Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Granite For Your Kitchen Countertop


Wondering why granite is the best for your kitchen countertop? The reasons are numerous and surprising. Read on…

Granite is really expensive but they are worth your money because of its unique qualities. It is made of the second hardest stone next to the hardest stone, the diamond. It is also made of unique minerals which makes it really elegant: quarts, feldspar and mica. These give its color, luster and trendy pigment.  No two granite slabs are identical. This makes granite really sellable despite its price. You can never compromise quality. Granite will make your kitchen look a million dollars more!

Some of its characteristics are: heat resilient and never scratches, requires little maintenance unlike others that are very cheap in price but later would add up on repair or even replacement due to poor materials and poor quality.

There are a lot of advantages that you should know:
  1. It has a higher market and resale value compared to other countertops making your house much more expensive when you plan to sell it in the future.
  2. It has very little maintenance and cleaning is very easy.
  3. Granite is very elegant and attractive. You should have one in your kitchen to boast off!
  4. It is heat resistant and color will never fade away. This adds to its unique features.
  5. The extremely sturdy granite will take a very hard object to crack it as materials and stone is super hard.

Downsides of this product would include its price, repair of the whole portion, which costs more, and you would have to buy one of the same designs because none is identical.

In spite of the small glitches which are normal in a product, there are more benefits that we can get out of granite. Buying a non-granitecountertop is like not buying a countertop at all!

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Kitchen Countertop Makeover


The kitchen is the most loved place in a home. This is where families meet and eat from day till night. There is a special feel to the kitchen countertop. It is where we prepare our ingredients, food and well, chat while doing all of these. Gone were the days when we ignore what our countertops look like, taking them for granted. Today, people spend an awful lot of money for kitchen remodeling and of course, choosing the best countertop to compliment the kitchen’s feel and look.

If you have a hard time choosing the right countertop for you, first, you have to take into consideration the colors of your kitchen. What type of countertop will match the color combination? Will it blend perfectly? Will it standout? To be absolutely sure, let us look at some of the types of countertops.

Laminate is one of the cheapest there is. But since it is cheap, it scorches with heat and it can    easily scratch. It comes in different colors. I would not recommend this though. Non- resistance to heat is also a disadvantage to another type of countertop, the more attractive Solid Surface countertop. If you would want a quality countertop, you can choose between Stone or Granite. They are both very expensive but they are known to be very durable and extremely resilient to heat.

I would strongly recommend granite for your countertop makeover. It is definitely one of the most in demand right now because it is the second hardest natural stone next to the diamond and it requires little or almost no maintenance. Choose the one that would suit your kitchen design. There are a variety of colors to choose from: Red and black, which are made in Egypt, Blue, which is from Africa and white, is basically from China. The nearer the granite comes from, the cheaper it costs.

There are also a lot of shapes in which you can choose from: Standard square or the more artistic shapes of egg, ogee and radius. You can choose its type of finish: if you want polished granite, this is the most common and looks very shiny, or if you would want it to be less shiny but will be more prone to staining, you can have it honed. There is also a brushed finishing, but it is for a more serious look for your countertop.

Remember that granites last a lifetime so you should save up for a countertop that you can be proud of with stylish design, superb quality and durability that lasts the longest.