You have a new countertop to install. You could install any kind of stone or artificial countertop that you want. Naturally, your goal is to find the best countertop for your kitchen design and the future needs of residences. A big part of that is choosing your countertop material so you can select a slab or pattern that will define the look and feel of your entire kitchen.
Often, homeowners find themselves weighing the difference between granite and laminate. Other than the obvious cost difference, granite is the most affordable of the natural stone while laminate is among the most practical of artificial countertops. But which is best for your kitchen? let’s explore why granite trumps laminate every time for the best kitchen counter capabilities.
1. Granite Looks and Feels Like Solid Stone
A solid stone countertop has a feeling of permanence. It is cool to the touch, at first, and slowly warms up as the kitchen warms. A granite slab countertop would add all the class and beauty of granite to your kitchen and the solidity of stone to your daily cooking experience. Many people just like the feel of a natural stone slab counter and laminate just aren’t the same.
2. Granite Countertops are Very Heat-Resistant
What happens when you place a hot pan on a laminate countertop? The plastic counter melts and burns because there is no real organic material to burn and not enough inorganic material to remain inert. Laminate counters can’t be trusted near hot pans or they’ll scorch and deform nearly on command. Many an ugly brown mark on a laminate countertop has come from a hot pan. You can often tell by the tell-tale semicircle on older laminate countertops.
Granite, on the other hand, is excellent at resisting heat. Granite can endure oven and stove temperatures and won’t be damaged if you drop a pan or set down a pot without a potholder – briefly. If you do see a scorch, that’s just the finish layer. You can (and should) have your granite resealed every year to every three years.
3. Granite is Tough to Stain
Granite also doesn’t absorb a stain. Be careful which sauce spoons you drop or leave on a laminate countertop. That surface may look smooth but molecularly, the entire laminate surface is susceptible to stains. Anything with an intense color can stain your laminate countertop from turmeric to tomato sauce.
Granite is a silicate natural stone. Stone has a crystalline molecular structure where the molecules lock into a geometric pattern. There is nothing available for stain to adhere to with granite. Therefore, granite does not stain readily. You can leave your most color-packed ingredients on the granite countertop and, at worst, your sealcoat might take on a hue.
4. Granite is Harder and Tougher than Laminate
Granite is also much, much more durable than laminate both in the short-term and the long-term. Up close and personal, it’s nearly impossible to damage granite or even scratch the surface with a sharp object. It is also nearly impossible to scratch granite. Run a sharp object over the surface and at worst you will damage the seal coat. Granite is extremely difficult to damage or even to mar a little.
Compared to laminate, there is no comparison. Laminate is an artificial countertop material but it’s far from the durability of natural stone. Laminate scratches and even gouges easily. Laminate takes heat damage and can be dented from impact damage. Laminate also degrades over time so it doesn’t last to the next project or owner.
5. The Potential for Under-Mounted Sinks
An under-mounted sink is a delicate and streamlined sink design. Instead of dropping a sink basin into the top of the sink and caulking it in, instead you can lift your sink basin and secure it to the underside of the countertop. Of course, this is only possible with solid and durable countertops – like those of natural stone. With most materials, an under-mounted sink is impractical. But with granite as your countertop, you can use the counter itself as the top of your sink basin. If you’ve been dreaming about under-mounted sinks in your kitchen, granite is the way to go.
6. The Natural Beauty of a Handpicked Granite Slab
As for beauty, very few sights beat a well-chosen granite slab for your kitchen counter. The counter is your kitchen centerpiece, the surface that brings the whole kitchen design together. How you choose to adorn your counters matters visually for both the kitchen and the entire rest of the house. Granite has the natural beauty of grained stone. You can also choose your granite slab based on the underlying color, the color and style of the grain, and the size of the slab. The perfect, beautifully grained slab can transform the look and feel of a kitchen.
7. The Value to Your Home
Finally, granite countertops are the definition of value in a home. If you want an upgrade that is sure to increase your home’s market value and ROI with satisfaction, consider granite countertops. For decades, granite counters have been the way we define a luxury home and kitchen. Today, granite is more affordable than marble or composite quartz and is still how we identify a luxuriously designed kitchen.
For home buyers, granite countertops mean class, beauty, and years ahead of them enjoying that cool stone surface when cooking. Value-adding home renovations are always the best choice – and laminate simply doesn’t add any value in home renovations.
Granite Countertops with Arch City Granite
Are you considering installing granite countertops in your kitchen? Arch City is here to help. With an extensive selection of granite slabs and on-team stone fabricators, you can do almost anything with your countertops that you can imagine. Bring your dream kitchen to life with our kitchen design experts and cut the perfect countertop with your personal stone fabricator. You’ll soon be glad that you chose to upgrade your laminate plans to a solid granite slab.
Contact us or explore our website to begin your granite countertop decision making process. We look forward to working with you.