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Countertops

A countertop is much more than a work space, it adds character and value to your cabinetry and enhances your space. Countertops have to withstand the onslaught of water, hot pans, dirty dishes, cleaning solvents, and knife edges, not to mention foods and beverages of every imaginable type. That means they have to resist moisture, melting, scratches, stains, and other threats.

All of our countertops are created from solid surfaces such as granite, soapstone, silestone, Corian by DuPont® and the latest in high-tech laminates.

	Granite Granite is a tough, durable and beautiful option for countertops. Its hardness only exceeded by diamond, it requires more labor to cut and polish than other counter types, lending to its drawback, high price. Some granites are more porous than others and require special sealant applications throughout their lifetime.
	Marble Marble is another favorite for its unique colorations. If you are very specific about your color or look, talk with us about selecting your marble in person before the counters are cut. Because the cool-to-the-touch, nonstick surface of marble makes a great prep area for baking and candy making, many cooks like to include a marble-top baking center in their kitchen if space allows. A word of caution, that unlike granite, marble is created from the compaction of sediment over time, causing it to be more porous than granite and prone to stains and cracking.
	Soapstone With its green and grey tones, doesn't allow for much selection in the color palatte, but is a favorite by many for its deep character and durability. Costs and care are similar to marble.
	Silestone When you're in love with granite but can't handle the maintenance, what's your next choice? Silestone (or engineered quartz) is a nice marriage of the beauty and durability of granite combined with the ease of use and worry free maintenance of synthetics. Engineered quartz takes fragments of quarts, crushes them and incorporates plastics and synthetics to create a durable product that's lighter in weight, easier to cut and install and low maintenance. It's also offered in an array of colors not found in natural stone, creating a litany of new design options.
	Corian®, Lexton® and Plastic Laminates Low in cost and available in a bounty of colors and designs, acrylic polymers like Corian and Lexton and plastic laminates are by far the most popular countertop solutions. Corian and Lexton are solid acrylic polymers that are non porous, heat-safe and low maintenance. Plastic laminates are boded to a wood composite substrate, the 1/32- or 1/16-inch-thick panels and provide a hardworking surface at a very competitive cost -- from $15 to $50 per linear foot installed.
	Concrete These are the kind of concretes found in your driveway, these countertops can be manufactured onsite and created in a series of colors. Weighty like marble and granite, concrete places a heavy load on base cabinets. Once sealed, trowled concrete offers resistance to heat, scratches and burns, but is still porous, can hold stains and is prone to hairline cracks.
	Wood Used in baking and as butcher block for cutting surfaces, wood is a beautiful accent option in a kitchen, but not necessarily the best choice for an entire room. Wood can take on character from cuts and use and can be sanded and oiled with food grade oils to restore some of its original beauty. Contemporary applications include exotic woods like teak and Honduras mahogany can run several hundred dollars per linear foot.
	Stainless Steel Favored for its clean, sleek lines and cool surfaces, stainless steel is increasing in popularity. It is heat and stain proof, but can hold heat long after the item has been moved. Nothing sticks to stainless steel so clean up and maintenance is easy, however, cuts and constant fingerprints can be a nuisance.

To learn more or for assistance in deciding the best countertop solution for you, talk with a Dick Pratte Cabinetry consultant at 603-505-4551 or email us at info@dickprattecabinetry.com