How To Choose the Right Bathroom Countertop | The Family Handyman
From remodeling a main suite to adding a new half-bathroom, one of the most important decisions you'll confront is choosing the right bathroom countertop.
From rich quartz to sturdy forest and meticulously installed tile, a quality countertop sets the tone for the bath. As a large surface that'southward middle-communicable and functional, the countertop creates an aesthetic that ties together everything from the faucet to the light fixtures.
How To Choose a Bathroom Countertop
Whether you're remodeling or building new, here are the factors to consider every bit you select a bath countertop.
Immovability
Bathroom countertops are a work surface, especially in a master suite. They need to stand up to everything from dripping toothpaste to dropped hairdryers. And they should be easy to make clean!
It's important to maintain sanitary conditions, so choose a countertop that'south not merely rugged enough for everyday utilise but compatible with your favorite cleaning products.
Cost
Exist sure to account for the material and the potential installation charges. Even if you'll be installing the countertop yourself, don't forget to factor in transportation fourth dimension and costs.
Lastly, remember there's a broad range of pricing for many of the countertop materials listed below. Have tile countertops, which might vary from $1 to $fifteen per square foot.
Availability
Talk to your supplier to verify the countertop will be ready to go when it'south time to install. Even a short delay in delivery can crusade a major scheduling headache, mayhap requiring you to install a temporary countertop.
Installation (Is information technology DIYable?)
Due to countertop weight, many homeowners choose professional installation even if the plumbing hookups and caulking will exist DIY.
If you do opt to practise it yourself, recollect that only the smallest of countertops can be hands installed past ane person. Fifty-fifty lighter materials such as forest can exist bulky to manipulate on your own, and heavier materials such as marble often crave two to three people.
Some other consideration: Cut the holes for the sink and faucet. For marble or quartz, yous'll likely want the manufacturer to cut these for y'all. This will crave precise layouts and advice to avoid miscuts. Wood or laminate countertops are unremarkably much more DIY friendly.
Sustainability
For the most Earth-friendly countertops, enquire your supplier how and where the material is harvested. Locally sourced materials almost always take a lower environmental bear upon. Picking a sustainable option may not touch the installation, but information technology'southward one of those intangibles that will give you lot a sense of pride every time y'all look at the countertop.
Bathroom Countertop Materials
There are lots of materials to choose from. The all-time choice for your specific project depends on the in a higher place factors, along with your budget and personal style.
Granite bath countertops
A naturally occurring stone, granite countertops tend to have beautiful patterns, including dramatic veins of colors.
Pros:
- Beautiful appearance;
- Rut resistant;
- Scratch resistant;
- Chemic resistant (although chemical spills may impairment sealer);
- More affordable than marble;
- Natural and may exist locally sourced.
Cons:
- Porous fabric that can exist stained unless properly sealed (generally, the lighter the granite the more porous);
- Sealer can be damaged if cleaned with acidic products;
- Not DIY friendly;
- More than costly than virtually other countertop options.
Quartz bathroom countertops
Although named after a mineral, quartz countertops are actually a manufactured material. Formed of quartz powder and resin, quartz countertops can be cast into a range of shapes and any color imaginable.
Pros:
- Non-porous, then stain resistant and don't require sealing;
- Heat resistant;
- Scratch resistant.
Cons:
- Costly;
- Non DIY friendly;
- Can't be cleaned with bleach or abrasives (they'll cloud the surface).
Marble bath countertops
Marble is a natural stone, mined from quarries and cutting into slabs. Information technology comes in diverse colors, and can take beautiful flecks and mineral veins. Like granite, information technology needs to exist sealed and maintained.
Pros:
- Beautiful appearance;
- Rut resistant;
- Scratch and chip resistant;
- Natural and may exist locally sourced.
Cons:
- Costly;
- Not DIY friendly;
- Naturally porous material and vulnerable to staining unless sealed.
- Slightly less resistant to impact than granite, although this is a bigger business organization in the kitchen.
Cultured marble bathroom countertops
Much similar quartz countertops, cultured marble is made with marble dust and resins. The result is a dumbo, durable surface that can be formed in near any shape.
Pros:
- Affordable;
- Manufactured product, so it tin can come with integrated sink basins and backsplashes;
- Affect resistant;
- Sealed at factory;
- DIY friendly.
Cons:
- Though it comes with a surface seal, it tin even so exist stained by dyes;
- Vulnerable to solvents such as nail polish remover.
Woods bathroom countertops
Forest countertops tin can be custom-made to fit any space, and fashioned from various woods to match nearly whatsoever décor.
Pros:
- Can be any size or shape;
- DIY friendly;
- Can look modern or rustic;
- Flexible pricing, depending on design and blazon of wood;
- Natural and may be made from sustainable woods.
Cons:
- Vulnerable to water;
- Needs to be sealed or painted, and maintained regularly;
- Tin can aggrandize/contract in humidity, especially near steamy showers.
Laminate bath countertops
Laminate countertops feature a smooth top surface bonded to a particleboard base of operations. They peaked in popularity in the mid-20th century. Laminate technology has improved since those days, and electric current versions are more than resistant to damage than laminates from decades past.
Pros:
- Extremely affordable;
- Extremely DIY friendly to install;.
- Available in modern and retro styles.
Cons:
- May not look "high end;"
- Decumbent to chipping and scratching;
- Laminate is water-resistant but underlayer vulnerable to water.
Concrete bathroom countertops
Concrete countertops can be prefinished and installed whole or poured in place. Either way, they offering an industrial, modernistic appearance with endless options for customization.
Pros:
- Great for intermediate to advanced DIYers;
- Extremely resistant to fries and scratching;
- Modern look;
- Wide range of color and style options;
- Can be poured to form a single, seamless slab.
Cons:
- Heavy;
- Porous material that needs to be sealed to resist staining;
- Messy if finished in place.
Tile bathroom countertops
Tile can be placed over a basic countertop to make it alloy or contrast with the remainder of the bathroom.
Pros:
- Clean expect;
- Cost flexibility depending on tile selection;
- DIY friendly;
- Scratched or chipped tiles can be individually replaced.
Cons:
- Grout lines tin exist hard to clean.
- Tile and grout will need occasional sealing.
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