That makes fabrication and installation the key issues. Other crucial factors include choosing the right design for your kitchen, keeping the project under budget and protecting your investment. Your decisions on color and style affect not only the way your kitchen will look, but also how much you'll pay. Companies offer three or four color categories, with prices jumping as high as 25 percent between categories. We advise them to choose another color for a lower quote, then try to work their first choice into an edge detail or accent strip.
Most fabricators handle more than one type of solid surfacing.
Also, ask about specials manufacturers periodically offer - you might find the color you like is available for less from another company. Extras, such as fancy edges, inlays, nifty backsplashes and integral solid-surface sinks, add to the final tally. A lower-cost alternative is a flat backsplash attached to the counter by a bead of silicone caulk. Light colors also tend to camouflage scratches better than dark colors, on which blemishes often show up in white because of the filler used. And if you opt for an integral solid-surface sink, don't try to match its color with the counter.