kitchen countertops

Kitchen countertops were a huge discussion/decision.

Formica or similar would be cheap & relatively simple, but easy to tear up and if we every decide to rent out could be a constant maintenance item.

Didn't consider Corian or granite, but Silestone was tops on my list. Good looking & very durable, in fact, practically indestructible...but also expensive.

Last option considered was tile, durable & moderate in cost.

Weighing in on all these options, besides cost & maintenance, was the problem of getting the countertop installed.

The standard solution to use Home Depot/Lowes for installs (formica & Silestone) wasn't simple. Although both chains are just some 20-30 miles away, that distance is over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel (CBBT) which is a 17-mile span over the bay & a cost of $12.00 one way. And at the time we were lining up a countertop install neither chain would cross the bridge. In fact, both chains directed us to Salisbury, MD...well over 90 miles away.

In the end, we decided to go with tile & have ClayWerks do the install. Virtually painless, and since they did such a stellar job on the upstairs shower, it was a given they we'd have them do the tile work in the kitchen.

Getting work done on the Eastern Shore has been a challenge.