Did you know when you go to sell your home, you may be able to recoup upwards of 80 percent of the cost of a major kitchen remodel? That’s not to mention the fact that well-done improvements increases your home’s curb appeal, making it more likely to sell — and sell quickly. But, best of all, gorgeous kitchen countertops can transform the room from “just a place to cook” into a wonderful place to live.

When choosing what countertops to put on top of your kitchen cabinetry, there are many things to consider. Here’s where you can begin:

Cooking: In order to get the most out of the countertops that you select, consider the following questions first. Do you cook every day? Do you cook once in a while when you cannot avoid it? Are you the type of chef who likes to place hot pots on the countertop without the benefit of a hot plate or thermal barrier? Do you use a lot of roughly designed cookware that may scratch unprotected surfaces? You will need to take all of these things into account when selecting the type of countertop that you want for your kitchen. Engineered stone and granite provide excellent scratch-and heat-resistant surfaces.

Baking: If you are a baker, then you may want to consider some of the above considerations as well. Do you need a surface that can resist the heat of tray after tray of deliciously warm cookies? Perhaps you will also need a stain-resistant countertop for all of the food colorings that you might be using in your food decorating endeavors. Consider manufactured stone or stainless steel surfaces, both of which provide excellent heat and stain resistance.

Marble is a favorite surface for rolling dough, but is prone to staining, cracking and chipping. If this is something you’d really like in your kitchen, perhaps you could have a special section of that kind of countertop embedded in another material.

Entertaining: If you entertain a lot, then you should consider durability along with visual and aesthetic appeal. Entertaining your guests necessitates a lot of wear and tear on the kitchen countertops in most cases — in fact, not everyone will be as careful of your countertops as you will be. Here are a few things to consider.

Decorative purposes: If your kitchen is more of a gathering place and less of a central cooking or baking station, then you may place more emphasis on the decorative aspect of your countertops. You may be more concerned with issues seam visibility more than those of, say, heat resistance. If that is the case, then you may want to consider any of the following all of which provide excellent lack of seam visibility: engineered stone, stainless steel, butcher block or laminated surfaces.

Countertop options and affordability
Even if you have a limited budget, you can still have attractive kitchen countertops. Modern technology has advanced to such a degree that there are a wealth of affordable options. However, for the least expensive selections, you may want to consider butcher block, tile or laminated surfaces. Laminate you say? Really — today’s Formica is more durable than that material of yesteryear, and is available in a wide range of colors, patterns and finishes. You might be surprised!

One of the newest countertop materials out there is made out of paper (combined with resin and then baked). Richlite is a solid surface (the same material runs all the way through) and is heat resistant up to 350 degrees F. It’s also considered environmentally-friendly, as the raw material used in its manufacture is derived from renewable or recycled resources. The end result is a tough surface that isn’t cold like stone or other solid-surface materials.

source : sheknows.com