10 Best Tips for Choosing Your Next Countertop

When you start at ground zero and walk into a countertop showroom, you may be overwhelmed by the colour and finish choices, styles, and stone types.

We are giving you a better starting point here with 10 Best Tips that will help you choose your next countertop.

1. Don't Make Your Choice Based on a Small Sample

Verde Wild Forest quartzite - full slab.
It is virtually impossible to determine the look of this stone based on a small 6"x4" sample.

Colours of stone slabs vary and the busier the pattern, the veinier the look, the more chance that the colour variation and the pattern flow will differ from one end to another on each slab.

TIP: While some consistent patterns or solid colours do not necessitate a view of the whole slab, virtually anything else should be viewed and approved in person.

2. You Don't Need to Be Trendy. Buy for Yourself. Not For Others.

Some kitchens age faster than others. In this example, a client used a timeless approach that will wear well and last a good long time. Photo: Karen Palmer

Trends come and go. One of the ways to avoid this pitfall is to not fall for what is trendy today since it is almost a guarantee that it will not be in style tomorrow. One of the beautiful things about stone countertops is that they are meant to last forever. With proper care, they should look as good on their 20th anniversary as they did on day one. So why go through the pain of having to replace them too soon just because they look dated, while still fully functional.

TIP: Choose what reflects you, your personality and your style. It may not be to everyone's taste, but even if it is no longer stylish after a decade or two, at least it is still a reflection of you and you have no reason to change it.

3. More Expensive Does Not Mean Better

The colour on the left is less than half the price of the one on the right. Quality-wise, they rival each other and the left-hand manufacturer is praised more often that the one on the right.

Slabs of stone are hardly reflective of their cost. Pricing depends on many factors. Not a lot of it has to do with quality. Price goes up when scarcity is affected or when stone designers offer the most unique offerings on the market. Often the simpler the style, the more budget-friendly. Economical options do not mean "of lower quality", it just means that you're not paying for high CEO salaries, elevated marketing budgets or celebrity spokespeople.

TIP: Go with your gut feeling and purchase strictly based on looks. Have your budget and your style in mind. If asked, a reputable fabricator will let you know if there are known dependability issues with any particular brand/quarry/ or stone colour. Many stones are difficult and often fragile when fabricating, but their long-term durability is unaffected once installed in its resting place. Some, however can break just by proverbially looking at them. Again, a knowledgeable fabrication facility like Granite Mountain Stone Design will not mince words about a particular brand or type of stone when its reputation is on the line.

4. Brand Loyalty will NOT Get You a Better Product

If you only heard of Brand A, do not disregard Brand B or Brand C just because you never heard of them. Some company names you never heard of are the most respected in the industry. Most brands also have stone options in a variety of price categories.

TIP: While branding is important predominantly to the manufacturers, the smartest consumers looking for countertops will shop around and are brand-agnostic.

5. Stones Change Colours in Different Lighting

Lighting is the most overlooked aspect of buying a stone. Just like furniture or wall paint colours, stones change their appearance based on the temperature of the surrounding lighting.

It is an unavoidable phenomenon that stones will change their appearance in different lighting. They appear warmer in lower numbers on the Kelvin scale (warmer light bulbs) and cool off as the temperatures reach cool white or daylight temperatures.

TIP: When observing stone colour options, make sure that you're viewing them in the lighting that closely matches your home. Otherwise, you'll set yourself up for disappointment. Granite Mountain Stone Design West St. Paul showroom has spotlights that can simulate the intensity and colour temperature found in your home.

6. Stones Are Glossy, but There Are Other Finishes

There are many types of finishes, not just polished. Choose the look you prefer

Not everyone is a fan of a glossy, polished look. Some stones look far more dramatic in antiqued, leathered or honed finish. Until recently, those were all staples of natural stone. Now you can also get the matte look in quartz, as some factory options come in a matte finish.

TIP: Choose the look you prefer. Just remember that granite and other natural stones will be fine in polished or matte finish, whereas quartz will require more frequent maintenance because fingerprints, oils on the skin and water spots will be more noticeable. See: Polished vs Matte

7. Granite is Not a Maintenance Hog

Myth as old as time. Granite has to be sealed. While true, you might be waiting many years before you have to do so and the process is super easy and not time-intensive at all.

Despite what you hear from a wide range of sources, natural stones like granite or quartzite are not difficult to maintain. They require the same amount of attention as any surface would. Daily clean-up is required. It has a porous surface so over time, it will begin to absorb liquids. This is the reason, periodic granite sealing is necessary to avoid your stone becoming a bacteria sponge. We have created a simple Water Drop Test that tells you if your stone needs sealing or not. The frequency of this procedure depends on many factors, but it may be done as often as every few months (marble) to every seven years or maybe never.

TIP: Don't dismiss granite as an option strictly because "it is maintenance-heavy". If you have to have a light colour with soft veining, granite will probably not do, otherwise, it has a lot more benefits over engineered stone like quartz. It's heat-resistant and it does not stain easily either.

8. Don't Renovate in a Busy Season for Fabricators and Other Tradespeople

There are seasons that are very busy for stone fabricators. It might take a while before you get yours installed. Summertime and shortly before Christmas are good examples of busy seasons.

TIP: If time is important to you, book your template, fab and install in the winter (but after the Christmas rush) and benefit from a very fast turnaround.

9. Know your Intended Use and the Best Solutions

This outdoor kitchen uses natural stone which is best suited to an outdoor setting. You cannot use quartz as the resin used in the production process will turn yellow when exposed to the sun.

Marble is a beautiful, natural stone. Looks fabulous on a wall, but it is troublesome in the kitchen. It scratches and chips easily. For busy kitchens choose granite or quartz. Are you used to taking hot pans straight out of the oven and placing them on the counter? You can do so with natural stone but the resin inside quartz will eventually discolour and burn. For outdoor applications, you can only use natural stone. Bathrooms are relatively easy on any kind of stone as long as you don't use hard chemicals to clean them.

TIP: Know your intended use and select the stone that suits it best. A reputable fabricator will never sell you a type of stone that is unsuitable for your installation.

10. DO NOT Attempt to Transport or Install the Stone Yourself!

While extremely heavy, stone slabs are also fragile while in production or during an installation process.

Never thought I'd have to say this, but after seeing a lot of fail photos of a couple guys picking up a large stone piece from a sketchy vendor and having them drop it to the ground destroying the stone, I have to wonder what made them want to take the risk in the first place. Any savings are wiped, the warranty is void and a possibility of a serious injury or even death is actually very high when you don't have the right equipment. The installation process requires the right set of tools and the expertise does not come bundled with YouTube. At 18 lbs / sq. ft. STONES ARE HEAVY. Do not jeopardize your life or your friend's.

TIP: Leave it to the professionals. We template, fabricate and install. All of that is included in our per-square-foot pricing of the stone.