New Kitchen Design

The costs are dependent upon the kind of material used for counter tops, the sizes, polishing of the surfaces, installation time taken, the cornices and the moldings.














Stainless steel counters
Stainless Steel counters look great and make a kitchen look futuristic. These counter tops are durable, scratch resistant, heat resistant, and cool to touch and won’t stain. You can even incorporate the draining boards as well as the kitchen sinks in stainless steel to match the counters. But they can be hard to clean as finger print marks, dust and dirt will easily show. Non directional stainless steel finishes are also available which will lessen the effect of finger print marks, scratches and dust. These counters are very expensive.




Semi precious surfacing
Semi precious stones are used along with its binder to set the counter top to give a smooth finish. Looks great and is very expensive. Only install if you don’t have kids in the house. Follow the instructions of the manufacturer for cleaning and maintaining the surfaces.
Wood
Various types of woods have been used for cabinets and now you can use them for counter tops too. Remember to combine with other materials especially near the sink and drain board area. Wood needs to be polished regularly. It also shows up scratches and knife marks easily.
Engineered Stone
The various kinds if engineered stones available in the market are DuPont Zodiaq®, Cambria Quartz, Portifino and Silestone. This is also as expensive as granite. This stone is easy maintenance and doesn’t crack easily as it’s less porous as granite and is resistant to acid. It also doesn’t require any sealing as granite.
Granite
Granite is the ultimate for sheer luxury. Granite is available in many colors and not just black and red. There are many shades and textures available. It can absorb a lot of heat, wear and tear. Its not seamless, therefore pieces need to be joined together. The maintenance of granite is simple as it can be washed with detergent and water.
Ceramic tiles
Ceramic tiles come in different shapes, sizes, materials, thickness, durability, colors and patterns. You can opt for a rough or a smooth finish. Depending upon the finishes, ceramic tiles can be very cheap or near about as expensive as granite and other special stones. Grouting between the tiles is expensive and they can chip and crack over a period of time. Remember to put only heat resistant ceramic tiles for the counter tops.

Lavastone
it’s the latest and is made of glazed volcanic rock. It’s heat resistant (but of course), stain and scratch resistant. It’s a very tough stone and is the latest for countertops. It’s more expensive than granite.












Glass
Glass surfaces are also been used. The glass has been toughened and made heat resistant. But it can’t be used as a chopping board. The edges can also be smoothened out. Very expensive but looks great. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for maintenance and cleaning of the surfaces.