Benchtops are important in any home. From the kitchen to the bathroom and even the laundry room, your benchtops provide you with adequate workspace to carry out various tasks. However, since benchtops can take up a considerable amount of space, they inadvertently end up becoming one of the focal points in the room as well. Thus, your choice of benchtop materials should complement your interior décor preferences. Stonework is one of the materials that can inject style and texture into your space, while still being practical and functional. The following are three popular stone materials that you could consider for your home's benchtop needs.
Marble
Homeowners who do not have budgetary constraints and would like to splurge on luxury materials will find marble to be an excellent choice. This stone remains a sought-after building supply as it adds an elegant touch to any home. However, although famed for its beauty, marble does have a penchant for etching when exposed to heat and acidic compounds even with sealant applied. Therefore, it would be better suited in your bathrooms rather than in heavy-duty spaces such as the kitchen or the laundry room.
Engineered stone
Although it's made up of a significant amount of quartz, this stone is reconstituted using other compounds such as pigments, bonding agents, resins and more to enhance its appeal and durability. Engineered stone benchtops are one of the most versatile materials you could consider as this type of stonework can be installed in any part of your home. The resins and bonding agents make it water resistant as well as scratch resistant, making this benchtop ideal for heavy usage whether in the kitchen or the bathroom. Moreover, since it is artificially produced, you will find uniform colour hues to suit your home's design theme. Lastly, reconstituted stone requires virtually no maintenance as it will not need any sealing.
Granite
Undeniably, granite is one of the favourite materials for benchtops and with good reason. This stone is outstandingly durable and likely to last you a lifetime if you accord it the proper care and maintenance that it requires. The hard surface of the granite makes it capable of withstanding typical prep work in the kitchen without acquiring undue chips and scratches. In addition to this, granite benchtops have an incredibly high heat resistance, so you would not have to worry about scorching your benchtops with pots and pans. The main drawback of granite is its inherently porous surface. You would be best advised to schedule routine sealing to prevent stubborn stains from affecting the appearance of your granite benchtops, especially if you have installed light colours that would stain conspicuously.