 A stainless steel countertop Countertop (also counter top, countertopping, or (British English) worktop) usually refers to a horizontal worksurface in kitchens, other food preparation areas, and workrooms in general. It is frequently installed above and supported by cabinets. Image File history File links Kitchen_050918_154652. ...
Image File history File links Kitchen_050918_154652. ...
British English (BrE, BE, en-GB) is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the United Kingdom from forms used elsewhere in the Anglophone world. ...
A cabinet is a usually oblong piece of furniture, often attached to a wall and made of wood, used throughout the world for the storage of clothes or other miscellaneous items. ...
Kitchen countertops When installed in a kitchen, countertops are usually about 650 mm (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, cooktop's or complete ranges, or other accessories such as integrated drain boards and cutting boards. For other uses, see Sink (disambiguation). ...
A stove is a heat-producing device. ...
A wooden chopping board with a chefs knife. ...
Materials 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. 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. Some common materials are as follows: - Natural stones:
- Wood and butcher block
- Stainless steel
- Synthetic materials:
- Concrete
- Pre- and postformed high-pressure decorative laminates such as Wilsonart Laminate, Formica (plastic) and Arborite
- Quartz Surfacing or Engineered Stone is 99.9% solid @ 93% aggregate / 7% polyester resin, colors and binders (Hanstone, Technistone, Silestone, Caesarstone, Avanza, Cambria Quartz, Zodiaq etc.)
- Richlite
- Solid-surface acrylic plastic materials such as Corian, Meganite, Avonite, and Wilsonart Solid Surface
- Terrazzo
- Tile
- Cast-in-place materials such as Shirestone (resin plus natural stone)
- Epoxy
- Phenolic_resin
For other uses, see granite (disambiguation). ...
For other uses, see Limestone (disambiguation). ...
For other uses, see Marble (disambiguation). ...
The lid of a pyrophyllite box. ...
Gabbro specimen. ...
For other uses, see Wood (disambiguation). ...
Butcher block is a style of assembled wood (often sugar maple) used as heavy duty chopping blocks, table tops, and cutting boards. ...
The 630 foot (192 m) high, stainless-clad (type 304) Gateway Arch defines St. ...
This article is about the construction material. ...
Formica is a brand of plastic laminate containing melamine resin. ...
Arborite is a brand of composite material manufactured by the Arborite Company, founded in Canada in 1948 after the initial development of the product in 1942 by Howard Smith Paper Mills. ...
Engineered stone is a composite material comprising rock and resin. ...
Engineered stone is a composite material comprising rock and resin. ...
Zodiaq is an engineered stone made by DuPont comprised of 93% quartz crystal and 7% acrylic resin, colors and binders. ...
Richlite is a solid surface material made from partially recycled paper and vegetable resins. ...
Structure of methyl methacrylate, the monomer that makes up PMMA Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) or poly(methyl 2-methylpropenoate) is the synthetic polymer of methyl methacrylate. ...
For other uses, see Plastic (disambiguation). ...
It has been suggested that Avonite be merged into this article or section. ...
This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...
Terrazzo with adapted Native-American design at the Hoover Dam Terrazzo is a faux-marble flooring or countertopping material. ...
Mission, or barrel, roof tiles A tile is a manufactured piece of hard-wearing material such as ceramic, stone, porcelain, metal or even glass. ...
In chemistry, epoxy or polyepoxide is a thermosetting epoxide polymer that cures (polymerizes and crosslinks) when mixed with a catalyzing agent or hardener. Most common epoxy resins are produced from a reaction between epichlorohydrin and bisphenol-A. The first commercial attempts to prepare resins from epichlorohydrin occurred in 1927 in...
Phenolic resin can include any of various synthetic thermosetting resins, obtained by the reaction of phenols with simple aldehydes and used to make molded products, including pool and snooker balls, and as coatings and adhesives. ...
Natural stone 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 varigated 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. Marble on a house Dimension stone is natural stone or rock that has been selected and fabricated (i. ...
Post-formed plastic laminate 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". For the band, see Adhesive (band). ...
Medium-density fibreboard (MDF), is an engineered wood product formed by breaking down softwood into wood fibres, often in a defibrator, combining it with wax and resin, and forming panels by applying high temperature and pressure. ...
Mitre joint A mitre or miter joint is a joint made by beveling each of two parts to be joined, usually at a 45° angle, to form a corner, usually a 90° angle. ...
Self edge or wood edge laminate Self or wood edge plastic laminate countertops are also very popular for those who chose to have few or no surface seams. In this style, the top shop uses substrate for the countertop out of MDF, or particle board and then glue sheets of laminate to the substrate using contact cement. The laminate is then trimmed using a router. This method can't reproduce the curved contours of post-formed countertopping but can be made to easily conform to a much-wider range of floor plans with fewer seams. Particle board is a material manufactured from wood particles (e. ...
A D-handle fixed-base router A router is a woodworking tool used to rout out (hollow out) an area in the face of a piece of wood. ...
Tile Tile, including ceramic tile and stone tile, is installed in much the same way as flat lay laminate except that the gaps between the tiles are grouted after the tile has been glued down. Mission, or barrel, roof tiles A tile is a manufactured piece of hard-wearing material such as ceramic, stone, porcelain, metal or even glass. ...
Grout is a construction material used to embed rebars in masonry walls, connect sections of pre-cast concrete, fill voids, and seal joints (like those between tiles). ...
Solid-surface plastic materials Solid-surface plastic acrylic or polyester materials are usually prefabricated at the installer's shop and then assembled on site. The plastic material is readily glued and the glue joints are then sanded, leaving almost no visible trace of the joint. The edge treatment for solid-surface countertops can be very elaborate. The material itself is usually only about 12 mm (1/2 inch) thick so an edge is usually created by stacking up two or three layers of the material. The built-up edge then can be shaped to a rounded edge or an ogee. Fancier edge treatments are, of course, more expensive. Perspex redirects here. ...
SEM picture of a bend in a high surface area polyester fiber with a seven-lobed cross section Polyester (aka Terylene) is a category of polymers which contain the ester functional group in their main chain. ...
A sander is a power tool used to smooth wood and automotive or wood finishes. ...
Ogee Arch Ogee is a shape consisting of a concave arc flowing into a convex arc, so forming an S-shaped curve with vertical ends. ...
Natural quartz surfacing Natural quartz surfacing is made from natural quartz and held together with a plastic resin, making it non-porous and scratch resistant. As with solid surface countertopping, the materials are prefabricated and installed by professionals. Thicknesses may be 1.2 cm (1/2 inch), 2 cm (3/4 inch), 3 cm (1 1/4 inch) or 4 cm (1 1/2 inch). Brands include Avanza, Cambria, Durezza, Hanstone, Silestone, and Technistone.
Other materials 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. Decorative concrete involves utilizing concrete in roles that are not strictly related to its functional elements. ...
Many predesigned, prefabricated units (including sinks, drainboards, and other accessories) are available in stainless steel. These may be used "stand-alone" or integrated into larger custom assemblies. Some stainless steel systems stand on their own legs and do not require the support of cabinetry.
Sink installation In any of these styles, "self-rimming" sinks can be used. These sit in appropriately-shaped holes cut in the countertop (or substrate material) using a jigsaw or other cutter appropriate to the material at hand and are suspended by their rim. The rim then inherently forms a fairly close seal with the top surface of the countertop, especially when the sink is clamped into the hole from below. A Bosch power jigsaw A jigsaw is a type of saw used for cutting arbitrary curves, such as stenciled designs or other custom shapes, into a piece of wood or similar material. ...
The materials also allow the installation of a "bottom-mount" or "under-mount" sink. With these, the edge of the countertop material is exposed at the hole created for the sink (and so must be a carefully finished edge rather than a rough cut; this cut is generally done at the fabricator's workshop). The sink is then mounted to the bottom of the material from below. Especially for under-mount sinks, silicone-based sealants are usually used to assure a waterproof joint between the sink and the countertop material. The advantage of an "under-mount" sink is that it gives a contemporary look to the kitchen but the disadvantages are extra cost in both the sink and the counter top. Silicones (more accurately called polymerized siloxanes or polysiloxanes) are inorganic-organic polymers with the chemical formula [R2SiO]n, where R = organic groups such as methyl, ethyl, and phenyl. ...
Solid-surface plastic materials allow a third option: sinks made of the same plastic material as the countertop can easily be glued to the underside of the countertop material and the joint sanded flat, creating the usual invisible joint and completely eliminating any dirt-catching seam between the sink and the countertop. The disadvantage is that the sinks do not have the same impact resistance of stainless or cast iron and may differentially expand and contract with extreme temperature change (as might be caused by a pot of hot water dumped into the sink). In a similar fashion, with stainless steel, a sink may be welded into the countertop; the joint is then ground to create a finished, concealed appearance. Welding is a fabrication process that joins materials, usually metals or thermoplastics, by causing coalescence. ...
The word grinding can mean many things: Grinding is a manufacturing process that uses friction with a rough surface to wear away or smooth the surface of a work piece - see grinding machine. ...
See also Synthetic and natural materials made specifically for countertops: It has been suggested that Avonite be merged into this article or section. ...
This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...
Zodiaq is an engineered stone made by DuPont comprised of 93% quartz crystal and 7% acrylic resin, colors and binders. ...
A stainless steel countertop Countertop (also counter top, countertopping, or (British English) worktop) usually refers to a horizontal worksurface in kitchens, other food preparation areas, and workrooms in general. ...
For other uses, see granite (disambiguation). ...
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