Countertops Have Come a Long Way Baby!

One of the subjects that we get a lot of questions about is countertops, what kinds there are, how they are different, and what we recommend. Here's the 411:

When kitchens first took the leap of being an actual room as opposed to being the area around a fireplace hearth, countertops were made from either wood or stone, because that was what was available. 

In the earliest days of kitchens, the pantry was in a separate location-- the kitchen was the room where the work was done only, and it was not intended for any other purpose.  There may or may not have been running water, and the heating for cooking was primitive.

This kitchen shows a worktable and the piece that today we call a Hoosier cabinet. The Hoosier cabinet was used for baking preparation, and stored flour in a bin that dispensed it directly into a bowl, and usually had an enameled pullout countertop. These were all the countertop cooks had-- imagine having to make do with that now! 

Fortunately, things have improved a great deal! After the wood and enameled countertops, there was Formica, which was commonly being used in kitchens by 1920. Also, in this same era, kitchen storage had moved more into the kitchen itself, along with cabinets. Kitchens became more a part of the design of a home, evolving into more of a family space, versus a room that was strictly utilitarian. From both of the older pictures featured here, it appears that white has always been a popular cabinet color, and it still is today!

Through the years, we have seen the arrival (and sometimes the departure) of lots of countertop materials. There has been butcher block (still around but less common) and tile, which we see used occasionally, but usually as a budget-saving attempt. Formica laminates are also still available, and are a less expensive choice, but with some definite drawbacks. It does not tolerate liquids well at the seams, and also can be chipped or cut pretty easily. Formica might be a good choice for a couple just starting out in their first home, and can be upgraded fairly easily in a few years. Corian came along in the 80's and is still available, but again, not used very often, as there are much more practical materials at the same price.

We offer Granite, Quartz, Marble, and Quartzite countertops.  Let's look at what these are, and how they differ:

Granite

Granite is a natural stone. It is mined and cut from the earth in huge blocks. Granite is an igneous rock. This means that it is volcanic in origin. Rather than flowing out of a volcano, granite forms underground when magma solidifies gradually without reaching the surface. Because it cools more slowly than erupted magma, it contains distinct and visible crystal patterns. Varied crystal sizes occur when the rock cools at different rates; faster cooling yields smaller crystal sizes.  The various colors of granite are due to the differing proportions of minerals contained in the stone. 

Once mined, large blocks of granite are then further cut down into slabs, usually at the quarry, by giant saws, which have dozens of equally spaced parallel blades. The blocks are loaded into the saw and the entire block is cut into multiple slabs simultaneously-a process that may require 40 to 50 hours.  Slabs are either 3/4 or 1 1/4 inches thick (2 or 3 cm). The slabs are bundled together to ensure that buyers can choose multiple slabs that are similar, because even within one type of granite there can be huge variations. There is a wide range of granite pricing, generally based upon availability/scarcity of the stone and the country of origin.  Where the stone is quarried also affects the pricing. For example, blue-toned granite is said to come from deeper beneath the earth's surface, making it rarer and more costly. Granite countertops need to be sealed regularly, and are susceptible to stains.  

Quartz

One of the reasons that Quartz is popular is that, being man made, it can be counted on to be more consistent in color and pattern from one piece to the next. Quartz countertops are formed by combining 90% ground quartz (a natural hard mineral) with 8-10% resins, polymers, and pigments. This forms a very hard granite-like surface. The appearance depends on how the quartz is ground: coarsely ground quartz produces a flecked appearance, while finely ground quartz produces a smooth look.

 

Quartz is very easy to live with, as it never needs sealing, is difficult to stain, and is very scratch resistant.   You do need to be careful about placing hot pots and pans directly on quartz, as the resins cannot handle high temperatures; always use a trivet or hot pad.  Quartz is slightly more expensive than granite.

Marble

Marble has long been considered the top-of-the-line of countertops. It is beautiful, and more expensive than most granite. And it is also softer and more porous than granite & quartz. It stains and etches easily, and is best for two types of people: who barely cook or are totally manic about cleaning in the kitchen, or those who are relaxed and easygoing and see a stain or a mark as a memory, like that time Uncle Ernie spilled the bottle of red wine-- oh what fun!

If any of these describe you- go for Marble- it gives the kitchen a look you just can't get anywhere else!

Quartzite

The last type of countertop we sell is Quartzite. Quartzite is a very hard metamorphic rock that originated as sandstone. Through a process of high heating and pressurization sandstone is transformed into Quartzite, an extremely strong and durable natural stone. When heated, individual quartz pieces recrystallize giving it a beautiful and decorative sparkling pattern. Quartzite is harder than granite and marble, but is still a natural stone that must be sealed. It is expensive, but gorgeous! It has some of the prettiest features of both granite and marble:  the crystal-like, dimensional look of granites, and the colors and movement of marble. It really must be seen in person to appreciate its beauty!

It is impossible to say that one type of countertop is better than another. There are so many factors to consider- and we ask questions to try to help you decide which works best for you.

Come in and let us show you our gorgeous countertops!

And remember- if you are hoping to have a beautiful new kitchen to show off during the holidays, NOW is when you should do something about it! Nothing happens overnight, regardless of how it appears on HGTV. So, come on in and let's get started!

How Much Does It Cost?

Ball park price ranges for a medium sized kitchen, not including plumbing are:

Granite $3000 to $4000 installed

Quartz $4500 to $5000

Marble $4000 to $5500 installed

Quartzite $7000 to $8000 installed

The Reason Many Things Are Costing More

How Do The Chinese Tariffs Affect You? Tariffs have been all over the news--- we just reached an agreement with Mexico and negotiations with the Chinese have been going on for months.  The US and the Chinese government are still not happy with each other, so the full tariffs on Chinese imports have now taken effect. For the everyday consumer, what does this mean? By doing a little sleuthing, we find out that the influence of buying Chinese products is everywhere in our lives. If you shop almost anywhere, you are almost certainly buying something produced, or at the very least, processed, in China. Researching goods that are imported into the US was a real eye opener. According to US Census data, in 2018 the US imported from China goods in the amount of $539.5 billion. The items included everything from food to toys to chemicals to furniture, electronics... well, you name it, it was there! And in case you were wondering, that is more than we import from South Korea, the United Kingdom, France, India, Italy, Taiwan, the Netherlands, Brazil, Ireland, and Switzerland COMBINED! We export our products to China as well, but not nearly as much as we import. In 2018, we exported $120.3 billion worth of goods to China.  FYI the goods that we ship to China are heavily taxed (tariffed) by the Chinese government as well. Soybeans, aircraft, and cotton are a few of our leading exports to China. What does it mean, that we have imposed tariffs on each other? In the simplest form, it means that Chinese goods coming into the United States are charged a tariff, or tax, that is paid by the seller, but ultimately drives the price of the merchandise higher. The rationale behind purposely making Chinese goods more expensive is two-fold. First, it will make the Chinese goods a little less desirable, thus hurting sales.   Secondly, hopefully, it will encourage US consumers to buy more American made products as the Chinese made products will no longer be cheaper. Consequently, we Americans will start and support more of our own businesses producing those types of goods (theoretically.) China then took measures to counteract the effect of our tariffs.  In addition to imposing its own tariffs on U.S. imports to China, the country devalued its own currency. That had the effect of making Chinese products cheaper, relative to the U.S.  "Of course, that's going to nullify some of the intended effect, which is to shift American producers and consumers away from Chinese goods," says Menzie Chinn, an economics professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Also, China has aggressively sought to replace American products by going to other countries, such as purchasing soybeans from Brazil and from Russia. This is a global poker game, with the goal of getting China to start buying more of our products. China has the second-biggest economy in the world, and responds to incentives more than to nice words. These tariffs give China an incentive to negotiate, and agreeing to import more of our products is the goal.  China's first reaction was to retaliate. That's just posturing. Remember, this is a high stakes poker game. Once all is hashed out, China will be buying more American goods and WE will be buying more American goods, which is ultimately a good thing. But right now, we are paying more money for many consumer products. What Does This Have To Do With Flooring? Fortunately, almost all of the carpets we carry are manufactured in the US, most of them right here in Georgia, near Dalton, "The Carpet Center of the World".  So-- no impact there! However, about half of our wood products, and almost all of our vinyl products, come from China. This means that prices on these two categories have gotten higher. A LOT higher. They went up some when the original tariffs went into effect in September, but then when the second wave of tariffs went into effect in May prices went up again. Manufacturers and retailers are attempting to soften the blow to the consumer this time by absorbing some of the increase, but average consumers are still going to see and feel the differences. Totally out of our control. We don't like it anymore then you do, but there it is. We do still offer 12 month interest free financing for purchases over $5000, which can be very helpful, while our governments work out the new trade agreements. How Much Does It Cost? Not everything has gone up, and not everything is super expensive.  We just installed a large (almost 1000 square feet) basement in builders grade carpet.  Not top-of-the-line, but perfect for the use these rooms will get. The price was $2200, which included a very nice new pad, pull-up and disposal of the existing carpet and pad, and moving the furniture. Summertime Is A Great Time To Get Things Done Make the most of your summer! For teachers, this is your window of opportunity- and it will snap shut before you know it. We do a lot of work in the summer for teachers who now have the time to catch a breath and spend some time thinking about their home. New floors, kitchen updates, bathroom remodels, these are all easily managed in the next 6 weeks. Yes, that's right- 6 glorious weeks from now, most of our wonderful teachers will be back in the classroom. Cobb County students go back to class on August 1st, as do Cherokee County students. Fulton starts later this year, on August 12. Then their next breaks will be Fall Break, and suddenly it will be Thanksgiving! If you are planning on a family gathering at your home for Turkey Day, the clock is ticking! Whether you are a teacher or not, come on in and see all the wonderful new products we have. The carpets are beautiful, and we have some gorgeous new wood floors for you, low gloss, wide plank. And the vinyls and laminates just keep improving all the time! We'd love to help you with your new floors! Design Tip Looking for a few new accessories to update your décor this summer?  Think ceramic! Organic style ceramics with subtle patterns and an artisanal element are trending. Look for embossed jugs and vases and fill them full of pretty blooms and foliage.  Natural colors (white, cream, bone), blush pink and jet black are the poplar colors this summer. I Was Floored By Enhance One of our very favorite couples ever wrote this nice review: "We highly recommend using Enhance Floors & More for remodeling your home. They installed hardwood floors in our entire downstairs, installed granite countertops and backsplash in our kitchen, and painted our kitchen cabinets. The whole experience was a pleasure. The salespeople were helpful and listened to us. When Don gave our estimates, he gave great suggestions and explained the process well. The work was scheduled seamlessly, and the installers were prompt and did a fabulous job. They paid great attention to detail and were very efficient and professional. The work quality was excellent. Our salespeople who worked with us followed up to make sure we were satisfied. The prices were very reasonable. Our experience was a very positive one! We look forward to working with the Enhance Floors & More again soon." Thank you very much, Mr. and Mrs. Miller.  You were a pleasure to work with and we look forward to your next project!