Whether you’re remodeling your kitchen or just want to change up the countertops for a fresh look, you’d want to choose from an array of materials. Though granite and quartz countertops are common, there are many others materials to choose also. Here is a thorough comparison between two very popular kitchen countertop materials; laminate and ceramic tile.

Laminate Countertops

Laminate is a material made out of sheets of paper and plastic, stacked on top of each other and compacted into a thin countertop sheet. It is a good choice of material if you’re looking for some variety.

Here are some things you need to know about laminate countertops:

An Inexpensive Option

Laminate kitchen countertops are very inexpensive. They are a great choice to go for, especially if you want new countertops, but are tight on a budget.

Laminate definitely has an upper hand, when it comes to having countertops installed in the kitchen for a relatively cheaper price and it gives granite, marble, and other natural stones a run for their money.

Good Durability

Laminate might be an inexpensive choice for countertop materials, but that doesn’t mean that it skimps out on strength and longevity. This countertop material is one of the most durable options out there if you’re comparing it to similar-priced materials. It can last you a long time and the best part is that it doesn’t need to be maintained as much either. There is no need for you to slave over the maintenance of this countertop because laminate is that great of a material.

With that being said, however, laminate is not a material that’s going to last for eternity either. It can last up to 10 years, at most, even if you take care of it, and after that, it’s just going to start cracking and chipping in weird places and that just looks downright unpleasant.

So, it’s important that you keep this fact in mind and choose a countertop material wisely because laminate will need replacement at some point.

Mimics All Countertop Designs

One of the great things about laminate countertops is that it can mimic any type of countertop surface and it looks very realistic. You can have the look of granite, marble, quartz, or even tiles on the surface of the laminate countertops and that’s possible because of printed laminate sheets.

These sheets can be stuck on top of the countertop and make the whole counter look like real material, even though it isn’t. You can even go all out and polish and varnish the top surface of the countertop to add to the realness of the illusion.

Easy To Clean

Laminate countertops are also a breeze to clean. You don’t need to go out and buy special cleaners for laminate countertops, because you can do a great job with a simple water and detergent solution that can be easily whipped up at home. A microfiber cloth will do the trick here as well.

All you need to do is ensure regular cleaning of the countertops because food particles and spills can eventually dry up on the surface and it can, not only, look bad, but it will also require a lot more elbow grease to clean and get rid of the stains.

A Wide Range To Choose From

Laminate is one of those materials that never runs out of options. There is something for everyone in the wide variety of colors and patterns. You can even have certain colors and patterns made on demand if your retailer allows it. In short, laminate is a material that can make any color, pattern, and design come to life on its surface.

There can be times, during countertop material selection, when you can’t find your favorite color, pattern, or design in a specific material and it can be quite frustrating, especially when you’re spending a lot of money on countertops, so it’s good that laminate offers a great variety, to choose from.

If you don’t have enough budget to get high quality granite countertops Rockville, you can choose laminate countertops that appear as granite.

Ceramic Tile Countertops

Made out of sand, talc, and clay, ceramic tiles are lightweight and a reasonably durable option for kitchen countertops. Here are some key things to keep in mind about ceramic tiles, as kitchen countertops.

A Beautiful Choice

Ceramic tiles are a thing of beauty to look at. This is no surprise. With the subtle colors of the tiles, the soft and smooth appearance of the countertop, coupled with the beautiful sheen it has, ceramic tiles can be beautiful and they can transform your kitchen into something amazing.

Prone To Cracking

This is a general issue with tiles. Since they are extremely thin and lack strength, tiles are prone to breaking and cracking, even under the slightest impact. You need to be very careful when you’re trying to deal with heavy things on top of the surface of ceramic tiles because these tiles can crack and shatter if something from a reasonable height falls down on the countertop.

Ceramic tiles are generally easy to replace, but they can also be a bother, considering the fact that how fragile they are.

Seams Can Be An Issue

This is a huge issue with tiles and that’s the inconsistency of the pattern on the surface of the countertop. The installation team needs to keep in mind the possibility of seams and that will happen, especially if you’re dealing with tiles on kitchen countertops.

Seams can make the countertop look very unsymmetrical and the appearance of seams can ruin the entire look, which is why care should be taken in installing the tiles, like a jigsaw puzzle, so that everything looks cohesive and smooth, at the end. If you’re still someone who doesn’t want to bother with seams and keeps obsessing over them, then this material is not the one for you.

Stains Are The Norm

Ceramic tiles are prone to getting stained as well and this can be a huge problem since this material is quite light already and the appearance of food and liquid stains can be very unappealing. The material is waterproof, but the seams allow stains.

It’s a good idea to get these tiles sealed, as soon as they’re installed, because you will save yourself from a lot of trouble. However, with sealing comes maintenance and you’ll need to reseal the countertops every so often to avoid more damage to the tiles, which can be a pain in the neck for a lot of people.

Not Heat Resistant

Lastly, ceramic tiles are not heat resistant. This material is overall great, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t come with any demerits. Ceramic tiles are very sensitive to heat and if you place hot things directly on the surface of these countertops, then get ready to deal with black heat stains for a long time.

These stains don’t only look horrible, but they are almost impossible to remove and the only way to do so, is to replace the blistered tiles with new ones and not make the same mistake, of shocking them, twice.

Conclusion

Laminate and ceramic tile countertops both have some qualities over one another, and it’s your choice at the end of the day, which material you choose for your kitchen. Visit a quartz countertops dealer Potomac to select the right material.