Counter tops for your kitchen, bathroom or other areas can be made from a wide variety of materials. Your intended use of the counter tops will help in deciding which material to use. In areas where high moisture is a factor, a non-porous material should be considered. For outdoor areas, weather is a factor to consider, both precipitation and UV damage from sunlight may make some materials unsuitable for use. All these factors need to be considered when making the choice of material for your counter tops.

Some of the materials available for counter tops include natural and man-made substances. Examples of natural materials could be slate, granite or other stones. These stones are quarried and cut to the size you need at locations all over the world. Choosing a stone from a local quarry will greatly reduce the price you have to pay for this natural material. Some types of stone need to be sealed against moisture, so this should be taken into consideration when deciding on where to use stone for your counter tops.

Metal both pure and alloys can make handsome and easy to care for counter tops. Stainless steel is often used in commercial applications for its sleek appearance and the ease with which it is able to stand up to harsh cleaning solutions. Stainless steel will give an antiseptic appearance to kitchen or bathroom counter tops giving confidence to guests that these surfaces are clean. Copper is another metal used for counter tops. This softer metal has a color that is deceptive. The brown finish that copper takes with age may appear to be dirty when it is clean, but tests have shown that bacteria lives for shorter time periods than stone or even stainless steel surfaces allow. The reasonable costs and ready availability of copper make it a desirable choice for kitchen and bathroom counter tops.

Stone composites and other man-made materials are also available for counter tops. Stone composites are made from the ground remains of quarried stone mixed with resin filler. The amount of stone can be as much as 80% and the resin filler acts as the sealant some stones need. These counter tops are more customizable for your personal desires than pure stone counter tops are with all the strengths of the pure stone. Solid surface counter tops with sink basins as part of them are possible with stone composites.

Man-made materials are often used for solid surface counter tops. Tints and dyes are added to give colors that natural materials can not achieve. This can give your kitchen or bathroom a unique appearance. These materials will vary in strengths and hardness so careful choice for your application is necessary. The capability of man-made materials to be formed to unusual shapes can add individualism to your dcor that is only limited by your imagination. Shapes can be formed of man-made materials that stone composites can not achieve. The possibilities are endless for the design of your counter tops. You can achieve what ever effect you desire for your dcor through judicious choice of the materials for your counter tops.