Let’s take a closer look at some of the more popular finishes on offer today with this guide that will help you make the right choice for your own home. Here’s the key differences between some of the most popular surface choices on the market, and how Rudi’s Choice is different from them all.
Marble, granite, and onyx:
Both marble (including limestone, onyx, and travertine) and granite are types of stone quarried from the earth. Granite is formed deep in the earth’s mantle at extremely high temperatures, and is a very hard, resistant stone made of crystallized minerals.
A popular choice within residential homes, granite is both durable and easy to clean. Granite offers a natural surface that is also heat resistant – just take care to protect your granite surface from excessive heat and open flames. Each slab is unique with natural fissures and patterns for an organic look and feel.
Marble offers timeless beauty and is also widely available today. Marble is a softer material which may succumb to stains and scratches, so ensure your marble is sealed correctly by a fabricator before installation.
Granite is harder than your knife blades and will blunt them very quickly if you use the countertop as a cutting surface. Always cut and chop on a wooden or plastic cutting board.
Marble is sometimes used in the kitchen as a pastry slab; the perfectly smooth, cool surface is ideal for rolling out dough and piecrusts.
Silver Waves marble is a showstopper piece with linear striations running diagonally across each slab in its characteristic black, white, and grey.
We always get asked about the differences of other surfaces on the market. Here is a basic break-down:
Solid surfaces:
One of the newer finishes on offer today, solid surface countertops are typically made from hard acrylic materials which are used to produce a solid countertop ideal for bathrooms and kitchen surfaces. Although a hard and durable option, solid surface countertops are not heat resistant and may succumb to burns and scratches, unlike the more popular stone finishes on offer.
Concrete:
A contemporary countertop finish, concrete is a great addition in an industrialised styled space. You can also choose to customise your concrete counters, which may then be poured right into the frame in your home and left to set. As with any specially customised finish, this can be an expensive option and potentially porous if not done correctly.
Formica:
High pressure laminate (HPL), also called Formica laminate countertops, are made of plastic phenolic resins that are laminated onto layers of the ordinary brown kraft paper, and then a printed decorative layer is added. It’s topped by a wear-resistant layer and a thin and transparent melamine resin layer for protection. The end result is a finished look that resembles natural stone or wood countertops. They can be scratched if abrasive cleaners are used. Delamination is one of the problems with laminate countertops, especially due to water damage, which makes repairs difficult.
With mottled shades of black, gunmetal grey, and dove grey, Grey Ice can make a bold impression in any interior or exterior application.
Melamine:
Melamine laminate is a hard resin commonly used as an overlay for building materials like MDF or plywood. While the melamine itself is waterproof, if water gets to the particle board underneath, the dampness could cause the melamine to distort. Similarly, while melamine is very durable, if you incorrectly install or assemble a piece of laminate furniture in a way that damages its particle board, it could cause the melamine to chip.
Quartz:
Quartz is resistant to stains, scratches and cracks, changes in temperature, as well as common household chemicals. The durability of this surface is because it’s one of nature’s hardest minerals and are designed with longevity in mind.
Porcelain/Sintered stone:
The manufacturing system combines layers of coloured powders into the body of the slab, perfecting the appearance down to its minimum details. Porcelain stoneware comes from careful research and selection of premium raw materials and is a highly specialised manufacturing process.