Designing a kitchen isn't an easy task as there are plenty of things you should consider. Apart from providing enough storage space for your utensils, cookware, glassware, and spices, you also need to ensure you use the right kind of materials to guarantee its longevity.
For your materials, see to it that everything can handle heat and moisture. While cabinet materials are pretty standard, you need to be careful with your countertops as they have high exposure to kitchen activities. Popular options include quartz and granite countertops. While quartz is more expensive, granite countertops are more of a people's choice.
To elaborate further, this article would discuss the pros and cons of using granite countertops for your kitchen design.
Granite countertops are a popular choice for most homeowners, and it's understandable why. With all of the pros listed below, you might hurry into having one for yourself as well.
As you work in your kitchen, you'll anticipate working with plenty of heat. While you can always place your casserole and pans on top of your stove, you might need the extra space for cooking, making you put them on your countertops. With granite, you don't have to worry about burning, cracking, or melting as they're heat-resistant.
With a heat-resistant material, you can consider your countertops to be heavy-duty, allowing you to do everything in the kitchen without the constant worry of breaking them. In this way, you can place anything you'd like and be able to focus your attention on cooking.
One of the top issues homeowners face with their countertops is seeing scratches that eliminate a smooth finish. As you work around your kitchen, you want to keep its polished look, so you don't have to worry about affecting its quality. With a granite countertop, only a few elements may be able to harm the material.
Even if your granite countertop is scratch-resistant, it'd still be best to cut on top of a chopping board. Apart from the possibility of leaving a metal residue, it can also dull your knives.
Since granite uses natural materials, you can ensure you won't find a similar pattern. With granite, you can't manipulate how it’d look like when it comes to design, style, and color. This will help ensure your kitchen would be like no other.
Moreover, there are plenty of colors and patterns you could choose from but still guarantee that yours would be the only one in anyone's kitchen.
Unlike marble, granite is incredibly easy to maintain. All you have to do is use a microfiber cloth to wipe your countertops, and it should be enough for the entire day. Don't worry as microfiber cloth is readily available in every market you shop at for a low price. If you need to wipe down something, you can use water as additional help.
Moreover, you only need to reseal your granite countertops every ten years, making them cheap and low-maintenance. You just have to take note of which kind of sealant you use, so you'll be using the same when you re-apply.
With all of the benefits a granite countertop can provide for your kitchen, there’d still be drawbacks you need to be aware of. With that, listed below are the disadvantages of having a granite countertop:
While granite countertops are cheaper than marble and quartz, they're still in an expensive price range. You may need to prepare an extra budget if you plan to install one in your kitchen, especially if you have a wide kitchen with plenty of surfaces.
Moreover, some people don't mind the price since you truly get what you pay for from the advantages you could get. However, this might not be the best option for your home if you're on a tight budget.
Just like any other stone, if you accidentally dropped a sharp or heavy object on your granite countertop, you're increasing the chance of cracking it. Fortunately, this is a rare occurrence, but it could still happen.
With a granite countertop, you have to be careful with placing your items on top and ensuring you don't add immediate and heavy pressure to avoid cracking.
If you don't seal your granite countertops properly, it might absorb liquids which could lead to long-lasting stains. To avoid that from happening, you should hire a professional that can seal your granite countertops perfectly to ensure your area would be crystal clear and would have purely natural elements.
As you hire a professional to seal your countertops, you may need to bring out an added expense, adding to the other cons earlier. However, this will help ensure that your countertops are properly protected and will last long in your kitchen.
Granite countertop is a popular choice for most homeowners. While they might be expensive, they can provide plenty of benefits inside your household that'll surely last you for years. Furthermore, you must know the advantages and disadvantages of having one to ensure it's the perfect fit for you.