Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Counter Tops

Today’s edition of Innovative Design Chatter is going to be for the visual oriented person (and who doesn’t like pictures?). It can be very overwhelming to do a kitchen remodel so I always tell people to begin with selecting the counter top. This is not a set in stone (get it? Stone? It’s funny!) method, but I have found that it really helps to begin with the counter top. The reasoning is that the counter surface is most likely going to be the star of your show. Granite is most commonly used in the kitchen, and as we know, granite can have radical variations (see Natural Stones: Part 1). Once the slab is selected, backsplash and flooring can easily follow by either pulling out colors from the slab, or complementing it with a neutral so the slab is not fighting for attention. I would like to take a second and mention that you should always, always, always select the slab in person and sign off on that exact slab.

Pretty Counter (a)

The first decision that needs to be made is regarding the thickness of your slab. There are two different thicknesses 2 cm (3/4″) or 3 cm (1 1/4″). The primary difference between the two is that a 2 cm needs a substrate and the 3 cm does not. A substrate means that due to the lack of material it needs to be supported underneath, usually with plywood or something of that nature. Another thing to note is that 2 cm material will usually have a laminated edge. This means that due to the lack of thickness, they take a strip of the granite and essentially glue it to the edge to build it up and make it look beefier and get that 3 cm sort of look. In the US 3 cm is most common with 2 cm being most common in southern California- and only southern California. Why? Excellent question- nobody knows. The only answer that I have determined is that the fabricators are more used to working with 2 cm in southern California and that the market is for 2 cm so that is what the suppliers bring in, and so the circle continues.

3 cm edging (b)

2 cm edging- See the Lamination? (c)

I bet your wondering about cost right about now. To wrap up slab selection, the material for 3 cm costs more (because there is more material present…) but the installation for the 2 cm is more labor intensive. In the end, they work out to roughly the same pricing. Check with your fabricator and be sure that he can work with either material. The material and installation are priced per square foot. Granite (the most common solid surface) can range anywhere from $6.00 per square foot to $70.00+ per square foot. And that’s just material! Installation can range vastly. I highly encourage you to get at least three bids; and please, think twice before going with the lowest bid. Usually the super low bidders are people who do not have an excellent reputation, may not be licensed… you get the idea. Buyer beware!

Now for those pretty pictures I promised! There are many, many different edges that one can choose for the lovely solid surface that was just purchased. I am going to go over a few of the most common edges to help get you going!

Bullnose/ Double Round Over/ Radius: This is the most basic and easiest shape to accomplish, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with simplicity!

Good Old Bullnose (d)

Demi Bullnose: This edge is very similar to the aforementioned bullnose with one major difference, the demi bullnose has a squared off bottom. The square-er bottom does two things: first, it makes stone look thicker and second, it keeps liquid that is spilled from going underneath and making the lovely new cabinets that were purchased wet!

Demi Bullnose (e)

Bevel: This is a fancier bullnose. Basically the bevel has a little bit of a flat profile to it to give it an edge. (Get it, edge? Counter tops? Ok, ok I’ll stop now).

Beveled Edge (f)

Square/ Straight/ Mitered: There are a few different ways the fabricator can go about actually attaching that square edge, but one thing is for sure- it is a square edge. This has an excellent clean look and is great for contemporary homes.

Contemporary Squared Off Edge

Waterfall Edge: When the edging spills over to the flooring. It may not be very functional- but boy is it pretty!

Waterfall-y! (g)

Chiseled: Ok, so this one is not so common, but I must confess, this is my all-time favorite edge! It has this great “rustic” appearance while fitting well into any setting. Plus it looks very interesting!

So Pretty! (h)

Ogee: It has a higher end sort of look, and is defined by its very distinctive shape. This edging is more difficult to fabricate and usually comes with a premium. A good suggestion, to save on costs, would be save the ogee detail exclusively for the island.

Classy and Upscale Look! (i)

There are many variations of edgings for you to choose from, most of which combine the basics. Take time to ponder your edge detail to determine what is best for you.

Cheers!

Sources

Photo

Photos are acquired and protected under creative commons law

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/

a. http://www.flickr.com/photos/granite-charlotte/4419327831/in/photostream

b. http://i585.photobucket.com/albums/ss291/deenasellsaz/Khov Rogers%20Ranch-Ventura/JacksHome-Khov-RogersRanch072.jpg

c. http://i629.photobucket.com/albums/uu13/naturalstone101/IMG_3362-1.jpg

d. http://www.flickr.com/photos/granite-charlotte/4623798723/in/photostream/

e. http://www.flickr.com/photos/91173606@N00/3238937179/

f. http://www.flickr.com/photos/granite-charlotte/4254407778/

g.http://s522.beta.photobucket.com/user/tembump/media/House28022010022.jpg.html