Kitchen Countertop Ideas: Thinking Out Of The Box

Jan 12, 2012 by Frank Scherer

The next time you’re watching a TV movie or program that’s set in the 60s or 70s, when scenes are shot inside a home take a good look at just what was a “top-of-the-line” countertop back then. Most likely what you’ll see is for formica or perhaps tile but for sure nothing like what’s available today. This is because now you have an incredible number of choices when it comes to having a new countertops installed in your home.

Polished granite for instance sits on the top of a whole lot of peoples wish lists and no doubt about it but that polished granite looks amazing. Plus it’s easily by far the hardest of all the materials that are available. However, there’s just one slight problem with this king of countertop materials, and that is that it is among the most expensive out of all the kitchen countertop ideas you can come up with.

Particularly if you’re thinking of polished “black” granite with nice deep edge coping and a nice tall back-splash. You see, what you’ll quickly discover about polished granite once you start shopping for it, is that the darker it is the more expensive it becomes, and it’s all due to the iron that it contains.

Iron you see, is black and hard because it’s a metal, and black granite has the highest iron content. That’s why it’s black. So this higher iron content in turn makes it harder to process. To quarry, cut, polish, and shape which in turn works to drive up the price.

So along the way craftsman and product developers have been coming up with new products and procedures to deliver the look, and other outward properties of polished black granite, only without the high cost.

Today’s New Man Made Faux Granite

Really it’s only been up until recently that anything fake that was produced to duplicate a more costly natural product always seemed to “come up short”. Whatever it was, it would look good from a distance but as soon as you got up close, unless someone had vision problems it became all too obvious that it wasn’t the genuine article.

Today however, product developers and materials engineers have definitely crossed the line over into “genuine authenticity” with today’s modern man-made cultured black granite countertop. In fact it’s made from ground up granite that’s encased in a clear polymer that’s then molded into sheets.

The one problem here though with this product in particular, is that it’s just not as cheap as one might think it should be, being that it’s a man-made product that’s produced to duplicate real polished black granite.

So then why do people opt for it when for just a little more money they can have the genuine article?

The answer here is simple and that’s that in a few “crucial areas” fake granite in some applications is actually more desirable than real granite. For instance splices are almost impossible to detect in cultured black granite where on the other hand you’ll be left with a visible black line where natural black granite is spliced together.

So on long spans, and where corners bisect you can have the effect of one solid piece with the man made product. Also scratches in real granite are a huge problem. Yes black granite in particular is pretty hard stuff but the bottom line is that given the right circumstances it can be scratched, and once that happens it’s almost impossible to remove. On the other hand scratches are easily polished out of fake granite.

Man-made or faux granite is also considerably lighter than genuine polished black granite, so for sure for in applications like countertops in RVs, a boats, or even perhaps on lighter more delicate cabinetry in an older home it is for sure the better choice. In the end, the bottom line is that you really do have to see it up close to fully comprehend how “real” this stuff looks

Slab Granite Countertops

On the other hand, if you’re intent on going with granite, the big “secret to savings” is to study and get to know the product and options before you buy. For instance in recent years increasingly more of the polished granite slabs that are used for the raw material for granite countertops are being imported from China, so the price has come down on it.

At the same time though as prices have come down, so too has the quality of Chinese granite and it takes a careful eye to discern the difference between a top-grade polished surface, and one that’s lacking in this area. Also don’t let quotes on prices on the “square footage” fool either you because extras like edge coping, a back-splash, spliced corners and seams and other custom features can really work to run the final bill up.

Also as noted above, the color and type that you go with when choosing a granite countertop will factor in greatly on the cost that you end up you paying. So in turn it’s highly recommended that you do the research that it takes to become familiar with the difference in the prices of the various colors, types and styles of granite countertops so you don’t end up paying more than you should.

Take A Look At Polished Concrete

Concrete really is “amazing stuff” but the problem for most people, and you may be one of them, is that the only place that they’re seeing concrete being used is on the ground for roads, sidewalks, driveways, etc. Once you stop and think about it though, in the end concrete really is stone once it’s set and cured, so it polishes up to a nice shiny finish just like any other hard stone will.

Concrete can also be dyed, stained, and affected by adding other types of stone, both man-made and natural. Materials like broken glass, colored pebbles, chips of marble, etc. You see, once the finished surface is polished anything that has added in will also be polished smooth on the surface.

Working with concrete on a small scale like a countertop project also only requires basic woodworking skills for setting up the mold or form work, and no real special skills for mixing and pouring it. Then the power tools used for polishing it can be found at your local rental yard.

So when going over kitchen countertop ideas take a good look at the photos of polished concrete countertops to see for yourself how impressive they look. Then finally when you consider that the total materials cost for a project like this hovers somewhere in the area around $20-$30, it’s easy to see why more people today are installing them in their homes, bars, and restaurants.

DIY Ceramic Tile Repair

There’s a big secret that tile contractors have been keeping for far too long, and that is that ceramic tile repair is relatively easy to do. Even more so in recent years due to the advent of fully stocked ceramic tile service isles, and counters at warehouse hardware stores like Home Depot where they’ll even do your cutting for you.

Now the big reason that the word on DIY tile repair has been getting out, is because there are just so many worn tile countertops out there that are being torn out and replaced simply because they’re in need of repair, and you may have one in your home, backyard or business. Also the advent of the Internet has also for sure played its part.

So then if this is your case then take a good close look at your tile countertop, and chances are that what you’ll find is that it’s the grout that’s the real problem. It’s degraded, cracked, falling out, and recessed back and this in turn has led to water getting underneath some of the tiles which in turn is causing them to come loose.

“Mix some matching paint (a paint store can match the color of your tile) with tile filler and dab it onto the crack with a cotton swab. Allow the tile filler to dry for a few seconds, then wipe lightly with a damp cloth. When you’re done, the crack will be much less visible.”

So now you’re stuck with defective, degraded grout, and loose tiles and that has you exploring kitchen countertop ideas that involve having the whole thing torn out and replaced with a brand new solid surface. What you need to know here before you act though, is that you can save sizable chunk of money by simply patching it up with some tile grout, and ready mixed grout in a convenient tube will do.

Use a tool to scrape out as much as the existing grout that you can and also pull up any loose, and cracked tiles that need to be reset or replaced. Now if you don’t have replacement tiles handy that have been left over from the original job and you’re having trouble finding a match at your local hardware store, don’t give up.

This because you can use ceramic adhesive to glue a broken tile back together and then touch-up the crack line after that’s been done with matching touch-up paint. Now it won’t be perfect but you’ll be pleasantly surprised by just how good the finished results do look. Then simply install the tiles back in place using the grout as adhesive.

Then once the replaced tiles have set, fill in all the seams around the tiles with your grout by forcing it in with your finger or a plastic spatula finger. Make sure to shove it down in “real good”, give it some time to become partially set before wiping it all smooth with a damp sponge.

The folks at diynetwork.com recomend that you give your tile repair project some 24 hours or so to dry, apply a sealer to each and every grout seam, and allow it to also dry well. Also keep in mind that you’ll need to periodically apply new sealer to ceramic tile countertops and if you haven’t been doing this, it’s most likely a contributory factor to your original problems.

Kitchen Counteretop Resurfacing Systems

There are two factors that have combined together to make for the steady stream of new countertop resurfacing systems being introduced to the market. One of those factors is for sure increased labor and materials costs for having an entirely new quality countertop installed. Then the second factor is an increase in the level of technology in newer products, and systems.

Call it “better living through modern chemistry” if you will. The fact is though, that as far as strength, durability, aesthetics, ease of application, cost, and service life are concerned we’re all far better off today than folks were just a few short decades back when it comes to surface coating systems of all types.

So now you can include applying a new surface on your list of kitchen countertop ideas but even so, there is just a few things you need to be aware of before you take this route. For instance for one thing you just can’t expect the same long-term results from a surface treatment that you can from a complete replacement job.

Yes it will look better if it’s all done correctly but it’s unreasonable to expect that a thin coating of “anything” is going to last for decades like a brand new countertop will. Then another thing you need to be aware of here, is that all countertop resurfacing systems are not alike.

For instance if you look closely at the information material for some, what you’ll discover is what they really are is a very high-grade of paint. So while something like this may be advertised as being “resistant” to scratching you just can’t expected to be scratch proof.

The best of them are “multi-stage polymer” systems that require that you have at least some basic crafting skills, and a few power tools like a belt and a palm sander. Tools that can be rented by the way. Even so, all things considered, if you’re on a limited budget and searching for an entirely new look, today’s newer high-tech countertop resurfacing systems are well worth checking out.