The countertop of the cabinet is generally made of stone or stainless steel, but the use of stone as the countertop of the cabinet has always firmly occupied the dominant position. Stone countertops are divided into marble countertops, artificial stone countertops, and natural stone countertops. What are the classification characteristics and advantages and disadvantages of these stone cabinet countertops?
1. Marble countertops: no deformation, high hardness, and strong wear resistance. After long-term natural aging, the structure of the rock is uniform, the linear expansion coefficient is extremely small, the internal stress disappears completely, and it is not deformed. It is not afraid of acid, alkaline liquids, corrosion, no rust, no need to apply oil, not easy to stick to dust, convenient and simple maintenance, and long service life.
Advantages: Marble cabinet countertops have strong anti-abrasion, high-temperature resistance, and maintenance-free characteristics, no scratches, not blocked by constant temperature conditions, and can maintain their original physical properties at room temperature; but the physical properties of marble are stable, The structure is tight, the grains fall off by the impact, the surface is free of burrs, does not affect the plane accuracy, the material is stable, can ensure long-term non-deformation, the linear expansion coefficient is small, the mechanical accuracy is high, rust-proof, anti-magnetic, and insulation. It is not magnetized, can move smoothly during measurement, has no sense of stagnation, is not affected by moisture, and the plane is weighed well.
Disadvantages: The marble countertop has slight radioactive radiation, but it will not cause harm to the human body.
2. Artificial stone countertops: artificial stone countertops are made of stone powder and artificial fibers through high temperature and high pressure.
Advantages: artificial stone is more wear-resistant, acid-resistant, high-temperature resistant, and has strong functions such as impact resistance, compression resistance, flexural resistance, and penetration resistance. Its deformation, bonding, and treatment of turning lights are unique; because there are no pores on the surface, Oil stains and water stains are not easy to penetrate into it, so it has strong anti-fouling power and can be seamlessly bonded at any length. The adhesive of the same material will bond the two pieces together and polish them together.
Disadvantages: the price is higher.
3. Natural stone (mainly introduces granite, which is harder than marble) cabinet countertops: The length of granite stone cannot be too long, and it is impossible to make a long overall countertop, which is not suitable for the modern pursuit of overall countertops.
Advantages: The texture of the natural stone is very beautiful, the texture is hard, the anti-scratch performance is very outstanding, and the wear resistance is good; the natural stone has pores, easy to accumulate grease, and natural marble is brittle, and it is impossible to make countertops with a width of more than 1 meter. The countertop made of stone will have seams, these seams are also easy to hide dirt and affect hygiene; the cost is low, and the colors are different. The most commonly used ones are only a few hundred yuan per meter, which are economical ones. Countertop materials and the price of high-end natural stone countertops is around 1,000 yuan.
Disadvantages: The two pieces of splicing cannot be integrated, and the gap is easy to breed bacteria; the density of natural stone is relatively large, and the cabinet supported by Xu is too strong. Although it is more than hard, it is not flexible. If it is hit hard, it will be cracked, which is difficult to repair, and some are invisible. Natural cracks will also rupture when the temperature changes sharply.
Comparison of cabinet stone countertops and stainless steel cabinet countertops:
Kitchen countertops made of stainless steel: due to the presence of chromium and nickel, it has good corrosion resistance and abrasion resistance. It is less used for cabinet countertops because the price of food-grade stainless steel plates is higher. Stainless steel countertops need to be folded and welded, and the wooden base layer is easy to deform and hollow. After using for a period of time, there will be obvious scratches/grinding on the back surface, which is easy to breed bacteria;
Stone (including natural and artificial stone): Natural stone is currently used less frequently, mostly artificial stone. Among the artificial stones, the artificial quartz stone is better. Compared with the ordinary artificial stone, the artificial quartz stone is more excellent in heat resistance, corrosion resistance, and abrasion resistance. The disadvantage is that there are seams (not obvious) when splicing, and the current price is not low, and the market is chaotic.
In summary, the most suitable stone cabinet countertops for the general public are marble cabinet countertops, while the best stone cabinet countertops are artificial stone countertops, while natural stone is more environmentally friendly. The cabinet countertops of the three types of stone have their own advantages. According to various factors, marble is the most suitable countertop for cabinets.
