Buying guide
What to consider when shopping for kitchen countertops.
A countertop is the hardest-working surface in your house, and you’ll live with the choice for decades. Before you fall in love with a color, walk through these factors — they’re the same ones we talk through with every customer in the showroom.
Maintenance
Be honest about the care you’ll actually do. Marble is glorious but wants regular sealing and gentle treatment; granite needs a reseal every year or two; quartz, soapstone, and porcelain ask for nothing beyond soap and water. There’s a right stone for every temperament.
Durability, heat & scratches
Granite and quartz are the workhorses — strong, stain-resistant, and forgiving of daily life. Granite takes hot pans directly; quartz prefers a trivet. Quartzite beats both for scratch resistance. Marble is softer and will patina — some owners love that, some don’t.
Budget
Stone spans a wide range: entry granites are the most affordable path to real stone, mid-range quartz balances cost and convenience, and exotic quartzites and marbles sit at the premium end. A good fabricator will show you options at more than one price point — ask.
The material itself
Granite brings one-of-a-kind natural patterns; quartz brings engineered consistency; soapstone brings a smooth matte feel with natural heat and stain resistance; porcelain goes places other stone can’t, indoors and out. Compare them in person — photos flatten the differences.
Your cabinetry
Stone is heavy. Solid cabinets handle it fine, but it’s worth confirming before templating — part of why we measure your kitchen ourselves rather than working from drawings alone.
How to decide
Weigh looks, care, and budget together, then let the slabs break the tie. Ours stand outside in daylight at 97 Airport Road — bring a cabinet door or a paint chip, and we’ll help you match. Start with granite, quartzite, or quartz, and go from there.