Upgrading Your Kitchen With New Countertops
Replacing your kitchen countertops is a major renovation to make to your home. The great variety of countertop options and materials can make overseeing this particular upgrade a rather difficult task without some basic preparation and considerations. Here are some tips to help your renovation go more smoothly.
Bring Samples Home
It can be extremely difficult to tell what a countertop material will look like without first seeing it in your house. To this end, you should make sure to request sample materials of any countertop options that you are seriously considering. Most providers will offer these samples at little to no cost, and it can be essential for finalizing your choice. Rather than attempting to make this decision at once, you may want to leave the countertop samples out for several days so that you can see them at different times of the day. Otherwise, you may discover that you have chosen a countertop material that may be too dark during the evening hours.
Choose Neutral Colors
The color of your countertops will be another consideration that can deserve ample thought. When individuals choose bright or light colors, they may find that those countertops can be extremely difficult to keep clean. While dirt and grime will be less obvious on darker colors, these colors may not be as versatile when it comes to color schemes and decorations. To balance these competing needs, neutral colors can be an excellent solution. When you choose a color scheme that is neutral, it will be both easy to maintain while also complementing a wide range of interior decoration schemes. This can be highly valuable to homeowners who regularly change or update the interior decorations of their home as they may feel limited with dark or brightly colored countertops.
Avoid Heat-Sensitive Materials
Over the course of preparing food, you may need to set hot utensils or pans on the countertop. Often, this can occur accidentally while you are distracted with cooking. Unfortunately, vinyl and some other materials that may be used in countertops will not be able to withstand these temperatures, and they may start to melt fairly quickly. While natural stones will crack and suffer other damages due to prolonged heat exposure, this is usually not a major concern for individuals who may only need to briefly set these items on the countertop. Most countertops will have their maximum temperature rating on them, so you will be able to effectively compare the options and choose the most durable material.