Home Improvements

A Look at Your Top Choices in Kitchen Worktops: Which is Best?

You probably already know that there are many materials for kitchen worktops out there, ranging from wood to natural stone to engineered stone and more. But what exactly do you know about the qualities of these different materials, and how do you decide which one is best for your kitchen? Durability and strength are, of course, major factors, but what other factors should you think about if you want to make the proper choice? Here’s a look at your top choices in kitchen worktops: which is best?

Wood worktops

Wood worktops are highly traditional and often go best with a traditional kitchen. But although it’s been highly favoured for years, is it really for you? Bear in mind that wooden worktops, especially those made from hardwoods such as walnut and oak, can become more attractive as they age, but they also require some degree of maintenance. Wood worktops need to be properly maintained and sealed, and they may easily become damaged by heat or scratched by sharp objects. A wood worktop will last for a long time, but as mentioned, it requires an initial oil sealing, and a coat will have to be applied every day for the first seven days, and then once every seven days for the first month, and then once every month for the first year.

Engineered stone worktops

There are also engineered stone or quartz worktops, which are comprised of around 90% quartz which is mixed with binders and resins. The good news about engineered stone worktops is their immense strength and durability, and their non-porous quality as well. They are also highly resistant to stains and scratches and are not easily damaged by heat. But one thing to remember about engineered stone or quartz worktops is that since they are manufactured, you can often find the same colours and designs; they have quite a ‘generic’ quality. If you want your kitchen worktop to look really unique, then you may want to stick with natural stone such as granite.

Granite worktops

Granite worktops, unlike engineered stone worktops, are truly unique in that no two granite slabs are the same. The patterns will always differ per slab or sample, and this can really make your kitchen look as personalised as can be. Granite is known for its beauty – it is, after all, a natural stone, with gorgeous veins and colours unique to each piece, as confirmed by specialists in granite worktops in Dublin such as C & G Granite. Additionally, granite complements both modern and traditional kitchens, and it is also great at resisting most spills and stains and is water-resistant. To maintain a granite worktop, it simply needs to be sealed once initially and then sealed again in about 10 years.

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