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Granite Countertops, Glass Countertops, Exotic Countertops
countertop options cover more than just granite
By Gretchen McKay, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 When putting in a new kitchen, some folks try to impress with their choice of appliances. But only serious cooks need a high-end commercial range, right? If you really want your kitchen to sizzle, focus on the countertops.
Michele Upvall's kitchen remodel in the Winchester Condominiums in Oakland is a case in point. When she moved into the jade tile-clad building in 2003, its galley-style kitchen would have done the Brady Bunch proud, with its '70s-style black-and-white laminate countertops and dreadful orange sink. (That's right, orange.)
"I'm sure for the times, it was very in," says Ms. Upvall, associate dean and director of Carlow University's school of nursing. "But I wanted something more contemporary."
Ms. Upvall and her husband, Rich Ptachcinski, considered replacing the laminate with granite or quartz, two of today's most popular countertop choices. But somehow, natural stone just didn't get their creative juices flowing. So last fall, they got on the Internet.
Almost immediately, the couple stumbled upon ThinkGlass, a company that creates custom-made solid-glass countertops. The search was over. By year's end, Cabinet Sales Plus in the city's North Side had installed the crystal-colored tops on both sides of the kitchen.
"We fell in love with it," says Ms. Upvall, who also chose maple cabinets from Houston-Starr in Homewood, stainless-steel appliances and a glass mosaic tile backsplash from Prosource in Cranberry.
The couple particularly enjoy the special tapelight on the counter's back edge that turns the glass from transparent to a deep, glowing green at night.
"It's fun and different," she says.
Not to mention surprisingly durable. A 1 1/2-inch-thick countertop can handle temperatures up to 700 degrees, so hot objects won't harm its surface. Glass is also pretty easy to keep clean, as its clear top and textured underside help mask any scratches and fingerprints. It can, however, chip if you drop something on it, which is why many homeowners reserve its use for non-utility areas of the kitchen, say, a wet bar or the top of an island.
Even in small amounts, glass packs a pretty dramatic punch.
"It definitely has a wow factor," says Dee Thimons, whose kitchen in Richland features two ThinkGlass countertops: a 90-inch raised breakfast bar above a granite island and one in a bar area. "People can't help but comment on it."
Other companies that make solid-glass countertops include Ultraglas and Duncan Glass. All offer smooth or textured tops with polished or textured edges. The only downside is the cost: roughly $300 a square foot, including shipping and installation.
Luckily, there are plenty of options for homeowners who are looking for high style on a smaller budget. This latest generation of countertops includes ones made of bamboo, recycled glass, scrap metal, lava stone, and even recycled paper and linoleum.
These materials are growing in popularity because as consumers increasingly look to go green, they seek out environmentally responsible products. Even if they weren't sustainable, notes Janice Donatelli of Artemis Environmental in Lawrenceville, they'd still draw a crowd because they're so beautiful.
Take PaperStone, a scratch- and stain-resistent composite made from recycled paper and a water-based resin. Initially used for skateboard ramps, this durable surface has the sumptuous look and feel of soapstone. Most everyone who sees it can't help but touch it, says Ms. Donatelli. At $30 to $55 per square foot, depending on thickness, it's half the cost of natural stone. It also comes in more than a dozen colors, including cabernet, indigo and straw.
Adding to PaperStone's appeal is the fact that most DIYers can install it themselves. John Moore, a double bassist with the Pittsburgh Symphony needed only nominal help from contractor Tracy Mortimore of Artisan Renovation to place it in his 1910 Four Square in Lawrenceville. All it took, he says, was a practice cut with a carbide-tipped circular saw.
Not so easy to install yourself but just as warm and inviting to the touch is Marmoleum, a natural linoleum that comes in sheets and tiles. Naturally stain- and germ-resistant, it comes in scarlet, watermelon green and midnight blue. Cost: $2 to $3 a square foot, plus installation.
Ms. Donatelli also has seen growing interest in countertops made of Plyboo Strand, a laminated bamboo plywood that's harder than oak ($225 for a 30-by-72-inch piece), and Kirei board, a lightweight, wood-like product engineered from stalks of sorgham.
Alkemi countertops, crafted from curls of aluminum scrap mixed with polymeric resins, are also a cool, modern spin on the solid surface look. Available in colors ranging from silver to bronze to blue, it's priced at around $80 per square foot.
Funkier still -- and more expensive -- is 3form, whose translucent resin panels are imbedded with leaves, beads or fabric. It runs $600 to $1,800 per 4-by-8-foot sheet, depending on thickness and what's inside.
For those who prefer the look of natural stone but don't want its maintenance issues, engineered quartzes such as CaesarStone ($50 to $90 per square foot installed) is an increasingly popular choice, says Jim Watts, a certified kitchen designer with Splash in Cranberry. Stain-, scratch- and heat-resistant, it's more durable than granite or marble. While browns, blacks and grays are the most traditional choice, it's also available in bright apple martini and tequila sunrise.
IceStone, which is made from salvaged glass fragments mixed with pigmented concrete, is equally colorful; its customizable color palette is almost indefinite. It is comparable in price to mid- or high-range granite, depending on the color and installation.
EnviroGLAS offers a similar product, Pyrolave, made of enameled volcanic stone. It's twice the cost of granite and boasts a finish so hard it can be used in laboratories. It's available in 32 rich colors.
NuCrete, a stainless concrete developed by Sonoma Cast Stone, replicates the look of poured concrete, only without the discoloration issues. It comes in more than 20 colors, including sweet pea green and an icy arctic blue. Cost: from $17 per square foot for tiles to more than $180 per square foot for complex countertops.
It's also possible to get countertops made of petrified wood or semi-precious stones like amethyst. Just be prepared to pay. Prices for these kingly materials run from $800 to $1,000 per square foot.
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