Comparison of the 10 most popular materials and types for kitchen countertops

In a very interesting infographic from Fixr, a website with information on remodeling costs, the 10 most popular materials for kitchen countertops are broken down by durability, maintenance, installation, stain resistance, cost and availability of options. Click on the images to enlarge them.

Fixr ranks each of the 10 materials 1-5 (1 is the worst and 5 is the best) based on these six factors. The number in the middle of 30 is the total score for the material.

“One of the most interesting things that came out of this finding is that, while different materials appear to be close together, they can have very different ratings,” says Fixr on his website. “For example, when it comes to slab countertops, a quartz countertop is 93% quartz (a natural stone), and while granite is a material mainly composed of quartz and feldspar, it is inferior to quartz in terms of maintenance quality. This could be because of that that there are multiple definitions of the word “granite” and that many different stones containing some degree of quartz or feldspar could be sold under this name. Although quartz counters have fewer options, they are more consistent in performance simply because they are made of Man made. “

“The more options there are, the more variations are introduced into your performance,” he continues.

The website then breaks down the five most popular types of kitchen countertops: tile, slab, cast-in-place, pre-cast, and modular.

“It is easy to see from these graphs that all types of panels have far more options for homeowners than other types of counters. This could be due to the way panels are formed – a large piece of material is cut and shaped to size – Customize your cabinets, while pre-made or modular counters are one size fits all. Since it is harder to keep tons of pre-made options on shelves, made-to-order counters can offer more options. “

According to Freedonia’s Countertops in the US Gains study, countertops demand in the US will grow a little more than 2 percent annually to 803 million square feet through 2022. This will be seen in residential remodeling as homeowners continue to opt for larger kitchens and multiple bathrooms. Construction in the countertop, retail, lodging and institutional markets will also drive growth.

For countertop surfaces, quartz is by far the preferred choice, followed by granite and marble. Laminate remains a cheaper alternative. Further information can be found in the FDMC Wood Industry Almanac 2018.