3 Things Customers Should Know About Kitchen Countertops
Kitchen countertops are popular home improvement projects. They can turn a cooking space with limited visual appeal into something stunning after a weekend of work.
While that can seem downright magical, it's important to understand what putting in kitchen countertops is likely to entail. Customers should understand these three things before moving forward with their installation or renovation projects.
Seams vs. Seamless
The first big breakpoint in the decision-making process often ends up involving whether a countertop can be seamless. Ideally, folks want seamless countertops. However, there are many practical considerations.
Foremost, there is a question of whether installers can get a single piece into a room. Especially if you're remodeling, it can be a challenge to maneuver a countertop through doors and hallways. That particularly the case when you're dealing with large surfaces that have odd corners. It's not always impossible, but installers often have to be creative to make these ideas work.
Notably, companies are good at cleaning up seams. A design with seams, though, usually works best when you can plan to cut the same slab and put it together again at the job site.
Quality Equals Weight
Broadly speaking, high-quality materials aren't light. Improvements in engineered solutions, such as quartz, have reduced some of the weight issues. However, a large kitchen area with a high-quality countertop is going to require some support. Otherwise, there's a risk that you'll damage the floor or even the house's structure.
Frequently, the solution is to add supports. Installers may be able to put in steel that attaches to the subfloor, for example, to distribute the weight. This might require you to reinforce the floor, though.
Maintenance
Kitchen countertops tend to require maintenance. Depending on the materials, this might involve applying a seal every few years or polishing the surface. It's also important to understand what types of damage the countertops can suffer. You should always have a long conversation with the contractors about your planned usage of the kitchen.
If you want to do a lot of cooking and need the surface for hot pots, for example, you might prefer to use granite rather than marble. The installers can provide more insights once you've told them how you use your kitchen.
Also, some materials are better for long-term usage in high-intensity environments. For example, soapstone lends itself to sanding out scratches and blotches. Someone buying countertops for a commercial kitchen would have to consider whether they have time for that level of maintenance, though.
To learn more, contact kitchen countertop contractors.
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