Over the weekend, we visited the place of all things good and not too expensive. Yes, I’m talking about Ikea. We are not big consumers, so a trip to Ikea on a weekend was a little bit traumatic. However, the trip was necessary, because we were buying our cabinets.
Now, the one thing that we didn’t buy was the counter tops. After years of living with cracking countertops, I’m looking for something hard, durable, and yes…eco friendly.
What’s available in the eco countertop market? The choices are vast and increasing daily.
If you’re looking for something that looks like granite, you’re not alone. I drool over granite countertops. There are many glass composite counters that look like granite and are made out of post consumer recycled glass. Drool, drool. Eco by Cosentino and Icestone are two counters that I looked at.
One thing that matters to me more than anything is durability. I want a surface that won’t scratch, score, and chip. Unfortunately, that does knock out a number of the beautiful recycled glass surfaces. On this end, Paperstone works well. It’s a recycled paper and natural plant binder composite, and it looks like a combination between granite and plastic countertops. It was originally designed as a skateboard park surface.
What should you consider if you’re looking at a recycled composite counter?
Keep an eye out for the binders used in these countertops. A recycled counter that relies heavily on plastic binders and new concrete is not necessarily environmentally friendly. It just happens to have recycled content.
Also, watch for the need for refinishing. Some eco counters look good at first, but they do require sealing every year. I worry that I’d forget to seal the counter, and then I’d have a ketchup-stained mess in my kitchen. Of course, I’d remember eventually, but time and budget have a way of delaying these things.
Price is also a barrier when it comes to eco counters. Some recycled glass composites run to $85 per square foot, a far cry from the less expensive plastic variety. Of course, these are also a thing of beauty, so it really depends on what your countertop is to you – a centerpiece of the kitchen, or a functional surface for cutting?
Image Credit: [urbanlane]