Granite Kitchen Countertops

When installed in a kitchen, granite countertops are usually about 647.7 mm (25 1/2 inches) from front to back and are designed to slightly-overhang standard kitchen base cabinets. This allows a convenient reach to objects at the back of the countertop. They often contain some sort of integrated backsplash to prevent spilled liquids from falling behind the cabinets and the face of the countertop may be decorated in ways ranging from plain to very elaborate. The granite may be cut away to accommodate the installation of sinks, cooktops, complete ranges, or other accessories such as integrated drain boards and cutting boards.

Countertop Materials

Other than granite, countertops can be made from a very wide range of materials and the cost of the completed countertop can vary widely depending on the material chosen. The durability and ease of use of the material often rises with the increasing cost of the material but this is not necessarily so; some very expensive materials are neither particularly durable nor easy to use, just stylish. Although Caveman Countertops does not offer some of the surfaces listed below, we encourage you to understand all of the option that are available for your kitchen countertop. Some common materials are as follows:

Natural Stones

Synthetic Materials / Engineered Stone

Pre- and postformed high-pressure decorative laminates such as Wilsonart Laminate, Formica (plastic) and Arborite
Quartz Surfacing 99.9% solid @ 93% aggregate / 7% polyester resin, colors and binders (Hanstone, Technistone, Silestone, Caesarstone, Avanza, Cambria Quartz, Zodiaq etc.)
Solid-surface acrylic plastic materials such as Corian, EOS, Hanex, and Wilsonart Solid Surface
Tile
Cast-in-place materials such as Shirestone (resin plus natural stone)

Solid-surface Plastic Materials

Solid-surface plastic acrylic or polyester materials are usually prefabricated at the installer's shop and then assembled on site. The plastic material is readily glued and the glue joints are then sanded, leaving almost no visible trace of the joint. The edge treatment for solid-surface countertops can be very elaborate. The material itself is usually only about 12 mm (1/2 inch) thick so an edge is usually created by stacking up two or three layers of the material. The built-up edge is then usually shaped to a rounded edge or an ogee. Fancier edge treatments are generally more expensive.

Natural Quartz Surfacing

Natural quartz surfacing is made from natural quartz and held together with a plastic resin, making it non-porous and scratch resistant. As with solid surface countertopping, the materials are prefabricated and installed by Caveman Countertop professionals. Thicknesses may be 1.2 cm (1/2 inch), 2 cm (3/4 inch), 3 cm (1 1/4 inch) or 4 cm (1 1/2 inch). Brands include Hanstone, Technistone, Silestone, and Avanza.

Other Countertop Materials

Stainless steel, concrete, and terrazzo are usually prefabricated and assembled on site as well. The difficulty of prefabrication rises with the more exotic materials. As with solid-surface plastic materials, the edge treatments can vary widely, but the material is usually thicker than with plastic so there is often no need to build up the edge with multiple layers of the material. These are not very common materials for home kitchen countertops - Caveman Countertops does not typically offer steel or concrete types of countertop surfaces.

Many predesigned, prefabricated units (including sinks, drainboards, and other accessories) are available in stainless steel. These may be used "stand-alone" or integrated into larger custom assemblies. Some stainless steel systems stand on their own legs and do not require the support of cabinetry.