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If you have ever agonized over choosing countertops, you know it can be challenging to select a material. Although granite has its advantages, there is little in the world that can beat the luxury and elegance of marble. Once you see it, you may feel compelled to call your local supplier and place your order for marble countertops in Butler, PA.

As a rule, marble takes the cake in the kitchen. It offers several benefits to chefs and bakers, including:

A Baker’s Dream

Marble counters stay cool, which gives bakers an advantage when working with their ingredients. No matter what the thermostat says, your marble will stay below room temperature.

Easy to Cut and Shape

If you need a particular workstation or an unusual shape, marble is ready to deliver. It offers much more flexibility when it comes to fitting and size.

Durability

Marble countertops are stain-resistant when sealed, and although they can become etched by acidic foods, it’s a very durable choice in the kitchen.

Timeless Elegance

Nothing says elegance more than marble. There is a reason designers still recommend this material and why people feel drawn to it for their homes.

Heat Resistance

While it is not necessarily recommended that you set hot pots and items on countertops, marble is one where you don’t need to worry about damage.

Quartz countertops in Pittsburgh, PA, are quite the popular option for many homeowners. This is because this is a material that doesn’t just deliver the looks people desire, but also the durability.

An impressive 90% of any quartz countertop is made from quartz crystals. Quartz is one of the hardest minerals on the planet. The other 10% is comprised of pigments and binders to give homeowners the beautiful, hardy, and nonporous surface they want. This perfect combination of form and function delivers the best of the natural material while making it even better suited for the wear and tear seen in most kitchens or bathrooms.

The durability of quartz is what makes it stand out when compared to marble or granite. Thanks to its unique engineering, quartz is better situated to handle the splashes, abrasive forces, and impacts that your surfaces might experience in a kitchen or bathroom setting. That means your surfaces are less likely to require ongoing maintenance and special considerations.

Quartz countertops are likely to be the best option for you when you want a beautiful surface that doesn’t need coddling. Finally, you can have that natural stone look you desire without having to worry about premature discoloring, cracking, or scratches.

You love your granite countertops in PA, but over time you have noticed they have lost a little bit of that luster that you first fell in love with. That beautiful surface can be restored. All you need to do is polish your stonework so that it can shine like new again. But before you start, it is crucial to understand the right way to polish your granite so that you don’t end up causing any damage while trying to restore it. We are here with the advice you need.

The first step to polishing your countertop is to clean the entire surface with a granite-specific cleaner. We recommend using the appropriate polishing pad set to the recommended speed—usually a low one—to help you avoid creating any scratches. You also typically want to work from the outside edge of the granite inwards.

As you remove excessive dirt, you can keep repeating the process with finer diamond polishing pads until you reach the finest grit. It is important to remember never to apply pressure during the polishing process—let the pad do its work.

Once all the dirt is removed, you can apply a polishing cream and buff it to the desired finish using a hog’s hair or buffing pad. Finally, once you have achieved your desired shine, you will need to re-seal the granite to make sure it continues to look its best for many more years to come.

When working in the kitchen, you deal with temperature extremes, from the oven’s heat to the deep freeze. Fortunately, you can cook confidently in Butler, PA, with marble countertops. There are several reasons why marble is one of the first choices for people that spend a lot of time in the kitchen.

Great For Baking

If you like to bake, marble counters are the answer. Marble stays naturally cool, which makes it the perfect work surface for baking. Hot items like freshly baked cookies will also cool faster when placed on marble.

Heat Resistance

Although you need to be mindful of the finish, marble can handle just about any temperature because it is made of stone. For this reason, it is a popular choice for fireplaces as well as kitchens.

Easy To Clean

While marble counters cannot be cleaned with harsh chemicals or abrasives, they are still simple to maintain. Use a solution of warm water and dish soap to reveal a beautiful fresh surface. Stubborn stains will disappear with a simple baking soda paste.

Durability

Marble countertops require extra maintenance because the stone is softer than other stone materials. However, it is still very durable and will easily resist scratching and cracking.

You may have initially chosen your counters because they are beautiful and environmentally friendly, but with that comes an array of additional benefits. With some simple maintenance tips, you will enjoy years of use from your soapstone countertops in Cranberry Township, PA.

Stain Resistance

Because soapstone counters do not stain, they require little to no maintenance. It also means there is also no need to apply harsh chemicals or rough cleaning pads to remove unsightly blemishes. You will enjoy years of beauty when you add this material to your kitchen design.

Hard To Crack

Soapstone may seem soft, but it is tough to crack. While you need to be aware that it can scratch, you never need to worry that it will break and require expensive repairs.

Durability

Because soapstone countertops don’t crack easily, they are very durable. Since they are also non-porous, they will serve you well for many years without the need to be sealed.

Cleaning Is A Breeze

As a non-porous material, soapstone wipes clean with no effort. Just use a soft cloth and mild soap along with regular oiling, and your countertops will look incredible for years to come.

Heat Resistance

You can’t put hot pots or pans on some countertops because of concerns over the potential for damage or discoloration. With soapstone countertops, you never need to worry since they are not affected by heat.

Quartz is a material that both homeowners and builders love to work with. Why? Because it outperforms the competition in numerous ways—all of which benefit you. Here are just some of the reasons why you should consider quartz countertops in Pittsburgh, PA, when you are looking to update your kitchen or bathroom:

It Is Non-Porous – Quartz is stain resistant and—as long as they are wiped away soon after a spill—will reject any liquids. This is quite different than some of the other natural stone surfaces, which can begin to absorb all of the different oils, juices, wines, and moisture that they have been in contact with throughout the years. Additionally, since quartz is non-porous, it does not need to be sealed.

It Is Low Maintenance – Quartz countertops continue to look good for many years without much work on your behalf. Spills just need to be wiped up with a damp sponge—no scrubbing, poultices, or special cleansers required. It is also scratch-resistant, which means even less to worry about.

It Is Highly Durable – Quartz is a solid and durable surface that allows you to move at your own pace in the kitchen without worrying about damaging your counters. It is also heat resistant, which helps reduce the potential of burns and fires.

It Is Stylish – All of that durability may not mean a lot if quartz wasn’t also quite attractive. These counters come in a wide range of colors and patterns that can perfectly mimic the look of granite, marble, and concrete. You also won’t see as many pits, fissures, cracks, color streaks, and other imperfections that are common in other stone surfaces.

The counters in your kitchen take up a lot of space. That means if they are looking outdated—so is your kitchen. It also means that installing new, custom countertops in Pittsburgh, PA, is a quick way to give your space the makeover it needs.

There are three primary benefits of installing custom countertops in your kitchen. No matter what material you choose—granite, marble, soapstone, or quartz—your custom counters are sure to:

Fit Your Home – Not all kitchens are the same size, which means it is pretty challenging to walk into a store and get the perfect slab of material to fit your kitchen. Thankfully, a custom countertop is guaranteed to perfectly fit your kitchen, even when generic counters don’t.

Improved Durability – Custom countertops mean you have complete control over what materials you want to use. That means you can look into the advantages of all the different types of materials out there and choose one that best fits your needs. That is something that generic, ready-made countertops simply cannot offer you.

A Boost to Your Aesthetics – Finally, we come back to that kitchen makeover you’ve been thinking about. With a custom countertop, you are able to perfectly coordinate the color and design of your surface to match whatever vision you have for your kitchen’s current or future look.