Granite
Cost Per Square Foot
Regarded
as one of the finest natural products for home installation,
granite has a cost that falls along the same lines. An examination
of other countertops does reveal it is not the most expensive
countertop option however.
A typical range of costs can go anywhere
from, on the very low end of the scale, $30.00 per foot to
as much as $100 a foot and higher.
To fairly compare prices, one must compare countertops.
Perhaps the most comparable product around is a type of simulated
granite, or quartz with resins, that can indeed approach or meet
the price of granite at around $35.00 to $80.00 per square foot,
depending on color chosen. Many colors are available with these
engineered counters, and they offer stain resistance advantages
over other manufactured surfaces and a surface that possibly
carries a permanent seal, and with maintenance and cleaning characteristics
that depend on manufacturer.
Stones like slate provide beautiful countertop surfaces for
the kitchen. Base prices are $50/ft. This stone counter is generously
seamed, is fairly wear resistant, and does not give the flat
surface of granite. Slate is not typically sought by home
buyers, if resale is a concern.
Another countertop surfaces in the same price range is marble,
which comes in at or near the cost of granite. Even though
a great number counters have
been made with marble, granite by far forms the stronger stone
surface. The reason for this is that granite is
less porous than
marble, and therefore marble offers less resistance to staining,
especially from acids. In fact, the hardness of marble has been
compared to travertine. And nobody wants a surface too soft for
the job.
Solid surface countertops are engineered countertops that don’t
approach the natural look of granite or the hardness. When
scratches and demarcations occur, that
aren’t too severe, buffing is a proven cure. Higher end solid surfaces start
at around $75 per foot and can go $175 and up. The synthesized, soft touch look
of solid surfaces comes in many designer colors.
Concrete tops provide a different surface altogether. Prices hover at around
$100 for the surface and installation. As a colored, or tinted surface, concrete
forms an altogether different appearance. Arguably it lacks the depth of natural
granite and other stones. Though it does provide a continuous top, where an integral
sink is chosen. A variety of edging styles are a strongpoint.
Steel countertops, go anywhere from $100 to $200. Derived from commercial applications,
they are easy to clean. They have a contemporary appeal, with some design
exceptions. But are generally always more expensive than granite. Repair
is another issue with stainless, and there are few if any options.
Additional choices are laminate at $20 to $50/ft, wood tops at $50/ft and going
from there, and ceramic tile at about $10 foot. Laminate is known as a cost saver,
offering little in the way of aethetics while ceramic tiles offer savings as
well. While
wood tops provide a beautiful natural surface that gives minimal protection from
cuts, exposure to heat and staining.
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