Bathroom countertops are a major design choice homeowners have to make when they’re planning a remodeling job. When you’re selecting kitchen countertop materials, you have to weigh in all sorts of variables and “what-ifs” in your decision. Durability, the kind of traffic your countertops will see, who will use them and how often, and how serious you are about cleaning and maintenance all have to be factored in. 
Bathroom countertops, though, are a completely different story. With bathroom countertops, the kid gloves can come off: since bathrooms are so functionally different compared to kitchens, you can use countertops that are more beautiful and luxurious, even if they’re not ideal for kitchen countertops. Bathroom countertops are typically custom-made, and can set the mood and tone of the entire bathroom. Where kitchens are more centrally focused around appliances and function, you can very easily pivot all of your bathroom remodeling design choices around your countertop selection.
Here are some details on our most popular bathroom countertop materials, and what you should consider when selecting them.
Popular Materials and Their Benefits
Granite is self-explanatory. It’s incredibly durable, easily cleaned, and absolutely beautiful, but at the expense of a little regular maintenance. It’s recommended that granite countertops should be sealed annually, if not twice annually, so there is a little preventative maintenance and care involved. These countertops clean easily with a little warm water and liquid soap or glass cleaner that is ammonia and citrus free. An occasional tiny chip can be buffed out and sealed to reduce its visual impact. Granite countertops create a visually stunning, luxurious look in any bathroom setting, and go well with darker, more refined woods.
Marble countertops can be an ageless element to a bathroom remodel that last for years. Marble is a natural material which means it comes from elements of nature instead of man. It is a metamorphic rock formed from the recrystallization of limestone under intense pressure and high temperatures within the earth. Types of marble vary and in many cases can be easily scratched and stained so you would want to save it for bathrooms where it is likely to receive gently treatment and proper maintenance and sealing. This is a rich and elegant stone and when it comes to sheer beauty, few materials can rival marble.
Manufactured quartz probably sounds rare or new, but it’s more common than you might think. Synthetic quartz composites are pressed into a dense, durable, maintenance free countertop that is simple and easy to clean. These countertops come in a wide variety of colors, and are mainstays of every major countertop manufacturer. If you want the durability and feel of a stone surface, but want a lower maintenance material, manufactured quartz countertops are an excellent option.
Tile can be a fun, cost-efficient countertop choice for your bathroom. You can mix and match tiles and create a bathroom space with a striking, bold personality with tile. Tiles are very easily replaced if one or a couple of them break, so you can keep tile counters looking brand new yourself, even after years of rough treatment from guests and children. You’ll have to clean the grout lines between tiles regularly, but this is easily done with household detergent. If you want an expressive, creative solution for your countertops, tile is the way to go.
Laminate countertops have been a mainstay in the industry for years, and are some of the most cost-effective and easily customizable countertop choices available today. Just because it’s less expensive doesn’t mean it looks cheap—recent developments in fabrication lets you imitate the look and beauty of quartz, granite, and marble finishes. Since it is easy to clean, install, replace and maintain, laminate is the perfect choice for an “action-prone” bathroom that will see lots of traffic from children, pets, and the elements.
Solid-Surface Materials are synthetic alternatives to traditional countertop materials, and are as easy to install as any wooden material anywhere else in your home. These materials are manufactured under many different names, but are all generally the same dense, durable plastic polymer. If you are in any way concerned with mildew, mold, or germs, solid-surface materials are hypoallergenic, totally nonporous, and very easy to clean. These materials can also be made from recycled goods, if you’re looking for an eco-friendly solution to your remodel.
There are plenty of other unique materials you can choose from, but these are the usual materials our customers prefer. If you have any questions about what countertop material would best fit your new bathroom, or you have other materials that you’d like to ask us about, feel free to contact our professional kitchen and bath designers!
