Unless you take a lot of baths, consider putting your money elsewhere. These kitchen counters are trendy in high-end projects, but they're hardly low maintenance. They must be rewaxed every three months and resealed every year or so. Meantime, they're vulnerable to hot pots, sharp knives, and stains. And, like sidewalks, they crack.
Synthetic stucco is cement modified with polymer that covers exterior walls.
It costs half as much as brick or stone, but when improperly installed, it can allow leakage around windows and doors. Users complain of surface deterioration, paint stains, even woodpecker damage. An estimated 17 percent of all decking sold in 1997 was this combination of wood and plastic polymer. Manufacturers say it can last several decades longer than regular lumber, but it costs two to three times as much. One of the newest trends in kitchen lighting, says Joe Rey-Barreau, associate professor at the University of Kentucky Lighting and Design Center, is tiny halogen lights that are used around coffered ceilings, under cabinets, and inside the cabinets themselves.