Kitchen countertops
Going to the store or looking at beautiful design magazines, you should remember that what is beautiful aesthetically, is not always convenient from the practical side. A kitchen – just one of those rooms where you want maximum practicality. Choosing furniture for the kitchen, you should take into account your personal preferences, and financial opportunities, and the functions that you assign to this furniture. Consider the basic materials of which make furniture and countertops for the kitchen.
Wooden table top
This table top is perfect for the kitchen, designed in a classic style. But most often the tree in the kitchen is used for decoration of doors, cabinets and floor bases. Wood can be Matt or glossy, natural color or painted. Countertops for kitchens are made of strong and valuable wood, the cost of it is much high. The disadvantage of such a tabletop can be called that from the temperature changes and humidity, which are inherent in the kitchen, the surface can be deformed, cracks and faults. But in the care of such a table will be convenient – suitable cleaning with a damp cloth. Besides, the worktop made of wood, you can restore and it will restore her original beauty.
Plywood table top
This material is glued together thin layers of wood. Most often it is soft rocks, such as pine. In its pure form, it is not used to cover countertops, but it is finished with the rear and side walls of floor and wall cabinets. Also, plywood is used as a substrate for table tops made of agglomerate. Plywood is not deformed from temperature difference and even at the increased dryness of air in the room. This is its indisputable advantage.
Veneer table top
Veneer is a sheet of non-valuable wood, on which a thin layer (from 0.7 to 3 mm) of rock is glued, for example, walnut or oak. The advantages of such a finish can be attributed to its beautiful appearance. But still, the veneer is quite soft and gentle, so it requires careful attitude. However, like wooden kitchen countertops, such surfaces can be restored.
Table top made of MDF
Or else, a medium density fiberboard (Medium Density Fiberboard) is a slab of pressed wood shavings. For a bunch of urea resins are used, which, unlike phenolic (used in the production of chipboard), are not toxic. If you choose such a table top, it is necessary to make sure that the MDF is covered with a sufficient number of layers of varnish or paint, as it is quite difficult to restore it. But nevertheless, the table top made of MDF has excellent properties, strong, moisture-and heat-resistant.
Laminate table top
This synthetic coating is glued to the chipboard and MDF, and it is a compressed paper impregnated with phenolic or melamine resins. On its surface printed wood texture, marble, granite, making this top very attractive. In addition, this material is good in operation: it is resistant to scratches, wear, not porous, does not collect dust.
Steel table top
For a long time, this coating for the working surface of the kitchen was used only in restaurants and public places. Today steel has become one of the fashionable and popular materials that can give a modern look to the kitchen. If you think what countertop to choose for the kitchen in the style of high-tech, the answer is obvious – steel. And this is not surprising, because steel is one of the most durable materials. For use in the decoration of kitchen furniture manufacturers use an alloy of iron and carbon, which allows steel to remain resistant to rust. In shops it is possible to find countertops with matte and glossy. Perhaps the negative side of this material is that it is easy to remain water stains and fingerprints. Therefore, it is necessary to remove limescale with soft cleaning agents and wipe dry after each use.
Table top made of stone — marble
Undoubtedly, such a table top will decorate any kitchen, because marble is one of the most beautiful minerals, as well as the most valuable. In the store you can choose marble in a wide range of colors and textures. But when choosing it, you should remember that marble is very porous, which means that it easily absorbs dirt, scratches appear. You should be prepared that in the future you will have to regularly cover it with water-oil or wax compositions.
Table top made of quartz stone
For use in the kitchen using a mixture of natural quartz, acrylic resins and various pigments. If you use the kitchen very often, then this work surface is ideal for you: it does not require coatings with additional mixtures, is resistant to scratches and thermal loads, easy to clean. On the market today you can find a wide range of colors, drawings, imitations of natural stone.
Table top made of stone — granite
It is also one of the most popular materials for finishing work surfaces in the kitchen. Everything else, granite is a natural stone, heat-resistant and scratch-resistant. Very diverse selection of colors and textures on the market today. But in order to protect the countertop from stains is from time to time to process its water-oil or wax mixtures.
Agglomerate table top
This material is modern and artificial. It consists of a mixture of minerals, acrylic resins and pigments. It very well imitates a natural stone, but remains thermo-and moisture resistant.
Choosing a countertop for the kitchen in the first place proceed from the purposes for which you need it. Do you often use the kitchen and cook on it? Are you ready for the fact that the care and maintenance of the appearance of the countertop will cost certain costs? After answering these questions, you can proceed to the next – the choice of color and pattern. As you can see, almost all the materials described in this article have a wide range.