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A superb kitchen design
is much more than exciting plans
and drawings. Selecting
the appropriate building materials
is essential. To help you make the
best choice for your kitchen, we
explore some of the pros and cons
associated with common building
materials. Check back often, we'll
have more comparisons for you soon!
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- Warp
Resistant
- Nice
Grain Configuration
- Easy
to Change
Stain
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- May
peel with
time
- You
cannot sand
substrate
to refinish
if painted
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- Paint
or stain
any colour
- Smooth
clean look
- Easy
to sand
- Easy
to repair
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- May
show cracks
on small
frame joints
- Paint
can be expensive
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- Hard
durable
finish
- Numerous
colours
and finishes
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- May
peel with
time
- Flat
door style
limitation
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- Resembles
painted
5 piece
door
- Numerous
colours
and realistic
finishes
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- Scrathes
can't be
repaired
- Lighter
colours
can yellow
in time
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- No visible
joints
- Easy
to clean
- Virtually
stain resistant
- Under
mount sink
can be seamless
- Numerous
colours
and finishes
- Light
colours
can be very
affordable
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- Light
colours
are prone
to coffe
and tea
stains
- Darker
colours
can be expensive
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- Easy
to clean
- Stain
resistant
- Unique
effects
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- Noisy
when used
- Prone
to scratches
- Expensive
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- Can
be molded
into any
shape and
colour
- Contemporary
look
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- Porous
if not sealed
- Place
stress on
the base
cabinets
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- Best
cutting
board or
counter
- Appealing
look
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- Require
frequent
maintenance
(if used
for cutting)
- May
warp in
time
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- Maintenance
free
- Scratch
resistant
- Resembles
natural
stone
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- Can
be expensive
- Repetitive
patterns
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- Scratch
resistant
- Large
selection
of colours
and natural
patterns
- Heat
resistant
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- Need
to be resealed
regularly
- Can't
be repaired
or polished
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- Solid
cream and
white colours
- Easy
to work
with
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- Prone
to scratching
- Need
to be resealed
regularly
- Ages
quickly
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- Ads
warmth and
charm
- Large
selection
of textures
and colours
- Beneficial
for your
back and
posture
- Finishes
with aluminium
oxides and
titanium
are difficult
to scratch
and are
durable
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- Wears
quickly
- Certain
types of
woods may
wear faster
than others
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- Soft
for walking
and standing
- Easy
to repair
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- Extra
protection
is required
if the floor
is cross
cut
- Heavy
furniture
can leave
marks
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- Easy
to clean
- Unlimited
selection
of colours
sizes and
finishes
- Scratch
resistant
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- Low
backed tiles
are prone
to chipping
- Sub
floor can
be costly
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- Unique
texture
- Wears
nicely
- Large
selection
of colours
and textures
(brushed,
tumbled,
chiseled,
polished
and honed)
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- Needs
to be resealed
regularly
- Expensive
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- Unique
textures
for indoors
and outdoors
- Available
in a variety
of sizes
and finishes
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- Needs
to be resealed
regularly
- Expensive
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