Ron Hazelton's Kitchen Makeover: Countertops

Feb. 27, 2002 -- Today, Good Morning America Home Improvement Editor Ron Hazelton continues his kitchen makeover, tackling countertops.

Of all the choices you make about your kitchen, the material you select for the countertop must work the hardest. No other surface — not even the floor — gets the constant use and abuse: hot pots and pans, liquid spills, scrubbing and cleaning, abrasion from dishes, you name it.

Here are pros and cons of five of the most popular choices, plus a new material we are trying out on our kitchen makeover in Tampa, Fla.:

Plastic laminate: This super-tough material is made of several layers of resin-impregnated paper bonded to a colorful top layer of paper and then covered with clear melamine plastic. This is then bonded to a particleboard core. Many pre-made laminate-covered particleboard countertops incorporate a 4-inch-high vertical lip (or backsplash) at the rear of the countertop to protect the wall behind the countertop from drips and splashes. These aretechnically referred to as "post-formed" countertops.

Plastic laminate's well-deserved reputation for durability combined with low cost and easy cleanup make this an excellent choice for makeovers on a tight budget. The downside to plastic laminate occurs when you need to join several pieces Together. It's a real challenge to make the seams invisible. Pros know how to do this, but it's a tough task for the average homeowner. Also, the dark resin-impregnated paper behind the colorful top layer of most laminates will show at the seams and edges — especially on the lighter colored varieties.

Solid surface materials: Solid surface material is almost perfect for countertops. It's made from acrylic resins and mineral fillers that are formed into ½-inch thick sheets for countertops. You can even get sinks made out of this stuff, and when bonded to the countertop, no seams will show. Solid surface countertops are easy to clean, water resistant and, unlike thin laminate, you can sand out blemishes. On the downside, this material does stain more readily than plastic laminate, it's expensive, and usually requires professional installation.

Ceramic tile: Ceramic tile is one of the most do-it-yourself-friendly materials for countertops. Individual tiles are more forgiving that a large sheet of plastic laminate or natural stone. If you mess up a tile, just cut another. Ceramic tiles are inexpensive and available in a huge variety of colors, shapes, sizes and textures. When installed correctly, they're heat-proof, scratch- and water-resistant and long-lasting. The disadvantage is the grout — it stains easily and is difficult to keep clean. You can minimize this problem by using thin grout lines and sealing the grout frequently.

Stone: With their highly buffed surfaces and natural beauty, marble and granite countertops are becoming increasing popular in modern kitchens. The cool surfaces of both these materials create excellent surfaces for working with dough or making candy. But with their extremely high cost and their tendency to stain, you may wish to use them sparingly in a kitchen — maybe just as a small slab for a baking center. Because these materials are quite heavy, they need a stout base and should always be installed professionally.

Concrete: At first, using concrete for a countertop might seem crazy. But you'd be surprised what some creative concrete folks are doing with this hardy material. Unlike its high-gloss cousins, a concrete surface offers a rustic, textured appeal. Like natural stone, concrete countertops are heavy and require a sturdy base. They're also fairly absorbent and must be sealed to prevent staining. This is not a do-it-yourself project. Because of the time-consuming hand work involved, concrete countertops are expensive.

Natural Quartz: This material, which we are using on this week's kitchen makeover, is made from natural quartz that is ground up, then compressed and combined with a small amount of resin. The final product is actually more than 90 percent quartz. This quartz/resin composite does not need sealing or polishing and is virtually stainproof. The surface is highly resistant to scratching — in fact, some manufactures claim it is up to five times more durable than granite. Various combinations of quartz from Brazil, India, Turkey and other mining regions around the world offer a variety of colors to complement practically any decorating scheme. This is a high-end countertop choice, comparable in price to granite and other natural stone.

Now the question is: Which countertop will you count on?

Home improvement expert Rick Peters contributed to this report.