kitchen questions

[Dustbunnydiva]

Well I happen to love metal countertops although if anyone recalls, my thing is copper. I like it because it is warmer in tone than stainless and if you don't have it treated, keeps changing colour from bright shiny copper to deep brown to vivid green to bright shiny copper again. Stainless on the other hand is not as fussy if you prefer one colour all the time as it doesn't oxidize and change the way copper will if you leave it alone. Most metals (they also make peuter as countertops which is kind of a dark flat grey much like soapstone) are completely hassle free as you can cut on it, put hot pots on it and all the other things metal endures.

If you are concerned at all about bacteria and stuff, metals are also more sanitary with copper being even better than steel but both are light years ahead of other surfaces for not allowing bacteria to live which is why they are used in professional kitchens. It's the stuff that can get into scratches that can cause problems with counters and you have to watch that aspect with any counter but metals won't promote growth like other materials.

Now here is the thing with any of the metals as I understand it (and I've had a copper counter in one house and did some looking for the last house just as the price of copper went through the roof). Any of the metal counters you get a protective finish put on suddenly lose that beauty of being ultra durable as they then become only as durable as the finish. That can mean no hot pots, no cutting, no changing the look if you so desire. With plain old metal you can have it sanded or polished any way you like. If it gets a scratch it can be taken out easily with sanding so make sure that polished finish you are considering is actually the steel, not something coating the steel. Also consider polished is nice but if you get a stain or scratch and hit it with an SOS (which will pull out a lot of scratches) you may end up with a dull finish in that spot. That is where a slight brush mark in the finish can be a real life saver as it won't show where you have had problems quite as fast as your cleaning efforts will blend right in. A good shop can show you the different finishes and tell you how the different finishes react to using steel wool etc.

Any of the metal counters come in different grades/thicknesses and they are important as too thin means getting dents and scratches more easily and not having as much surface if you do need to sand things out. You also don't need to get hosed on price. Anyone who works with metal can make a counter as they are easy work for them (really they just have to cut and bend large sheets which is way easier than some things they normally do). Some metal places also make the sink right along with the counter which is a nice feature to me.

My first one was made by a guy who normally only made gutters and other products and now he specializes in kitchens which meant his price went up when I wanted another. When I called around, prices really did vary by how specialized or 'artistic' the sheet metal shop considered themselves but do try plain old sheet metal shops for options. The big consideration is what is under them and that can be your original counter (without laminate on top) if you want. They can come and measure everything out and then make the metal fit. What you do need is a good edge under them so consider that if you go that way as that edge has to go on before any measuring. With my first one I just yanked the laminate off the counter to leave the wood and they measured, came back with the metal all cut and bent to shape and glued it down. Done. Of course with any counter, the more corners you have meeting the more fussy it gets.

Also know the steel reflects more of the actual colour around it which can save it from looking cold. If you look at pictures of SS appliances you'll see the floors, walls, etc. all seem to show up in the steel from those reflections. It's when people mix steel with white or blue or grey that it can seem very cold.

I had butcher block counter in my last house (when copper ended up out of the picture...call me totally sad about that one as I do love the copper) and ended up liking it quite a bit too. It was not quite as forgiving as the metal but still pretty good (and again, way ahead of some other common counter surfaces). Again, the nice part is that should a hot pot land on it (which will char it if it's hot enough) or if it gets cut marks or scratches, you sand it out. Same with stains it might get. The nice part of using the nature materials for counters is they can be fixed more easily if something happens.

I'm not sure what you mean about butcherblock vs wood you oil. Butcherblock is just pieces of wood put together in strips vs being one big plank. Some are very thick (like a foot) while others are the thickness of normal countertop but they all have to be oiled. The really thick ones are really meant to last through a lot of wear (like a butcher shop) and be around a long time so they are thick to stand all the sanding/wear they will go through during decades of high use. You don't need that for an island unless it's for the look.

If it's wood in any form, it has to be oiled (on counters you have to use a food safe oil which can be hard to find but specialty wood shops that deal with carvers and Ikea have it). The oil keeps it nice, makes the colour rich, and avoids splitting from dryness. That isn't a big deal and is done once or twice a year. Basically you brush on layers of it until it won't absorb any more and wipe away the excess and you are done. It's sort of like painting an oily smelling varnish on as it goes on cloudy and you know it's dry when it's clear.

When I got mine I just needed a standard counter and price really depends on the wood being used. I ended up with one of the ones Ikea sells and their price and quality are super in the butcherblock counters. All they need is a nice finish sanding (to make them glass smooth) and then their oil applied. When I sold the house I had a couple of marks on it and just sanded them out and put on more oil and it looked brand new again. That Ikea counter (which comes in 2 thicknesses) was about 30% of what a custom kitchen place quoted me for their maple butcherblock counter (the difference being the type of wood but I wasn't too concerned with having maple and you can also tint any wood you get before you oil it so price and grain was what I was more interested in).

So consider what look/feel you want and how much maintenance you are into while having the durability you need. For sure metal, wood, stone are easier to live with than some other things but each has their ups and downs.

I have to say for warmth and that chalet look you seem to want, copper would be stunning (know I am totally and completely in love with copper counters but I try to be unbiased...really ). Do an image google for copper countertops and you will see how gorgeous they are especially when you let them oxidize a bit. Also know that to clean them back to shiny again all you have to do is spread some ketchup on them and walk away. After it works a while, wipe, and it's all shiny again. Nothing cleans copper like ketchup and I've tried them all.

[Northern Miner]

Thanks for the wealth of information DBD. I would not have thought about copper before but it might move up the ladder when the time comes to do our kitchen.

[lessismore]

Wow, thanks DBD. That is very helpful.
I can tell you love the copper but my biggest fear is copper next to all the wood we have around us. We have a pine wood ceiling, (no changing that) large beams everywhere and wood floors so I am a little hesitant about putting in copper next to all of that. Of course the other thing is that I have a deal on the SS since I know the individual who will be making the countertop.
I am getting samples this week of everything so I should have a better idea of what my choices of SS will be.
Anyway, price is a big issue for me, this kitchen has to be reasonable and stay within my teeny tiny budget. That is already proving difficult.

[Mrs.Fancy]

I am having hard time to imagine ss counters in a country house: browsed on internet and found only modern and loft-style kitchen that have them. Why don't you look at other options - composite - icestone, silestone, ceasarstone. Don't know the pricing, but they definately look good and it will work for your kitchen! If money is main concern I would go with laminate, but not ss.

[lessismore]

Thanks Mrs. Fancy. I really do not like laminate, have lived with it now for some time and want to move on. Price point is right of course.
Well, the country look is really not our thing but we have seen a lot of inspiration pics that focus on a more updated version of "country". I do realize that given our wood ceilings, large wooden beams and wood floors that we short of shout "country" but my hope is to change that around somewhat.
House Beautiful has shown a lot of pics of spaces that have a mix of wood with metals, I think they call it industrial rustic? Anyway, whatever the name, I am leaning towards a mix of wood with the SS to give it a more updated feel. I do lean towards a more eclectic but at the same time not over-done look.
I will take your advice and look at other possibilities. My biggest fear is ending up with a "model home" look kitchen. Not sure if you know what I mean by that but I find a lot of them lacking so much character and personality that I don't get the cost behind them.