Information and maintenance tips for benchtops and Splashbacks installed according to Australian Standards for the Canberra region of Australia - Aneka Kitchens, Mitchell, ACT

Countertops: Your Options

You know what these countertops look like; now it's time to get a handle on their individual characteristics. Read on to learn about the pros and cons before you make a countertop commitment. Here’s how they compare:

• Granite
  Granite is the most durable, and is chip and scratch resistant. You can cut, roll dough, and place hotpots directly on granite. Because stone is porous, each stone requires special sealants. But granite absorbs the least and only requires resealing about once a year.



• Corian
  Corian is a patented blend of high performance acrylic and natural minerals solid surface material that allows for seamless joins, non-porosity, hygienic surfaces, stain resistance and thermo formability. It comes in ninety colours in matt, semi-gloss and high-gloss. There are sinks that can be chosen and incorporated with the benchtops to provide for a seamless finish. Corian comes with a ten year DuPont warranty on product and installation.



• Marble
  Because it’s smooth and cool to the touch, marble is the traditional favourite for rolling dough and making pastries. However, it lacks the durability of granite and requires sealants to be applied more requently to prevent stains.



• Quartz surfacing
  The superman of stone, quartz surfacing provides a nearly indestructible material, idea for homeowners who want a beautiful surface. Providing the look of natural stone with a mettle that laughs in the face of coffee, lemon juice and high-maintenance care, its non-porous nature protects against more than just stains—it's also extremely hygienic, making it a food-safe choice.

A very popular and most economical product in Aneka's operations is Quantum Quartz a Vietnamese product at much lower costs and a dazzling display of colours.

• Laminate
  The most common kitchen countertop, laminate is a synthetic material made up of several layers. Though economical, laminate doesn't have the lasting power of stone; however, some manufacturers offer upgraded high-wear surfaces with increased lifespan. A slightly more expensive alternative with no dark edges is solid-colour laminate, which is made of a coloured plastic throughout.



• Tile
  Decorative tiles are often used for trim or backsplashes, and hardier types can serve as a countertop surface. They may feature raised, recessed or painted designs. The main types are: ceramic, porcelain, quarry, glass, natural stone and mosaic. Unglazed tiles must be sealed; glazed tiles are impervious to water.



• Hardwood
  The most common wood countertop you know as butcher block, those thick hardwood maple surfaces that every knife-wielding chef dreams about. Butcher blocks generally vary in thickness between 1 ¼and six inches, and are made of stacked and glued hard maple pieces; the exposed end grain is the cutting surface.

  An exciting addition to your project could be A Murray River Red Gum Slab available from specialist suppliers.
  
  For more information contact HIA’s K&B Memberline 1300 783 345

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  Now let us have a more detailed look at some of the more popular materials

  'High Pressure' Laminates

  The most economical and popular benchtop material, laminate is made of several layers of melamine and phenolic resin-impregnated paper fused under high pressure and heat. It is then bonded to either a particleboard or M.D.F. substrate. It offers an almost infinite range of design possibilities. Among the options: a natural look, such as faux stone or wood grain, a favourite colour or a small-scale pattern with rich visual texture. Laminates that look like Granites have come a long way over the years, so much so that the laminate manufactures take photo shots of real Granite and digitally impose them over the area of laminate. The quality of these colours has never been better.

  Laminate is by far the most popular kitchen benchtop. It's easy to clean, resists stains, comes in hundreds of colours and can imitate looks from marble and granite to timber and stainless steel. Best of all, it's affordable.

  Bear in mind that while glossy looks good and gives depth to pattern, it will show marks. A good compromise is to use a laminate with sheen.The latest development in laminate benchtops is square edges made by the post-form process. This results in no joins between the top of the bench and the sides (in the past, only rounded edges could be achieved with this process).

  The result is a benchtop that flows over the edge, and a laminate that won't peel off the side. You should get about 10 years from your laminate benchtop. Don't rest hot items or cut on it directly, and don't use abrasive cream cleansers that will leave scratches.

  'High pressure' Laminates such as LAMINEX, and European & US imports e.g. DUROPAL, FORMICA, WILSONART and NEVERMAR are mainly used for the bench tops. These species of hardwearing bench tops now consist of many hundreds of colour bursts, patterns, and textures from which to select. Solids from St. Croix, patterns from Patagonia, and wood grains from the Congo with a whole series of edge details to set off your new designer laminate bench tops! The material is very hard, scratch and stain resistant but not impervious to cuts, burning cigarettes, hot pots and scratches. These materials are the most economical solution and world wide are still the most popular choice (due mainly to price, of course).
  
  Note: 'Low pressure' Laminates are not recommended for bench top material, as the name suggests they are a Low pressure laminate and are not designed for a high pressure work area.

  Timber - 

  Solid Timber: adds character to any kitchen. There are some stunning material available from specialists suppliers, such as Ironwoods Australia or Australian Timber Slabs.

  An exciting addition to your project could be A Murray River Red Gum Slab. These timbers can be cut to a client's specification, sizes varying from 200mm-800mm in width and cut to any length. Leave the edges as natural sanded bark or finish with straight cut edges for a contemporary kitchen. Solid timber benches can be easily rejuvenated, marks sanded out and the timber refinished to look as new.

  Solid Timber is reasonably durable, although scratches from knives and burn marks from hot pans will show up. They may be unhygienic if meat or poultry is prepared on it. Can also require careful treatment and ongoing, at least annual maintenance or resealing is required.

  Ceramic Tile - 

  This is the bench component that allows for the most design latitude. There is a ceramic tile shape, colour and pattern to take you anywhere you want to go within the design spectrum. As for durability, the kiln-fired nature of the product makes ceramic tile one of the more practical countertop solutions, however the same can not be said for the grout that is between each tile - which needs to be re-sealed regularly, preferably using a silicone sealer. But tiles are very hard, heat and scratch proof. This method of countertop was popular 50 years ago, but is used rarely in Australia. It can have both short & long term problems with moisture penetration, ensure a solid substrate is present and consider using a tile underlay before laying.

  Slate, Bluestone and Marble - 

  Slates are formed from tiny particles of clay and silt on the sea floor that solidyfied into shale hundreds of million years ago - then compressed into slate when earth segments folded or where pressed upwards into mountain ranges.

  Slate is easier to work than granites and consequently its cost is much less, approximately half the cost of granites. It has a textured look and feel and is nowhere as near as smooth as granites or marbles. The surface is porous and needs treatment with a sealer or impregnator to prevent staining regularly. Slate (as a bench top material) does not have the same longevity as many of the other products available, as Slate is thin and brittle and can break or crack easily. Once Slate starts to disintegrate, it becomes more rapid if left untreated. Slate is very rarely used in bench tops in Australia.

  Slate is probably best suited to Country style Kitchen designs, providing a rustic look and ambience.

  Similarly Marble, with its fascinating markings and wide range of colours, has a tendency to stain and scratch if not used carefully, and is therefore better suited in bathrooms than Kitchens.
  People always ask “which is better, Marble or Granite for my Kitchen bench top” .
  The answer is simple, Granite is far less likely to stain as readily as Marble does and therefore Granite makes a more educated choice for a Kitchen bench top.

  Stainless Steel

  Stainless steel is still quite a popular choice. It is a durable surface and offers practicality and good looks, but Stainless Steel starts scratching from the day it is installed! After a while all these light scratches ‘blend’ into each other and the bench top once again looks great. It is a cold looking (and feeling) bench top, but extremely hard wearing.

  Integrated Stainless steel Benchtop.