Seven Most Popular Kitchen Countertops

Granite Kitchen Countertops: This is a premium building material, and granite countertops really take a kitchen from ordinary to extraordinary. Granite countertop advantages include their beauty, durability when properly maintained and the fact that they are attractive to buyers, should you sell your home. Granite countertop disadvantages include the higher cost and their need to be resealed regularly in order to prevent stains. The good news is that the same products used by professionals are available for DIY cleaning, stain removal, polishing, sealing and chip repair.
Marble Kitchen Countertops: Like granite, marble countertops offer elegant good looks unsurpassed by other materials. Quarried from around the world, marble for countertops is available in a rich range of hues and styles, so you’ll find a distinctive choice to uniquely fit your design. The pros of marble countertops include their beauty and durability when properly maintained. The disadvantages of marble countertops include the higher maintenance requirements that come with them as well as their premium cost. For more information, see our guides on caring for marble countertops and their pros and cons.
Quartz Kitchen Countertops: Quartz countertops are a fantastic alternative to granite and marble when you want appearance similar to natural stone that doesn’t require the same level of care. Because quartz countertops are engineered, they are produced in a wider range of colors and patterns than are available in natural stone. The cost of quartz countertops, sometimes called engineered stone countertops, is a drawback for some. Among the advantages of quartz countertops are how easily they can be cleaned and their excellent durability.We provide you with high quality red color quartz stone, you can made countertops with red quartz stone, will make your room look more classy.

Solid Surface Kitchen Countertops: Created from synthetic acrylic, solid surface kitchen countertops are available in a stellar spectrum of colors and patterns. Other advantages of solid surface countertops include their outstanding durability and the ease with which sinks can be integrated into the design. A key disadvantage of solid surface material is that it is not as resistant to heat as tile, concrete or marble.
Porcelain Kitchen Countertops: In Europe, porcelain countertops are in high demand. Their popularity has now crossed “the pond,” and they’re showing up in upscale kitchens and bathrooms everywhere. Porcelain countertop advantages include the large number of colors available, finish choices, easy cleanup, heat resistance, durability and strength. On the downside, porcelain countertops can chip and crack if very heavy objects are dropped on them.
Stainless Steel Kitchen Countertops: Gourmet cooks are among those who love the practicality of stainless steel countertops. Coupled with their bright good looks, they remain quite popular. The pros and cons of stainless steel countertops include their low maintenance and durability as advantages and their higher-than-average countertop cost as one of the drawbacks.
Concrete Kitchen Countertops: What was once a trend appears here to stay! Concrete countertops certainly don’t look like chunks of sidewalk atop your cabinets. The appearance is very elegant. Fabricating, tinting and acid staining are used to give them a wide range of unique and beautiful looks. Key pros of concrete countertops include their strength, durability and stylish appearance. Weaknesses include a cost similar to natural stone and the fact they can be stained if not properly sealed.

How To Keep Your Marble Floors Bright, Shining And Clean

Use Marble Sealers:
Some stones like soapstone, granites and travertine are so dense that liquid cannot penetrate. However, stones like marble easily absorb liquids and stain very fast.
Applying a sealer creates an impenetrable shell and keeps the stain near the surface. So, you get some time to remove the stain. Study the nature of the marble before applying the sealer.
Polishing Marble:
Polishing to some extent decreases the absorbency rate of the marble and it also brings out the colour of the stone. However, polishing does wear out and needs to be done once in a while. If you want your marble floors to shine just like in five star hotels, then polishing is a must.
Clean Spill Immediately:
Marble gets stained quickly and it is sensitive to acidic substances like wine, coffee, fruit juices, tomato sauce, sodas, cleaning and toiletry products. If there is any spill it should be cleaned immediately; otherwise, the surface will become dull.
Use Soft Sponge or Cloth While Cleaning:
It is best to use hot water and a formulated stone cleaner. Wipe the surface dry with a cotton cloth or chamois.
Use Coasters under Glass, Bottles and Cans:
Treat your home design marble floors and countertops as fine wood furniture. This will make marble cleaning really easy. Bottles and cans that contain acidic substances can damage the marble surface. So, you should always use coasters to prevent etching.
If you have marble countertops in the bathroom, use a decorative tray to store your toiletry products. This will prevent the marble surface from damage.
Dust or Mop Your Good Quality indoor Marble Floors Regularly:
Use a clean, dry and non-treated dust mop to clean the marble floors. Be careful when you are using a vacuum cleaner because the dirt jammed in the wheels can etch the surface. Mop regularly using a stone cleaner.
Use Doormats, Runners or Rugs:
Grit, dirt and sand carried in by our shoes are abrasive and can cause damage to the marble tiles. Place doormats outside and inside the house so that people can wipe their feet before they enter.
Precaution
Never clean marble with store brought cleaning products since it contains acids, alkalis and chemicals that can damage the countertops and floors. This makes the marble more vulnerable to staining.


Don't use vinegar, lemon or ammonia for cleaning marble surfaces.
If you have marble countertops in the kitchen, don't sit on them as this can cause cracks.
Never drag heavy furniture or sharp items on the floors since this can cause deep scratches or gouges. Even unprotected furniture legs leave scratches too. These scratches leave a permanent mark on the floor.
Continuous use of water as the sole cleaning agent, not changing the cleaning solution and using dirty mops can make the marble look pale and unattractive.
Sitting pots can cause scratches and deep stains on the floor so place all plants on a special base.
Don't use oil treated dust mops on marble surface. Run the dust mop in one direction instead of moving it back and forth.
Blot the spills with a paper towel instead of wiping it because it will spread the spill.
The cleaning mop head should be kept clean always.
While damp mopping the floor divide the area into few sections. When you notice the cleaning solution has become cloudy and dirty, replace it with fresh solution.
Use neutral stone soap or neutral cleaners with pH7.00. This will prolong your stone life.
Get professional help to clean interior decoration white wood marble annually to maintain its shine.

3 REASONS TO CHOOSE ONYX FOR YOUR COUNTERTOPS

Onyx is Light-weight
Onyx is a lighter-weight material, so compare to marble or natural polished granite slabs, it can easily be installed in creative applications. Besides, most of the world’s onyx is quarried into small-sized slabs making it easy to handle and fabricate. And it is no two onyx slabs will ever look exactly the same. Onyx countertops are striking with the unique patterning and colors. Onyx is on the softer end of the stone density scale, making it better suited for interior and vertical applications.

Onyx is translucent
The most significant advantage of natural yellow onyx is that it’s somewhat translucent. This luxurious quality allows it to be easily backlit. Onyx refreshed extra and charming with rich in light variations. Properly backlit onyx countertops, not only will enable room bright highlights, but also helps the creation of functional areas, and create a different style and atmosphere.
Onyx is colorful
As we all know, onyx naturally has a magnificent range of colors and patterns. Onyx slabs and tiles look more like gemstones. The color variation and movement is smooth similar to liquid transitioning from one color to the next. In addition to countertops and shower surrounds, the fluid-like movement in onyx is ideal for carved products including fountain figure animal statue, figurines, sinks, and fireplace mantels.

Note These Four Points To Keep Your Countertops Looking New

1. Follow the Manufacturer’s Instructions
First and foremost is manufacturer’s instruction. The guide book supplied by the producer of the import granite kitchen countertops will tell you what type of cleaners to use – and which ones to avoid. You’ll learn about the countertops’ resistance to heat, whether or not you should prepare foods directly on top of them, how to clean up spills and many other useful care and maintenance hints.
2. Use Mild Cleaners and Cloths
Don’t use abrasive cleaners or those with strong, acidic cleaning agents. If the sealant or coating is removed from countertops, they will stain more easily and may become a place that harbors bacteria and viruses. It is incredibly important to use cleaners designed specifically for your type of countertop.  Avoid scrubbing pads, steel wool or similar materials when cleaning your kitchen counters.

3. Don’t Risk Heat
Wood, laminate, solid surface and recycled paper countertops don’t stand up well to heat. Polished natural granite, stainless steel, lava rock and tile do better. Because heat makes material expand rapidly, and then they shrink as it cools. This can cause cracking in even the toughest materials.
4. Seal Natural Stone and Concrete as Needed
Granite, sandstone, indoor natural grey marble and slate are just a few of the natural stone countertops that must be sealed when first installed. Concrete, wood and bamboo require it too. The sealer prevents stains from spills and water. Your countertop manual should tell you how often they need to be sealed. Always get it done as soon as recommended, and you’ll get the best durability from your countertops.

The advantage of marble countertop

Below we show you the advantages of marble countertops：
1, White grey wooden vein marble is Beautiful! Nothing can really compare. The marble dining table or end table will compliment just about any decor and become a conversation piece with your guests.
2, Marble is durable if it is cared for properly and consistently. With proper care, It just may outlast every other piece of furniture in your home!

 Multicolor grey marble

3, Marble is fashion and never go out for style. It is an additional to your home that you won’t need to change or replace and it is unlikely that you would ever want to!
4, Marble table tops are available in an array of beautiful natural colors, and tables are designed for a contemporary, modern look as well as traditional, ornate and antique.
5, Imported marble you deserve. You will easily find a table to compliment your home.
6, If it is not maintained properly, marble can be restored by a professional with good results.
More Imported Marble products at xmgenstone.com.

The importance of proper care for the natural stone floor

This topic details how to properly take care of natural stone floor:

The first thing to do with stone is to make sure it is properly sealed, Your stone flooring installer should do this, so check with them before making final payment to be sure. In addition, if used in a kitchen or bathroom, make sure the area between the flooring and the wall is caulked in order to prevent moisture from getting in to the subfloor and damaging it. The result can be cracked flooring if the wood beneath swells or a rotted spot where the flooring becomes soft.

Both tile and natural stone should be mopped using a soft, dry mop. You can use a vacuum, but make sure it has a “hard floor” mode that does not use a rotating brush.

natural stone floor prices

Once a week or so, mop the floors with a damp mop using a detergent formulated for stone or tile. The manufacturer or dealer will have a recommendation for you.Care of natural stone floor is different from granite countertops.

To keep dirt and dust off the floors, place mats by each entryway. You may also want to encourage those in your household to wear slippers or just socks indoors. Keep the mats clean by vacuuming them, shaking them or laundering them if possible.

Do not use abrasive cleaners such as liquid soft scrub type cleaners. They can scratch and dull the surface or tile or natural stone flooring. Cleaners containing acids, such as lemon cleaners or vinegar, should also be avoided. The acid can harm the sealer on stone flooring or stain the grout on the tile flooring.

How To Make The Marble Flooring

This subject we show you how to make the marble flooring:

The marble flooring, when there is stained, chipped or crystal structure as opposed to any type of tile can be sanded, polished and restored several times. These features allow that lends itself so you always get a pavement in perfect condition. That said, we begin the process that leads us to the laying of the marble floor.

After removing all the tiles, we proceed with leveling cement screed below, adding and swelling missing parts of masonry. At this point, instead of doing the traditional laying of tiles, using the same method you place a fragmented patchwork pieces of marble of different shapes and sizes previously purchased at centers for the construction industry that have the advantage of already selected, and sell the same height.

After occupying the entire surface of the concrete screed is used for marble stucco very diluted, with which they are filled and clogged all the cracks and intersections between every single sliver of marble.

After waiting at least a day to dry, using a polishing machine with abrasive brushes stone, specifications for marble. Two or three coats with this unit which can also be rented, allow you to perfectly level and smooth the surface of the marble floor, then with the same device, and abrasive stones with fine-grained provision is made for polishing with wax diluted in water.

After this phase the entire marble surface is sprinkled with sawdust to absorb excess fluids the day after you remove it all, sweeping the surface and proceed to the final make-up using the wax for floors and a normal polishing to get the classic mirror effect, typical of a marble flooring.