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Countertops can be made from
a very wide range of materials and the cost
of the completed countertop can vary very widely
depending on the material chosen. GSP Restoration
provides a total service solution for the addition,
selection, and installation of a large variety
of countertop materials and products.
The durability and ease of use of the material
often rises with the increasing cost of the
material but this is not necessarily so; some
very expensive materials are, neither, particularly
durable nor easy to use, just stylish.
When installed in a kitchen, countertops are
usually about 25 1/2 inches from front to back
and are designed to slightly-overhang standard
kitchen base cabinets. This allows a convenient
reach to objects at the back of the countertop.
They often contain some sort of integrated backsplash
to prevent spilled liquids from falling behind
the cabinets and the face of the countertop
may be decorated in ways ranging from plain
to very elaborate. They may be cut away to accommodate
the installation of sinks, cook-tops, complete
ranges, or other accessories such as integrated
drain boards and cutting boards.
The natural stone or dimension stone slab (e.g.
granite) is shaped using cutting and finishing
equipment in the shop of the fabricator. The
edges are commonly put on by hand-held routers,
grinders, or CNC equipment. If the stone has
a highly variegated pattern, the stone is laid
out in final position in the shop for the customer's
inspection. Then the countertop assembly is
installed on the job site by professionals.
A very common style is the formed plastic laminate
countertop. These are factory-produced with
a single thin sheet of laminate curved and glued
over medium-density fiberboard or other similar
base material. The base material is shaped to
provide an integrated front edge, work surface,
and backsplash, and on the job site, need only
be cut to length before installation (and possibly,
have an end trim applied using a glue, if the
end of the countertop is exposed). Factory-made
miter-cut pieces are also available, allowing
the easy production of "inside corners".
Stainless steel, stone, concrete, terrazzo,
and other materials are usually prefabricated
and assembled on site as well. The difficulty
of prefabrication rises with the more exotic
materials. As with solid-surface plastic materials,
the edge treatments can vary widely, but the
material is usually thicker than with plastic
so there is often no need to build up the edge
with multiple layers of the material.
As skilled licensed general contractors we have
many solutions available for adding any type
of countertop to your home on a strict budget,
or if this countertop project is for a rental
property that you do not want to spend too much
money on. GSP Restoration can help in many ways
with the overall reduction of costs on your
countertop or kitchen countertop project.
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