When buying a new kitchen, the design choice that has the biggest impact on the look and feel of your space is the worktop. An important factor to consider when deciding on your worktop material is the upkeep each style may need. Especially in areas that get a lot of use, you want to make sure the counters will last and look good for a long time. Spoiler alert: of course, we think natural stone worktops are the best choice for durability and longevity, but we do have some solid facts to back this up.
Heat and scratches
As far as kitchen counters go, a lot of wear and tear comes from heat and scratches from daily use of the space. The least resistant option here is wood. Heat can easily scorch wooden counters and are very susceptible to cuts. However, it needs to be said that they are also a lot easier to fix than if your laminate worktops get scratched. If laminate becomes damaged from heat and scratches, it’s likely the counters will need replacing, whereas wood can be sanded down and re-varnished for smaller scratches. Stone worktops on the other hand have a higher resistance to scratches and are very unlikely to get damaged by heat due to its high melting point of 1260°c!
Water resistance
Laminate has a short lifespan which over time can be accelerated if exposed to water, making the damage near impossible to repair. While wood surfaces can be fixed using fillers, these gaps can become weak points in your worktop making it susceptible to mould and breakage. Meanwhile, natural stone worktops such as granite, have a higher resistance to water when sealed and maintained properly, whereas quartz nonporous properties allow for a waterproof option.
Longevity and maintenance
If you want a worktop that will serve you a lifetime of culinary adventures, solid stone such as quartz or granite has minimal maintenance and is a clear winner for us. Wood surfaces can age over time causing the colour to deepen or even lighten if exposed to the sun, leading to an inconsistent appearance. Due to its chipboard material, laminate over time can be easily damaged by water ingress. However, stone requires minimal maintenance only needing resealing occasionally to ensure your surfaces have a long lifespan.
We hope this has given you some insight into why choosing natural stone worktops over other counter materials is the best choice. If you’re planning a kitchen renovation, talk to us about your worktops! Our team can recommend colours based on price and kitchen design and are experts in what we do. Contact us via sales@purplegranite.co.uk, call us on 01562 546999, or book an appointment to visit our showrooms.