Kitchen countertops
When installed in a kitchen, countertops are usually about 650 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. They may be cut away to accommodate the installation of sinks, cooktop's or complete ranges, or other accessories such as integrated drain boards and cutting boards.
Materials
Countertops can be made from a very wide range of materials and the cost of the completed countertop can vary very 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. Some common materials are as follows:
* Natural stones:
o Granite
o Limestone
o Marble
o Soapstone
o Gabbro
* Wood and butcher block
* Stainless steel
* Synthetic materials:
o Concrete
o Pre- and postformed high-pressure decorative laminates such as Wilsonart Laminate, Formica (plastic) and Arborite
o Quartz Surfacing or Engineered Stone is 99.9% solid @ 93% aggregate / 7% polyester resin, colors and binders (Hanstone, Technistone, Silestone, Caesarstone, Avanza, Cambria Quartz, Zodiaq etc.)
o Richlite
o Solid-surface acrylic plastic materials such as Corian, Meganite, Avonite, and Wilsonart Solid Surface
o Terrazzo
o Tile
o Cast-in-place materials such as Shirestone (resin plus natural stone)
o Epoxy
o Phenolic resin
When installed in a kitchen, countertops are usually about 650 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. They may be cut away to accommodate the installation of sinks, cooktop's or complete ranges, or other accessories such as integrated drain boards and cutting boards.
Materials
Countertops can be made from a very wide range of materials and the cost of the completed countertop can vary very 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. Some common materials are as follows:
* Natural stones:
o Granite
o Limestone
o Marble
o Soapstone
o Gabbro
* Wood and butcher block
* Stainless steel
* Synthetic materials:
o Concrete
o Pre- and postformed high-pressure decorative laminates such as Wilsonart Laminate, Formica (plastic) and Arborite
o Quartz Surfacing or Engineered Stone is 99.9% solid @ 93% aggregate / 7% polyester resin, colors and binders (Hanstone, Technistone, Silestone, Caesarstone, Avanza, Cambria Quartz, Zodiaq etc.)
o Richlite
o Solid-surface acrylic plastic materials such as Corian, Meganite, Avonite, and Wilsonart Solid Surface
o Terrazzo
o Tile
o Cast-in-place materials such as Shirestone (resin plus natural stone)
o Epoxy
o Phenolic resin
Natural
stone
The natural stone or dimension stone slab (e.g. granite) is shaped using cutting and finishing equipment in the shop of the fabricator. The edges are commonly put on by hand-held routers, grinders, or CNC equipment. If the stone has a highly varigated pattern, the stone is laid out in final position in the shop for the customer's inspection. Then the countertop assembly is installed on the job site by professionals.
The natural stone or dimension stone slab (e.g. granite) is shaped using cutting and finishing equipment in the shop of the fabricator. The edges are commonly put on by hand-held routers, grinders, or CNC equipment. If the stone has a highly varigated pattern, the stone is laid out in final position in the shop for the customer's inspection. Then the countertop assembly is installed on the job site by professionals.
Post-formed plastic laminate
A very common style is the formed plastic laminate countertop. These are factory-produced with a single thin sheet of laminate curved and glued over medium-density fiberboard or other similar base material. The base material is shaped to provide an integrated front edge, work surface, and backsplash, and on the job site, need only be cut to length before installation (and possibly, have an end trim applied using a glue if the end of the countertop is exposed). Factory-made miter-cut pieces are also available, allowing the easy production of "inside corners".
Self edge or wood edge laminate
Self or wood edge plastic laminate countertops are also very popular for those who chose to have few or no surface seams. In this style, the top shop uses substrate for the countertop out of MDF, or particle board and then glue sheets of laminate to the substrate using contact cement. The laminate is then trimmed using a router. This method can't reproduce the curved contours of post-formed countertopping but can be made to easily conform to a much-wider range of floor plans with fewer seams.
Tile
Tile, including ceramic tile and stone tile, is installed in much the same way as flat lay laminate except that the gaps between the tiles are grouted after the tile has been glued down.
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 then can be shaped to a rounded edge or an ogee. Fancier edge treatments are, of course, 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 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 Avanza, Cambria, Hanstone, Silestone, and Technistone.
Other materials
Stainless steel, stone, concrete, terrazzo, and other materials 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.
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.
From Wikipedia