Counters and Work Surfaces
Work surfaces or counters come in standard sizes or can be fabricated to fit your design. The standard height used in US kitchens is 36”. Standard depth from front edge to backsplash is 24”. These dimensions work well for range of people and unless you are designing a kitchen for persons with disabilities, you should stick with the standards as guidelines. Unusual variance from standard height may mean a kitchen that won’t work for future owners.
Factory-made counters may work for short straight runs, but there is no way to adjust for walls out of square, unusual shapes or cut-outs to fit around trim or appliances. A custom counter is scribed to fit around all unusual dimensions by the builder, ensuring a tight, attractive fit. This becomes especially important when you consider the fact that water and dirt can easily find any open joints or cracks.
Counters are horizontal surfaces which means they receive much more wear and tear than vertical surfaces. Besides the aforementioned water and other grime, people set heavy pans and hot dishes on them, use them as cutting surfaces and generally beat them up over time. Because of this, its important to consider your ability to have your counters replaced at a future time when they become worn.
Materials for Counters and Work Surfaces
Work surface materials vary from ceramic tile to laminate, stone, man-made solid surfaces or wood. Each has its strengths and weaknesses. A granite counter lasts virtually forever, looks great and is relatively immune to heat. However they are very costly to make and install and offer a very hard non-resilient surface to delicate dishes and glassware. Laminate counters offer a very wide range of finishes and color, are inexpensive and very flexible in installation. They are also susceptible to water damage, scratching, burns and have a manmade patina that some may not care for.
Your choice of materials is not limited to only one. It is common to insert a marble pastry surface or maple butcher block into a counter made of other materials. These inserts offer both a functional surface for specialized tasks and a delineation of those custom areas. They also provide design interest and variation.
