KITCHEN COUNTERTOPS–A PRIMER
March 17th, 2009 categories: Lifestyle, Selling
We all know that the kitchen is the heart of the home and that if you are selling your home, the kitchen can be a deal maker or a deal breaker. If you decide to remodel your kitchen, there are a great many types of counter tops that are visually pleasing and will add value to your home.
- Laminate is the darling and the work horse of counter tops because it is inexpensive , durable, and comes in an infinite variety of patterns and colors. The downside is that a hot pan taken directly from the oven or the stove burner will damage the surface. A do-it-yourselfer can probably install laminate counter tops–if a seam is necessary, best to get professional help.
- Ceramic tile is very popular with do-it-yourselfers. Creativity can shine with the large variety of styles and colors–mix and match reigns supreme. If it is installed well, ceramic tile is extremely durable, and heat and scratch resistant. Grout is the downside–because it stains. Very fine grout lines and sealing can help with this problem.
- Concrete is new and trendy. It is very long lasting and can give your kitchen a natural textural feel. It is expensive, time consuming to install and has to have a very sturdy base. Concrete also needs sealing. This one is best left to the professionals.
- Solid surface counter tops are easy to clean and small blemishes can be sanded out. If you want an absolutely seamless look, your sink and counter top can be bonded into one piece. Professional help is needed for these counter tops –they are made from acrylic resins and mineral fillers.
- Granite has been the darling of the counter tops for some time now. It is best installed by a professional and unless you drop a heavy weight on it, it will last forever. If you want to do the installation yourself, try granite tiles.
- Stone and natural quartz are gorgeous and at the very high end of kitchen counters. Their natural beauty lends an air of elegance to your kitchen. Serious bakers prefer the coolness of the stone even though it stains and is extremely heavy. Try using it in a small area. Quartz does not usually need to be sealed or polished. A professional installer is required for either stone or quartz counters.
If you have questions about Chicago real estate, please call me at 312-981-2360. My cell phone is 312-607-1306.
Related Articles: To Remodel Or Not To Remodel And When?, 12-08; Proper Packaging For Your Home Sale, 12-08; Sucessful Kitche Re-do–Some How To Tips, 1-09
This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 17th, 2009 at 3:15 pm and is filed under Lifestyle, Selling. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Thanks for the nice post. I always try to save concrete or construction related posts like this one.