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Selecting kitchen and bathroom countertops and sinks

What you really need to know

Some of the most important decisions a home buyer or a home remodeler has to make are the kitchen and bathroom countertops, and the sinks that go in them. Since there are lots of different types, it pays to know and recognize the differences in the materials.

Countertops

Countertops come in a wide variety of manufactured and natural materials. The tried-and-true countertop materials include plastic laminates, tile, stone and solid surfaces. The newest innovation is an engineered stone (quartz), which produces countertops with the advantages of solid surface and stone, but it is also highest in cost.

Laminates: The least expensive choice, sometimes called “Formica,” is a thin, hard plastic sheet glued to a piece of backing material, usually particleboard, for strength and mountability. They are not as hard as stone or tile and are easier to scratch, cut or burn. One advantage is that dishes or glasses dropped on them are not as likely to break.

Neither tile-in nor undermount sinks can be used with laminates. They are easy to clean but can’t be repaired if burned or scorched. They just have to be replaced. One-piece countertops usually have no seam where the top meets the backsplash and have a lip to keep spills from running on the floor. A three-piece countertop has separate pieces for the backsplash, top and edge and has no front lip.

Ceramic tile: These come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, colors and grades. Matte finishes will stain and show marks more easily than glossy surfaces. Glossy surfaces show scratches more than matte surfaces. Light colors show less scratching than dark colors.

The biggest factor in using ceramic tile is making sure it is built right. Careful design and installation is crucial to avoid a nonprofessional looking result. Tile can be installed in a variety of distinctive patterns and shapes and also allows you to incorporate decorative tiles into the backsplash to enhance the beauty and aesthetics of the kitchen. Tile itself is reasonably easy to repair; poor workmanship is not. It is a good investment to have the installation done right by a professional.

Engineered stone: There is a new material with the advantages of granite called “engineered stone” or simply “quartz.” The material uses real quartz crushed into very small grains and mixed with a polyester or acrylic resin and colors. It can then be molded into a slab or any shape that is desired. Once it sets, it has the hardness of real quartz, which is harder than granite. It is nonporous, does not stain and is highly heat-resistant. It is nearly impervious to everything. Other stone granules can be added to give the appearance of granite with various shades or textures. Its drawback is that it generally prices out at the top of the hierarchy of countertop materials.

Real stone: Granite is the usual stone selected for kitchen countertops because of its hardness. Since the material is rock, the coloration is consistent all the way through, so it is possible to work out surface scratches and even shallow chips. But granite is not maintenance-free. Granite is available between 3-1/4 and 1-1/2 inches in thickness in either tiles or slabs for the entire countertop. Square tiles are less expensive than slabs. An expanse of granite may look handsome, but some granites have a gloss that you may not care for. Granite backsplashes and customized ledges can add elegance and cost.

Solid-surface materials: There are a number of solid-surface material options. DuPont’s Corian is among the best known. These surfaces are two to three times the cost of granite tile. They are made of cast resin that may be polyester or acrylic or a mix of both. The all-acrylic counters like Corian, tend to be more durable and more expensive. They are nonporous, do not stain and are highly heat-resistant—also nearly impervious to everything. Glossy surfaces will show minor scratches. But these and worse damage, even burns, can be polished and buffed out. The primary drawback is price.

Solid-surfacing veneer: This innovative product was created in the mid-1990s to achieve a countertop with the best of solid-surface materials at a lower price. A 1/8-inch-thick layer of solid-surfacing materials is laminated on top of a less expensive piece of backing material. While it has most of the benefits, it still carries a price that is a little more expensive than ceramic tile. One drawback is that it cannot handle the heavy weight of cast iron undermounted sinks. But it has no trouble supporting lighter weight stainless steel or composite sinks.

Although difficult to keep looking clean, porcelain is still one of the top choices for sinks. Porcelain is durable, reasonably cost-efficient and matches just about any decor. (Photo (C) 2007 JUPITERIMAGES CORP.) Sinks

There are five basic types of sink materials:

1) Cast iron with an enamel coating: This is the most common. Over time the surface becomes abraded with use and harder to clean. Items dropped into the sink can chip away the enamel and leave an unattractive black spot. The heavy weight can also be a problem with some countertops.

2) Porcelain: While pretty and elegant, depending on the design and shape, the major problem is that this material is fragile. It can even shatter if something is dropped on it.

3) Stainless steel: Stainless steel is a workhorse sink, but it does have its drawbacks. While protected from chips or stains, it is prone to scratches and dents and becomes less attractive with age.

4) Solid-surface: The advantages of solid-surface countertops apply to sinks. The major consideration is higher cost.

5) Quartz resin composites: These beautiful sinks are available in a wide variety of designs that range from plain to exotic. They have all the characteristics of the solid-surface material countertops and are lighter in weight than cast iron. They are competitively priced to other materials as well.

Sink mountings

The three ways a sink can be mounted are drop-in, tile-in or undermount.

Cultured marble is a man-made material that mimics the look of natural materials. Cast in one piece, a cultured marble sink is part of the countertop. (Photo (C) 2007 JUPITERIMAGES CORP.) 1) Drop-in or top-mount: The sinks are installed by cutting a hole in the countertop and dropping the sink in from above. The edge or rim of the sink sits on top of the counter. Cast iron can therefore be up to one-half inch high while stainless steel may be thin. Drop-in is the only way to mount on laminate and is the least expensive way to go.

2) Tile-in: This technique is used only with tile counters (ceramic or stone). The sink is made with a special rim that is rectangular and not rounded at the edges. The top surface of the sink is level with the tile and separated by a line of grout. The result is a countertop and sink combination that is easy to clean. Items can be wiped directly into the sink without hitting a rim.

3) Undermount: Undermounted sinks are positioned so that the countertop sits atop the sink and there is no edge or seam that is difficult to clean. There is no rim or lip to get in the way, and the countertop is usually cut to match the shape of the top of the sink.

These days, the options abound when selecting countertops and sinks for kitchens and baths. For homeowners, knowing what’s available and how much it costs is the first step toward making their dream a reality.

For more home improvement advice, visit www.betterhousesbetterliving.com.

Myron Ferguson of Salem, Ore., brings an engineer’s experience to thinking about what makes a home a better place to live. Since 1990, he has walked through and inspected more than 2,800 new homes in the United States, Canada and Chile and talked with owners, designers and architects about what makes a home work—or not!