Kitchen Top Materials Pros & Cons
Posted on 2020-11-07
The problems you don't want to encounter after renovation and move into your home!
Good days, homeowners!
Choosing the wrong building materials for home renovations is a nightmare. Do you agree?
80% of people will choose to ignore it because it is troublesome to redo a new set.
Every building material has its advantages and disadvantages. Let's talk about kitchen top material today.
Let's see the pros and cons of the following materials. Which one should you choose for your home kitchen top?
- Solid Surface
- Wooden Board
- Compressed Marble
- Marble
- Quartz Stone
- Granite
- Tiles
- Cement
- Ultra-compact Stone
Solid Surface
Pros
Seamless joints
The seams are either invisible or hard to be seen by human eyes.
Restorable
We can repair and polish the solid surface and reuse it.
Cons
Vulnerable to the chemical
Some strong chemicals such as lacquer, nail colour remover, or corrosive cleaner might discolour the surface.
Afraid of acid
Low PHs Foods or dishwashing liquid may dim the colour.
Scratches
Even if you use it carefully, the minor scratches will still appear without any clue.
Breed bacteria
Scratches breed bacteria, especially if it touches meat.
Not resistant to heat
Never put a hot pot on the surface. It might dim the colour. Excessive heat will cause the solid surface to change shape.
Pros
Wood design enthusiast
If you are one of them, I don’t think you need to have a second thought to choose other material.
Cons
Weak against water
Not suitable to be used in the moisture environment especially the dishwashing area.
Breed mildew
Contact with food and water cause the mould colony to grow and infest. Have you ever wondered what those black lumps are? It's mouldy.
Breed bacteria
It's a bacteria's sweet home to grow with their best friend - mould.
Termites
Might be a victim of termites.
Peel-off
Water will penetrate and soften the surface and cause it to peel off.
Pros
Courtless Design
Due to the latest stone printing technology. What is so amazing is it feels like a stone when you touch it.
Cost-Saving
The price is lower compared to other options.
Cons
Chip-off
It might just chip-off without impact.
Can't resist to acid
If you put a lemon on it and forget to take it away, you may see a discoloured mark the next day.
Cannot polish
As mentioned above, compressed marble uses printing technology; polish it will also polish away the surface veins and design.
Pros
Natural stone.
The feeling of nature is unique, and no other material can provide.
Unique
No one piece of marble in the world is the same.
It looks gorgeous.
The sense of elegance for some luxury marble is capable of making jaws-drop.
Cons
Expensive
Depend on the country of origin, rarity, and supply. The price can be up to hundred thousand a slab.
Sealant
If you are keen to use marble as a kitchen top. You need to apply sealant every few years which you might find troublesome.
Stain
Stain easily without the sealant.
Do not recommend
Not suitable to be used as a kitchen top. There are many other better options
Pros
Non-Porous Material
The surface has almost no pores on the surface. 0.2% water penetration makes quartz stone practically impossible to stain by food such as turmeric, curry, coffee powder or red wine.
Mildew resistance
Non-porous also means no room on the surface for mildew or bacteria to grow.
Heat resistance
Quartz stone can resist heat up to 150 degree celsius.
Easy to Maintain
Quartz stone requests a minimum effect of maintenance and never needs to apply any sealant every few years to protect the surface.
Consistent colour
When you have an extended length of kitchen top and are looking for the consistent look of the kitchen top, then quartz stone is well suited for this option.
Warranty
Ten years of limited warranty on material, warranty on discolouration, crack without impact, chip-off without impact and mildew grows on the surface.
Cons
UV Ray
Not recommend using for outdoor purposes. The UV Ray might dim the surface colour. It's not dimming the quartz but the resin used to bond quartz stone. (There are special quartz stone specially designed for outdoor purpose)
Pros
Resist to UV Ray
Can use for outdoor purpose
Natural Stone
Made by mother nature, hard to mimic by man-made stone.
Cons
Heavy food colouring
Turmeric, coffee, curry or similar foods might stain the surface.
Pros
Courtless design pattern
From the classic, antique, countryside, rustic, Japandi, Europe, solid to modern, you name it you could find it.
Cons
Many joining lines
The smaller size you choose, the more joining lines you have.
Joining lines breed mildew and bacteria
You have to clean the joining lines probably, or you breed bacteria indirectly.
Masterful installation needed
Uneven or not align probably make you hard to put things on top hollow might make the tiles crack with impact. Cement
Pros
We are seeking for the answer
Not sure about the pros. If you know, please drop us an email to share with us? We will update thie article with your answer. contact@stoneinnovations.com.my
Cons
Porous Material
There are pores on the surface which cannot be seen by human eyes. This porous breed bacteria especially comes in contact with meat.
Pros
Highest heat resistance among the materials
Resist up to 300 degree
Strong resist UV Ray
Can use for outdoor
Non-Porous Material
There are pores on the surface which cannot be seen by human eyes. This porous breed bacteria especially comes in contact with meat.
Warranty
25 years limited warranty on material for discolouration, crack without impact, chip-off without impact and mildew grows on the surface.
Cons.
Lower smash resistance
Heavy item fall from 1 meter height might crack it.