GRANITE SHOWROOMS ARE POPPING OUT ALL OVER (New Orleans Times-Picayune)

[Paper Boy]

When I was a kid, where two streets intersected there was always a gas station on each corner. That's changed a little in the past 40 years: Now, granite countertop showrooms have replaced them.

Its not just because so many people are in the business of rebuilding, as we are here. I just got back from Houston, and it's the same thing there. They're everywhere.

Seventy-five years ago, stone and wood were the primary countertop choices; 25 years ago, laminate was king of the hill.

But today's kitchens -- and countertops -- are used for more than just cooking. The kitchen is a living room, study, dining room, entertainment area, craft center and showplace all rolled into one. The many functions of this room call for a countertop surface that suits our lifestyles and activities.

When people need a top that's durable, simple to install, easy to maintain and affordable, most still head for the laminate display.

But there's a bewildering range of other choices, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. They're all durable, and they all require some maintenance or care. So selecting a countertop really boils down to how you answer these three questions:

-- How much can you spend?

-- How much maintenance are you willing to do?

-- What material do you most like to touch, see, work on and show off?

--- Price ---

You can spend $2 to $250 per square foot for countertops. Surprisingly, few choices fall between the basic $10 per square foot laminates and the $80 stone and solid-surface tops.

Wood and tile tops do fall in that middle range, but of all the tops I've looked at, these have the most critics.

The scarcity of mid-priced options can be a blessing in disguise; if you have a limited budget, simply look at the many design possibilities of laminate.

Kitchen specialists follow a few rules of thumb based on experience:

-- The longer you plan to stay in a house, the more durable and upscale the countertop you should select. The "cost per year" becomes a bargain as the years pass.

-- Tops and installation usually compose 10 percent to 15 percent of a kitchen remodel budget. Tops that fall outside this range may not look like they fit in with the rest of the room.

-- Put your money where you heart is -- especially when you're on a budget. For example, if you love high-tech appliances or custom wood cabinetry, spend your money there.

--- Maintenance and use factors ---

Maintenance on most countertops is minimal, but fail to do it and permanent, or at least difficult-to-reverse, damage can occur.

There is preventive maintenance (mopping up spills, using hot pads, working on cutting boards), and long-term maintenance (which usually involves applying some form of sealer or finish).

Ask yourself, how careful (really) are you and your family? What do you expect your top to look like in five years? Does it make more sense to stick with laminate until the kids are out of grade school?

--- Aesthetic and tactile factors ---

If budget and maintenance aren't decisive factors for you, how the top looks and feels are the true deal makers. Both you and your countertop have a personality: Select one that you can get along with.

Texture, aesthetics, glossiness, "warmth," how natural the material looks and feels and how it fits in with the design of your kitchen and your home are all part of the final equation.