Kitchen Counter Materials: The Pros and Cons

Laminate kitchen counters, layers of decorative paper beneath a protective seal, are affordable and versatile, with many patterns and styles available. However, scratches and nicks show on laminate counters, and they cannot withstand heat; the bottom of a hot pot can cause a laminate counter to scorch or melt. Laminate or Formica counter tops are typically the least expensive option when comparing costs.

Ceramic tile counters are more resilient that laminate counters, but as with any tiled surface, the grout requires cleaning – a task made easier by today's cleaning agents and grouts, many of which are treated with mildewcides.

Wood counters are traditional and handsome, either finished or left unfinished, but, like laminate, wood can burn and scorch; unlike laminate, wood is porous: it is important to clean a wood counter with an antibacterial agent, and you shouldn't cut meat on it.

Marble and granite counters are luxurious and costly and last a lifetime. Marble is a porous stone, which requires sealing, and granite can be stained by grease.

Solid surface kitchen counters, a blend of resins and mineral fillers, offer the versatility of laminate and the resilience of natural stone: the surface is smooth and nonporous, and burns and stains can be repaired and buffed away.

Kitchen Counters: Seek Professional Assistance

Kitchen counters should be installed by a professional, as a successful installation requires precision, careful measuring, and a steady hand. Remember, counters are one of the most prominent features in your kitchen, and any installation mistake will be highly visible.

Many homeowners, in an effort to save money on their kitchen remodeling, will take it upon themselves to complete some of the major tasks of the big job themselves. It's true: many jobs are within the abilities of your normal, reasonably skilled homeowner: tile backsplashes, wall treatments, and cabinet refacings. Even installing a new floor, depending on the material, is a doable project for a motivated do it yourselfer – a lengthy kitchen remodeling project, but a doable one.

However, installing your new kitchen appliances, your new refrigerator, dishwasher, or stove, is not one of these jobs.

The addition of a new appliance may necessitate rewiring your kitchen's electricity – a job for an expert. And that new dishwasher? Installation requires you to get beneath your sink, to run new water lines and electrical lines to the new dishwasher. The same is true for that new-fangled refrigerator you bought, the one with the built-water and the fancy icemaker. You don't have a water line to connect it to? You will have to lay a new one yourself.

And if you've bought a new gas range to replace that old electric one and are thinking of installing it? Think again. If you don't have a natural gas setup already, you may have to run gas piping through your house. If you don't have natural gas on your street, you may have to keep propane on site, which requires more piping and requires you to comply with local fire codes. To say nothing of connecting the gas pipes to the back of the stove. All these things require precision. You're dealing with gas, remember: an installation mistake could have terrible consequences

So save yourself the headache. Leave these kitchen remodeling jobs to the pros.