Refresh Your Kitchen: How to Choose New Countertops, Cabinets and Floors

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The kitchen is the heart of your home and the most important room for most home buyers. It’s also the most stressful room to try to update or remodel, thanks in large part to the seemingly myriad options for countertops, cabinets, and flooring materials. Let us tell you about your choice.

When I bought my home, renovation top, I knew we would eventually have to remodel the kitchen. The kitchen layout is inconvenient and takes up a lot of space, the tiles on the floor are cracked and uneven, and the laminate countertops are flaking. In addition to addressing these issues, the renovation will improve the kitchen for my family, and hopefully it will have more storage space and separate cooking areas . And kitchen remodeling provides a great return on investment, so hopefully when the time comes to sell, buyers will appreciate the improvements and the value of our home rises. As excited as we were by this, I found we had too many options – quartz or granite? porcelain stoneware or hardwood? maple or birch veneer? However, breaking down each of them into their pros and cons makes it easier to make a more confident decision.

Kitchen cabinets

Most large costs for the kitchen renovation, as a rule, connected with wardrobes, which makes sense, since most of the space in your kitchen is likely to be occupied by them. Whether they are custom made, partly custom made or standard cabinets, building materials will play a big role in how much these cabinets cost, how they look and how durable they will be in your kitchen.

Inner Cabinet Materials

Wardrobes with solid wood doors and wardrobes are rare and expensive these days. Most cabinets look like they are made of wood, but to save money, they are usually made from a different material for the base layer (or backing) and then covered with wood veneer or plastic laminate. In addition, cabinet makers often use less expensive material for the sides or back of cabinetry and then use solid wood or higher quality material for doors and drawer fronts.

Particleboard, MDF and plywood are imitation wood products (also known as “composites”) that are most commonly used behind wood veneer, laminate or vinyl to keep costs down.

If you’re on a tight budget: Particleboard is your best bet. It is the most popular cabinet material and is an inexpensive option often used in standard cabinets, especially in basic cabinets and shelving.

  • Pros: Lightweight (easy to operate), inexpensive.
  • Cons: May expand or discolor due to moisture.

If you want the strongest and most durable cabinets: look for plywood. Plywood consists of veneer sheets and is used to make cabinet doors, shelves and drawers. Cabinetmakers use it in their higher-end cabinet lines as an upgrade to MDF or chipboard.

  • Pros: Stronger and more durable than other options (not prone to cracking, shrinkage or warping), supports heavy countertops, and is easy to paint or stain.
  • Cons: it is much more expensive than other options.

If you want something more durable than chipboard but less expensive than plywood: consider MDF cabinets. MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard) is similar to particleboard, but denser and stronger. It is made by gluing small wood fibers at high temperatures.

  • Pros: resists warping, resists heat and moisture, smooth surface makes it easy to paint.
  • Cons: Also prone to moisture problems and cannot be painted like chipboard (Addicted 2 Decorating calls MDF ” mostly glorified chipboard “).

Price. According to the Old House Web, plywood can cost you, on average, 12 percent more than chipboard (up 7 to 20 percent more). Thus, chipboard cabinets costing $ 7,000, plywood can cost from $ 7,700 to $ 8,400 , and MDF cabinets will be intermediate. Whether you choose from a budget line of cabinets or from a high-end range, you may not have a choice in basecoat material, but it’s good to know the advantages and disadvantages of what you get.

Open body materials

Many people don’t care what the inside of their cabinets looks like – it’s the open surface we see all the time that matters more in the way we see our kitchen, such as doors and drawer fronts. If your cabinet’s bases are in order, re-polishing the surface can save you a lot of money.

For more cabinet styles, look at laminate flooring . Laminate is the plastic sheeting over the top of the enclosure material. These can range from cheap home cabinets to more expensive versions found in modern, elegant kitchens. There are options for every budget. (Melamine is similar to laminate: a synthetic material made up of wood particles, layers of paper, resins, or other adhesives applied to chipboard. It is often used in cabinet interiors and sometimes outside because melamine is easy to clean and more readily available on price than other options.)

  • Pros: Easy to clean, virtually indestructible, often affordable.
  • Cons: Easily cracks or cracks over time (although high quality laminates are more resistant to damage).

For the doors of cabinets in the middle price category, imitating wood, thermal film is suitable. Thermal film is a flexible, pressure-molded vinyl film over MDF or chipboard. It is well suited for low-cost replacement of cabinets on a plain white kitchen .

For a warm and classic look, choose wood or veneer. This is your most expensive option, but it can add the most classic character to your kitchen.

Costs: CostOwl estimates the cost of wood cabinets in the average kitchen is $ 10,000 to $ 15,000, while laminate kitchens range from $ 5,000 to $ 8,000, roughly half the price. Per square foot, BHG reports:

Wood or plywood cabinets start at around $ 80 per linear foot, especially in the stock and semi-custom area. Costs can exceed $ 165 per linear foot for the rarest woods, custom designs, and more.

[…]

[For laminate] expect to pay $ 50 to $ 75 per linear foot for wall and base cabinets selected from stock. High pressure laminate is more expensive than lower grades, but also more durable (albeit difficult to repair). Thermofoil prices will range from $ 35 to $ 45 per linear foot.

Still can’t decide? Here are Consumer Reports ‘ guidelines: Choose solid wood or plywood for doors and drawers, and plywood or MDF for shelves and cabinets:

Doors with solid wood frames surrounding a panel of solid or plywood . Veneer and Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) panels are not as good. Avoid applying laminate or thermal film to the chipboard.

Drawers with solid wood sides, dovetail hinges, plywood bottom that matches grooves on all sides and full extension guides. Equipment that uses double rollers and integrated side rails is not as good.

¾ ”plywood or MDF shelves . Thinner chipboard shelves can sag over time.

Furniture grade plywood cabinets from ½ to an inch. MDF is fine, but avoid 3/8 ” coated chipboard.

” Hardwood or metal mounting plates with bolt holes. MDF, chipboard and wood thinner than ½ ”can be a problem in heavily loaded wall cabinets.

Kitchen countertops

If you thought choosing cabinets was bad, wait until you have to choose a countertop. You can choose from over a dozen countertop materials, all of which are slightly different. We’re going to sort the popular ones by content, value, and appearance.

For a worry-free worktop, opt for quartz or faux hardcover: Quartz is arguably the most durable worktop material. It looks like natural stone and is scratch and stain resistant, but unlike granite it doesn’t need to be sealed … ever. Another option is fabricated hard surfaces that look like stone, as they are also maintenance-free. (If you’re looking for an alternative to marble, Girl Cooks World compared the marble, quartz, granite, and corian samples in the photo above.)

  • Pros: No sealing or special cleaning required, many color options.
  • Cons: Hard surfaces and quartz can look artificial, hard surfaces can be hot or scratched, both can be costly.

For countertops with a unique natural surface, think of granite, marble or soapstone: these surfaces require more maintenance (sealing once or several times a year), but they have an undeniable appeal and natural uniqueness.

  • Pros: Unique patterns and designs, granite and soapstone are abrasion resistant, marble is heat resistant (and great for bakers), soapstone is heat and stain resistant (used in chemical labs!) And can form a patina over time.
  • Cons: expensive, requires sealing and protection at least once a year (marble stains easily, talcum stone can crack over time).

Consider tile or laminate for inexpensive countertops: tile countertops are handy for DIY and relatively cheap. With the larger tiles available today, you can keep grout lines to a minimum, and if one tile cracks, it’s easy to replace. Laminate countertops are also very economical and low maintenance, but they are not as durable as other options.

  • Pros: Porcelain stoneware is scratch-resistant, stain-resistant and heats up well. Laminate worktops are easy to clean and come in a wide range of colors.
  • Cons: Both are legacy materials. Laminate flooring can be easily stained, burned, scratched, and peeled off, and the grout between tile countertops is susceptible to moisture.

Other options: concrete, meat block, stainless steel. Other countertop materials you might consider include concrete, meat block, and stainless steel. They all have different advantages, such as durability (concrete and stainless steel) and a warm classic look (meat block), but they are not as easy to maintain or economical as some other materials.

  • Pros: Stainless steel and concrete can withstand heavy loads, while stainless steel is heat-resistant (used in professional kitchens!). Butcher countertops can be buffed or sanded to remove scratches.
  • Cons: Stainless steel is expensive and can get dents and fingerprints, while concrete can easily crack and stain if not sealed frequently. The butcher’s block needs regular lubrication to protect the surface (especially from water).

Here is a comparison chart of Great Lakes granite and marble :

Cost: Via Houzz , cost per square meter :

  • Quartz: $ 40- $ 90
  • Hardcover Manufactured: USD 35-100.
  • Granite: $ 35-100
  • Marble: $ 40-100
  • Soapstone: $ 70-100
  • Tile: $ 10-80
  • Laminate: $ 10-30
  • Stainless steel: $ 65-125
  • Concrete: $ 75-125
  • Butcher’s Block: $ 35-70

Kitchen floors

Finally, the third most important material you need to think about when renovating your kitchen is the floor. In your kitchen, you need a floor that is moisture, moisture and heat resistant, yet comfortable to stand on during long cooking times. This is a complex order.

The cheapest and easiest floor to clean is vinyl. Sheet vinyl may not be in vogue these days, but for the most part it is maintenance-free and will probably be the cheapest option.

  • Pros: Soft and comfortable (so you can stand on it longer without causing muscle fatigue compared to other options, and dropped glasses are not easily shattered), inexpensive, has many patterns, and can mimic ceramic tiles or real stone.
  • Cons: seams can come apart, retain dirt and allow moisture to pass through, the scratch-resistant layer wears off over time (10-20 years).

If you are looking for the most durable and low-maintenance flooring, look at porcelain stoneware. Porcelain stoneware is probably the most durable material for a kitchen floor. It is hard, moisture resistant and does not stain.

  • Pros: Easy to clean, can mimic stone.
  • Cons: it is inconvenient to stand for a long time, the fallen objects easily break on it.

For a natural, traditional look that can blend in with the rest of the home, parquet floors or similar natural materials are ideal. When you have an open kitchen, it makes sense from a design standpoint to move wood flooring from other rooms to the kitchen. Many people avoid using hardwood in their kitchens because changes in humidity and temperature can affect hardwood floors, but engineered wood planks are better able to withstand this. Another option is cork. It is environmentally friendly, water resistant and soft, but like hardwoods, it requires regular polishing / re-sealing.

  • Pros: Comfortable to stand for a long time, durable and can be polished.
  • Cons: Needs to be re-sealed / repainted from time to time, not as durable as other options.

Costs: Logic at home , cost per square foot:

  • Vinyl: $ 1-5 plus installation for $ 1-2 per sq. Foot.
  • Porcelain stoneware: $ 1-20 plus installation $ 5-10 per sq. Foot.
  • Hardwood: $ 3-12 plus installation $ 5-12 per sq. Foot.
  • Cork: $ 2-6 plus installation $ 5-10 per sq. Foot.

This doesn’t cover the entire gamut of kitchen options (and let’s not start with colors, glazes, fittings or moldings, let alone apron-related solutions), but hopefully this is a starting point if you’re confused by all of your options. Ultimately, your choice of remodeling or upgrading will depend on your budget and preferences, as well as how you plan to use the space. Armed with information on material costs and features, you can decide where to spend and where to save on upgrading your kitchen.

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