5 Things To Think About When Choosing Benchtop Material
Nov 09, 2022
The benchtop is the main attraction of any kitchen. It’s the main feature that guests will see when they enter your kitchen and it’s also the surface that you’ll need to face every single day.
That being said, the kitchen benchtop is more than just aesthetics. It also needs to be able to withstand a lot of damage from knives, dropped utensils, hot pans, and so on. Because of this, you need to make sure that your chosen material is suitable for the design of your home as well as your practical needs.
To help you choose, here are the five things you need to think about when choosing a benchtop material.
- Durability
Perhaps the most important feature of any benchtop is its ability to withstand daily wear and tear. The surface is going to see a lot of use on a daily basis and so you need to make sure that it’s durable and will last you for a long time.
In this regard, the most popular materials include granite, engineered stone, stainless steel, laminate and porcelain. Some popular aesthetic options like marble and natural timber may be able to withstand some level of wear and tear but will likely require a little bit more care and maintenance.
When choosing, be sure to assess both longevity and aesthetics. How much are you willing to sacrifice durability for a nicer looking benchtop?
- The level of maintenance needed
The next thing you need to think about is the level of care that your benchtop is going to need over the years. The time and money needed to maintain some of these materials will need to be taken into account when budgeting for your kitchen.
For example, natural materials such as limestone, marble and other stone require regular sealing every few years or so. If they’re not sealed, the porous surface will be a lot more prone to staining. In addition, the material becomes more vulnerable to water damage
If you want to avoid this, you should go with low maintenance materials such as quartz, laminate, soapstone or recycled glass.
- Slab size
If you’re looking for a specific size, you need to choose your materials carefully. For example, if you’re after a large slab with no seams or joins, you’re going to have a hard time finding natural materials that come in that specific size.
On the other hand, you‘ll likely have an easier time finding the right slab size if you’re going for a man-made material.
Be sure to ask your suppliers about their standard sizes as well as their custom options.
- Choosing the right pattern and aesthetics
When it comes to aesthetics, the main thing to consider is the colour of the slab and how it interacts with the rest of your kitchen. There are two main style options. One is to get the benchtop to blend in with the rest of the kitchen for a more uniform look. The other option is to make the benchtop an accent colour so that it stands out from the rest of the space.
If you’re going for a modern aesthetic with minimalist colour schemes then materials in black, white and muted tones of grey will work well. On the other hand, if you’re looking for a more homely atmosphere, natural timbers or other materials with earthy tones are ideal.
- Cost of materials and installation
After all of those other factors have been taken into account, you need to consider the most important factor: the price tag.
The cost of the benchtop will depend on the scarcity and quality of the material. For instance, high quality marble will likely cost you around $800 to $2200AUD per square meter. Additionally, the harder something is to install, the more expensive it’s going to be. Granite, for example, is a heavy material that needs to be handled with care during transit and during installation. Because of this, it’s going to cost you a lot more to install a granite benchtop compared to something like porcelain.
There you have it, five key things you need to consider when choosing a benchtop material. If you have specific questions regarding custom sizing or patterns, don’t hesitate to contact your local benchtop supplier.
