One of the most important decisions for your kitchen design or re-modeling is the selection of your countertop material and style. For kitchen countertops quartz based surfaces are hard to beat. Durability, consistancy, and a selection of colors make these materials worth considering.

Using a quartz based material like Silestone countertops does provides a number of benefits. Silestone countertops are composed of a natural quartz material combined with resins and pigments. Silestone is 93% natural quartz and 7% resins. There are a number of colors to choose from so it is no problem to find one that goes well with your selected cabinets.

Stain-resistance - Since the surface is non-porous it is highly resistant to stains from your daily household products (coffee, wine, cooking oil, make-up...) and unlike granite, no sealing is necessary to preserve the shine on its surface.

Scratch-resistance - Since only three other minerals are harder than quartz (diamone, sapphire, and topaz) the surface is very scratch resistant. Excessive force or pressure could still cause a scratch but the slip of a knife is unlikely to leave a mark as it would on other surfaces.

Strength - Silestone countertops have about 4 times the flexural strength of natural granite. This added strength makes it less likely for damage to occur in transportation, installation, or in everyday use.

As an alternative to a natural granite countertop Silestone is worth considering

Ray Breitenbach writes for Simple Home Repairs. Please visit for more information on how to perform you own basic home repairs.