Counter Top Manufacturers Have All the Options Covered

Twenty years ago, selecting a counter-top material was simple--you chose ceramic tile if you had money and plastic laminate if you didn’t. Today, thanks to advances in plastics technology (as well as some high-tech developments in the ancient art of stonecutting), there is a whole range of counter-top materials available to complicate your choice.

Below are the most popular materials, roughly in ascending order of cost:

* Plastic laminate is still the least expensive choice among counter-top materials. Commonly known by the trade name Formica, but available from many other manufacturers as well, it’s a thin plastic sheet that’s installed over a wood-product substrate. It’s available in hundreds of colors and patterns, from woods to marbles to granites, down to such notorious classics as gold lame (white with gold speckles).

A variety of edge details are also available, from the familiar old square edge to a 3/4-inch radius bull nose to the one-piece molded drip edge frequently carried by do-it-yourself stores. Hardwood edging can also be specified, but it’s susceptible to water damage when it’s installed near sinks.

Considering their low cost, laminates are remarkably durable. Most problems arise at the edges, where exposure to moisture over the years can cause delamination. However, if properly cared for, laminate tops will easily last the life of the kitchen.

* Solid-color laminates, sold in monochrome colors under trade names such as Solicore and Colorcore, are similar to plastic laminates except the color runs all the way through the material. This eliminates the unsightly dark line visible at the corner joints of standard laminate tops.

* Ceramic tile is probably the most popular counter-top finish. It’s handsome, durable and available in a nearly infinite range of tile and grout colors. Yet tile is not always easy to maintain. The recessed grout lines catch crumbs and spills, making cleanup difficult. Dropped objects can crack a tile, requiring a difficult and usually noticeable repair. Hence, ceramic tile tops must be treated with care.

* Solid plastic materials, such as Corian, Avonite and Fountainhead, have gained tremendous popularity in recent years. They’re available in 1/4-inch, 1/2-inch and 3/4-inch thick sheets. Free of edge seams, and with colors and patterns that go clear through, solid plastics can be worked almost as easily as wood.

Minor scratches and burns can be sanded out of solid plastic tops. The counters can be fabricated with near-invisible seams, and some brands offer a range of sinks and lavatories that can be fabricated integrally with the tops.

DuPont’s Corian, the original solid plastic top, is available in an elegantly understated range of colors that remain very close to natural white marble. Corian’s competitors offer more outspoken marble and granite-like patterns.

* Granite has gained popularity as a counter-top material because of its near-indestructibility and dazzling range of natural patterns. Not surprisingly, it’s very expensive.

Moreover, not everyone needs a counter top that will last 300 years with cabinets that may last only 30. There’s no doubt that granite is the most durable counter-top material; whether that makes it the best choice depends on your priorities.