

Please click for a printable pdf version of Countertop Chart

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