Atlanta Real Estate News
Kitchens are hot when it comes to home values, and they are one of the first rooms that homebuyers head to when viewing a home. If your Atlanta kitchen is reminiscent of decades past, you may want to put a kitchen remodel on the top of your list of things to accomplish for your home.
Aside from quality cabinetry, your kitchen countertops should be a focal point in your kitchen, and they should be both durable and attractive. Luckily for you, there has never been a better selection of kitchen countertop materials available.
The price points, however, for many types of kitchen countertops can send anyone straight into sticker shock. Purchasing countertops for your Atlanta home will likely take a large chunk out of your remodeling project, but you will likely see a healthy return on your investment.
The following list is designed to give you a general idea regarding the advantages and disadvantages of some of the most popular countertop choices for today’s kitchens:
Don’t pass by laminate countertops just yet. They have certainly come a long way in the past few years, and many are downright attractive. Laminate countertops are one of the least expensive countertop choices, and are easily installed.
Laminate countertops also come in a beautiful array of colors and styles, and are quite durable. They are not, however, heat resistant, and they are prone to scratching. Because the color does not go all the way through your laminate countertops, a scratch is often quite noticeable.
Perhaps one of the most popular choices for today’s kitchens, granite is a natural stone that can be extremely dramatic and stunning. The color variations of natural granite are quite attractive, and so is the fact that they are extremely durable and resistant to heat, scratches and cracks.
Granite, however, can be quite expensive (often $75 or more per square foot), with exotic granite countertops costing well over $150 per square foot. In addition, they require yearly sealing to maintain their beauty and luster.
Quartz countertops, which are actually quartz composite and are often sold under brand names such as Silestone, offer many of the same benefits as granite, as they are extremely durable and resistant to cracks and scratches. The color variations of quartz composite countertops can also be quite beautiful, and can be found in a nice variety of colors. Quartz, unlike granite, is almost completely nonporous, thus eliminating the need to seal and wax it. Expect to pay top dollar for most types of quartz countertops.
Solid surface countertops are also an extremely popular choice for today’s kitchens, and are sold under brand names such as Corian and DuPont. Solid surface, while generally more expensive than laminate, is usually much less expensive than natural stones.
Many buyers choose solid surface because of its durability and its wide range of colors and designs. In addition, because the color of solid surface goes all the way through the countertop, a scratch is often less noticeable than it would be on a laminate countertop. Also, most scratches can be easily sanded or buffed out of solid surface countertops.
For more information on metro Atlanta Real Estate, contact Tina Fountain Realtors at 404.842.1555.
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Date: Wednesday, December, 3rd 2008 @ 09:56:16 AMViews: 1599
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