Kitchen Benchtops – Do We Have Options?
Natural Stone. The look is lavish, the feel is comfortable and the material is resilient.
Such is the classification of natural stone Benchtop.
Each piece of the natural stone is exclusive unto itself.
Always take time and attention to choose the one that will suit your needs
Most are almost maintenance free and some require a bit of gentle loving care to look their best such as regular staining or etching.
Natural stone Benchtops come in many finishes with the most popular being polished, honed, leather or matte.
Below are some of the variables of living stone Benchtops.
Granite is the most long-lasting of the natural stone Benchtops. The only harder stone is the diamond.
It will not easily scratch, hard to crack or chip and can resist heat.
It can though break dishes or glasses if set down too hard. Granite is available in ironic colours and a polish that won’t wear off.
Granite is porous, you need to reseal it once a year
The sleek and elegant Marble is ageless.
Typically found in the baker’s kitchen, it is the serious baker’s optimal for rolling dough. Marble is more permeable than granite so it requires sealant to be applied more frequently to preclude stains.
Since it is not nearly as hard as some other stone Benchtops, it is best to be used in small sections that becomes the Focus of the Kitchen rather than the workbench e.g. Splashback, Island or Island front panel.
Limestone contains mainly calcite, a neutral-toned mineral. Limestone varies in solidity but is a more porous stone that stains easily. It needs regular resealing to avoid stains.
Quartz is an interesting stone Benchtop
Though regularly called Engineered or Reconstituted stone, this material is composed of natural quartz mixed with epoxy resin binders. Quartz is an extremely hard and sturdy surface. It is non-absorbent that makes it more user friendly and stain resistant.
It is ultimately maintenance free with just a simple wipe off with warm water. Different tints are mixed in the making of the quartz surfacing and because of this there are beautiful colours to pick from.
