COUNTERTOPS Material, colors liven up kitchen

Granite is the most durable. Plastic laminate, not so much.
By MEGAN SEXTON
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Thinking about new kitchen countertops?
Prepare to be excited -- and maybe a little overwhelmed -- by the possibilities.
There's granite, acid-washed concrete and ceramic tile; solid surfaces, wood and plastic laminate.
Just about anything -- even glass -- is showing up on countertops these days.
Can't make up your mind? Pick more than one.
Designers say more people are mixing materials -- putting granite on a countertop and decorative ceramic tile on the backsplash, for example.
Or run a decorative liner of tile, cut a corner out and drop in a dot of colorful glass.
Being adventuresome
"If you're adventuresome enough, you can blend the (materials) together," said Theresa LeJohn of Theresa LeJohn Builders. "I'm starting to see people put granite countertops down and go in and do a tile to blend in for the space between countertops and the top of the cabinets."
"Women, especially, love that. It's easy to maintain and there's not that little bit of paint or wallpaper" to clean, she said.
A popular choice is a granite countertop with a tumbled marble backsplash -- a rustic, natural stone -- in 4-by-4 or 6-by-6 tiles, said Ira Greenberg, sales manager at the Tile Center in Columbia, Georgia.
"The granite may be dark, and people will use the lighter limestone or tumbled marble to soften the look a bit. You're using two stone products together," he said.
"We're seeing a lot of natural stone looks -- even ceramic tile that gives you a natural stone look," he said.
Here's a look at some of the options on the market:
ACID-WASHED CONCRETE
Jolene Smith of Southern Magnolia Interiors in Ballentine, S.C., said she is seeing interest in acid-washed concrete countertops.
"It's a very rich look. It's very porous, so it has to be sealed many times, but it's a nice new, warm look that's great for kitchens and laundry rooms," Smith said.
Chemical stains, coloring pigments, various aggregates and epoxy coatings can give concrete the look, texture and feel of quarried stone such as marble, granite and limestone, according to www.concretenetwork.com.
Concrete countertops are either pre-cast in a shop or built on site. Concrete can be made into different shapes, such as integral sinks and decorative edges. As for cons, it must be sealed properly, and cutting on it can leave marks.
Expect to pay about $55 to $100 per square foot, according to www.kitchens.com.
GRANITE
Granite is still the king when it comes to most people's kitchen-counter wish lists.
A natural rock quarried from the ground in massive blocks, granite is practically indestructible on countertops.
"In my opinion, it's the best surface because it's durable -- it's harder than metal," said Duane Naquin, general manager of Stone Interiors in Gaston, S.C., which fabricates granite, turning the pieces of stone into countertops. "It has beauty, durability and it's impervious to heat."
Customers, however, must realize that because it's a natural stone, no two pieces of granite are exactly alike. If they look at just a small sample of a type of granite, there's no guarantee the larger countertop will have the same lines or details.
Granite countertops are available in both polished and honed granite, which isn't as shiny. The honed granite runs about $15 more per square foot than polished granite, and is not available in as many colors.
Naquin said an average kitchen needs 70 to 80 square feet of material. An average granite kitchen countertop last year sold for about $3,000. And, because of changes in machinery needed to fabricate granite, a countertop that cost $3,000 today would have been $6,000 eight years ago and $12,000 12 years ago, he said.
A big selling point of granite: You can't hurt it.
PLASTIC LAMINATES
The most inexpensive of the countertops, laminate is smooth, durable and easy to install. It's made of a thin layer of plastic glued to particleboard or wood.
You can find it in just about any color you can imagine in 6-foot to 12-foot sheets, which can be cut to size. Laminates can be made with a rolled drip edge and a built-in backsplash, giving a more custom look.
Drawbacks: Setting a hot pot on it will cause a burn mark. It can chip. Older styles can fade. And you can't clean it with abrasives.
Expect to pay about $5 to $20 a square foot, according to www.kitchens.com.
CERAMIC AND PORCELAIN TILE
Ceramic tile is fired in a kiln. The colors are glazed on, so if you scratch it, it will affect the color, said Dawes.
Because it's a man-made material, you can find it in a broad range of colors, and its price is lower than granite or solid surface countertops. The price range is about $1.50 to $2.50 for each 12-by-12 or 13-by-13 tile.
Porcelain is the same color throughout the tile, so if it scratches, the color will remain true. There's also a broad range of grout colors for tiles, so you can blend the color with the tiles, or use a contrasting color to offset them. And grout doesn't stain or get dirty like it used to.
Porcelain starts at $2.15 for a 12-by-12 tile, and can go to $8 or $9 a square foot for semi-polished porcelain.
Dawes said he recommends porcelain rather than ceramic tile for a countertop because of the scratching factor. As for durability, you can put a hot pot on both of them without damaging the countertop.
SOLID SURFACES
Many people know solid surface countertops as Corian. Developed by DuPont about 40 years ago and now available in more than 90 colors, Corian is just one brand of solid surface countertops.
Solid surface countertops are formed by mixing a mineral compound with polyester or acrylic resins to create a smooth surface. It's available in many colors and can resemble stone.
Because the surfaces are solid throughout, scratches and stains can be sanded out with 320-grit sandpaper. It can be easy to clean and no sealing is involved. Manufacturers do not recommend putting hot pots directly on the countertops because it may crack as it cools down.
According to www.kitchens.com, expect to pay about $70-$80 per square foot.
STAINLESS STEEL
Alloy steel with a bit of chromium can give your home a restaurant-kitchen look. Stainless steel can handle hot pots, it won't stain and it's easy to wipe clean. But it can show scratches and fingerprints, and dulls knives if you cut on it.
Cost estimates are $85-$100 per square foot from www.kitchens.com.
WOOD
Wood countertops usually mean butcher blocks -- laminated strips of hardwood maple.
They won't dull knife blades, but they do show marks. They can be susceptible to water damage, so they need several coats of sealant.
Expect to pay about $10-$40 per square foot, says www.kitchens.com.