Making My Home Gorgeous

Posted on: 7 September 2017

Porcelain is an alternative building material that is commonly used for tiles and bathroom fixtures, but it is also sometimes used as a countertop material. Porcelain carries a number of unique characteristics, which give countertops made out of the material a distinctive set of advantages. Understanding what a porcelain countertop has to offer your bathroom or kitchen can help you decide if installing one is the right choice for your remodeling needs.

Durability:

Porcelain is an extremely durable material, as it is made out of clay that has been fired and finished at extremely high temperatures. This means that porcelain is able to withstand a great deal of physical pressure without cracking, denting, or breaking, and you can put hot pans and sharp objects on your countertop surface without having to worry about any sort of physical or structural damage. This makes porcelain an ideal working surface, and reduces the risk of repair and replacement in the long run.

Customization and Aesthetic Appeal:

A key advantage of using porcelain for your countertops is the fact that porcelain comes in a huge range of different colors, patterns, and finishes. In fact, the range is so large that you can even have your porcelain customized to mimic the appearance of other types of countertop material, such as granite. This allows you to create a truly unique appearance in your bathroom or kitchen, and customize it to whatever the existing design is.

Ease of Installation:

Porcelain countertops come in a variety of thicknesses, which means that you can choose to have a thinner countertop installed in your kitchen or bathroom to speed the installation process up. Further, the fact that thinner countertops are available means that porcelain can easily be installed over existing countertops, which can help save you money on the installation process as you won't have to have old counters ripped up.

Lack of Maintenance:

Finally, one of the largest advantages associated with porcelain countertops is the lack of maintenance that is associated with their upkeep. Unlike natural stone countertops, porcelain does not need to be sealed yearly to prevent stains and physical damage, and it is completely naturally unabsorbent. This means that staining is unlikely, and cleaning simply consists of wiping down the surface with a clean rag and warm, soapy water. Further, harsh cleaning chemicals can usually be safely used on porcelain without risk of discoloration or physical damage (though be sure to check the label of any commercial cleaner that you do use).