The countertops in your new home may well be some of the most used surfaces rivaling, perhaps, only your floor surfaces for frequency of use. The durability and attractiveness of countertop surfaces, therefore, should be as important to research as the quality and types of carpets you are considering.

Solid-surface countertops (those without individual tiles imbedded in grout) have been popular through the decades because of their clean, uninterrupted, and uniform appearance as well as their easy care.

Dave Lindquist, owner-manager of Dave's Design Center in Sacramento is an expert at new home amenities, serving more than 15 new production homebuilders. Here's how he assesses the various surfaces available through many builder design centers across the country:

* Formica® : People know this high pressure laminate surface by its name brand. According to Lindquist, laminate flooring (like Pergo® ) is made of the same stuff, but has an aluminum oxide added to the same material to make it more step-friendly and resistant to scratches. Originally introduced in the late '50s, Formica for a long time was just about the only game in town for continuous coverage counters except for granite slabs or large blocks of wood.

Lindquist acknowledges a huge range of colors and styles for laminate counters and also says it's one of the most reasonably priced surfaces to consider. "But you get what you pay for," he says. "It's susceptible to burns, cuts and scratches. And when a can falls out of a cabinet onto a laminate counter, it can dent the surface."

Lindquist also added that laminate surfaces can have noticeable seams, unlike other types of continuous surface materials.

The cost of 4 ft. by 4 ft. kitchen island with this surface? Around $180 to $200.

*Corian®: An extremely popular solid-surface, this imitation stone surface, so smooth to the touch, has become much more affordable than in its early days. According to Lindquist, its patent rights expired several years ago, and since then other companies (like WilsonArt) have come up with their own versions, introducing an even broader range of colors and designs to the original pastel palette of colors.

The durability of this surface is better than the laminates, but also has its drawbacks. Says Lindquist, "The surface won't indent, like a laminate, but it can crack with excessive heat and can scratch and show knife cuts." The damage can be removed with a sanding process, however. A 4 by 4 surface with Corian would cost about $320 to $350, according to Lindquist.

*Silestone®: One of the newer solid surface countertop products is Silestone. It's a fabrication of natural quartz and crystal, bonded with a polyurethane resin to create a solid surface. It can be buffed to a high polish, like granite, and unlike the Corian-style surfaces. When asked about the surface, Lindquist said it's too new to review, but worth some investigating.

*Granite Slabs: a natural product, granite has endured through the ages and become outrageously popular in recent years as the luxury home countertop of choice. Even those who can't afford an entire kitchen full of granite slabs and veneers may settle for at least an island using the shiny surface.

Granite is almost bulletproof in durability but, says Lindquist, surfaces are as individual as a piece of wood. "Even consecutive slices of granite taken from the same solid piece can possess different characteristics within them; some people get upset when they see that their granite slab countertops don't look exactly like the samples they saw at the design center," he says. "But we can never guarantee that they will absolutely love every piece that gets installed."

And the cost for that 16 square foot section? $700 to $800, says Lindquist.

Which continuous or solid surface you choose, of course, depends on your individual taste as well as the size of your pocketbook. Before making your final choice, however, be sure to place a sample of the surface side by side with your cabinet selection to make sure you like the marriage. Once your choice is ordered, especially cut-to-order surfaces like Corian or natural granite, it's usually yours, so use caution in your selections, says Lindquist.

For more articles by Dena Amoruso, please press here.

Published: April 6, 2001

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A veteran of the real estate and homebuilding industries since 1986, Dena Kouremetis first joined Realty Times as a new homes writer in 1998. Since then, she has authored four books, written consumer columns on new homes issues for websites and newspapers all across the country, contributed to builder trade magazines, appeared as a guest expert on several radio shows and even created a ten-chapter podcast for LendingTree.com’s homebuilder website, iNest.com, now available on iTunes, entitled Uncharted Waters; Navigating the Purchase of a New Production Home. Kouremetis recently joined her local Folsom, CA Coldwell Banker office as a broker associate while continuing to write for the real estate industry. For the past three years, she has been training real estate agents for both the resale and new homes industries, putting her experience, research expertise and gift of expression to work to help others entering the business.