Things to Consider When Choosing for an Office Kitchen Benchtop Material
24 June 2021There are different features and qualities to consider when selecting an office kitchen benchtop material. You must decide whether classic beauty or high functionality is most important before making your buying decision. Does your office kitchen get heavy or light use? Are you mainly interested in a benchtop material to reflect today’s top interior design trends or to last for long-term use?
Major Points to Consider When Choosing an Office Kitchen Benchtop Material
Important points to examine and consider before purchasing a benchtop material for your office kitchen include the following:
- Visual Attractiveness. Although granite is a highly attractive natural stone, many people still consider marble to be the most beautiful of all-natural stones for benchtops. Its elegant tones and stunning veining give marble a distinctive classic style and allure that continues to make it a popular choice for countertops.
Engineered stone is also quite appealing. Made from quartz crystals combined with a resin binder, it resembles a natural stone. Yet engineered stone for benchtops is available in myriad colours and shades. The quartz crystals contained in this manufactured stone have multiple hues. In addition, colourants can be added to the crystals and resin during the manufacturing process. For this reason, engineered stone can be produced in a wide array of colour variations.
- Strength and Durability. Although marble benchtops are hard, granite is harder and more durable. Both granite and marble can crack. Marble can also chip and scratch, and marble countertops can stain easily since they are porous.
Granite is heat-resistant and does not stain easily, but granite slabs often have visible seams. Engineered stone benchtops are nearly as hard as granite, and they crack less easily than granite or slate. Manufactured stone is also quite resistant to heat, and its surfaces do not scratch or scar easily.
- Maintenance. Marble is porous and softer than granite and engineered stone. Oils and stains from dark foods and beverages can seep into the pores of marble surfaces, leaving stubborn discolouration and stains. Appropriate stain removers, cleansers and polishes must be used to maintain marble and restore its original beauty. Since granite is resistant to both heat damage and staining, it is easy to clean and maintain.
Yet all-natural stone tends to stain fairly easily if it is not well sealed or if the sealant has begun to wear away. The surfaces of quartz benchtops do not absorb liquids and are quite stain-resistant. This makes them simple to clean and maintain. Quartz surfaces do not absorb bacteria from foods and liquids, which is also a health benefit in busy kitchens with constant use.
- Expense. Marble is considered the most expensive material for kitchen benchtops. Granite is less expensive than marble, and engineered stone is the least costly benchtop material. Although the cost of different varieties of manufactured stone can vary, it is still the most cost-efficient choice among benchtop materials today.
By consulting our experts at Hans International located in Sunshine North, Victoria, you can obtain excellent advice, materials and installation services for your beautiful and practical new office kitchen benchtop. Our experienced professionals will ensure that you select the ideal natural or engineered stone to greatly enhance your business kitchen interior.
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