Most
countertop manufacturers market their products as stain-resistant or
stain-proof, but there is often a major caveat. Many countertop materials
resist stains only if maintained properly – and even with sealing and care,
they aren’t always 100-precent stain-proof. Here is a list of the 16 most
popular countertop options, in rough order from the most stain-resistant to
least stain-resistant.
Quartz countertops are really an engineered stone surface made primarily of
quartz crystals with some additives. They are very resistant to stains and
heat, and are anti-bacterial. If durability and ease of maintenance are more
important than cost, quartz is certainly a good option.
Solid-surface
countertops, better known as Corian or Wilsonart, are also among the
lowest-maintenance options available, and is typically a little cheaper than
quartz. They will resist most stains, and the rare stain is easily repaired
with an abrasive cleaner and scrubber or, in extreme cases, some fine
sandpaper.
Glass countertops also are very stain-resistant, but they require more
maintenance and care than soild-surface. While wine or mustard may not mar
glass, simple fingerprints and watermarks are quite visible.
Stainless steel and copper countertops are similar to glass in their
stain-resistance. They are technically stainproof, but watermarks, fingerprints
and grease marks can be obvious and ugly.
Richlite is
a paper-based fiber composite that looks like real wood but is more
stain-resistant and requires less maintenance. Like many other countertops, it
can be sealed to resist most stains.
Slate is stain-resistant and doesn’t need to be
sealed, but it scratches easily.
Granite is
rarely this far down any list of countertop options. To be sure, some high-end
granite is quite stain-resistant and may not even require sealing. However,
most granite on the market must be sealed regularly to resist stain-proof.
Porcelain tile resists
stains. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of most tile grout. Grout can be
difficult to clean, and must be sealed regularly to resist stains.
Ceramic
tile, particularly glazed tiles, also resist stains. But grout presents the
same problem as with porcelain tiles.
Natural stone tile is a cheaper way to get
natural stone onto your kitchen or bathroom countertop, but it is also a more
stain-prone. Both the stone and the grout can stain, though grout lines are
typically thinner than on other tile surfaces.
Soapstone can
take on surface stains, but they are typically scrubbed ot sanded away with
relative ease.
Wood countertops stain easily.
Coffee, tea, wine, mustard and other foods and drinks can mar wood surface.
However, stains are also easily sanded away or removed with lemon juice, a
hydrogen peroxide solution or wood bleach. Moreover, wood countertops are
rendered more stain-resistant with monthly or quarterly oil rubs.
Marble stains easily
and must be maintained frequently. Of course, if you must have the look of
marble, there is no other way to truly match it.
Travertine is
another soft stone that is easily stained, particularly in the small pits
across the surface. Also consider limestone in the same category.
Concrete must
be maintained and sealed carefully to resist stains. Lemon juice, vinegar and
other acidic materials can compromise the sealer and leave the concrete exposed
to stains.
Plastic
laminate earns the worst rating on our list, though the failing grade may
be a little unfair. Quality laminate countertops are quite stain-resistant. The
problem is that stained laminate surfaces are more difficult to repair than
nearly every other surface. There is little choice but to replace or resurface
a stained, scratched or burned laminate countertop.
For example, the pace of Chinese urbanization is faster, but an interesting contrast to India is that more than twice as many Indians live in big metropolises (>10 million) than Chinese. This may possibly have to do with advanced industrialization in rural areas and small towns in China. It has invested in growth centers provinces have become centres of highly successful industrial clusters of specialized, mainly family-owned enterprises. Dating town in Zhejiang province produces a third of world’s socks.
Three-quarters of the world’s neckties are produced in the town of Shengzhou where hardly anybody in the local population ever wears one. Another town, Yiwu is the world’s largest producer of buttons. Guangdong province of South China has world’s kargest mall for furniture with towns after towns dedicated to building industry-related manufacturing and trading outlets, be it furniture, electrical fixtures, sanitary ware, floor finishes or accessories. These largely export-oriented units, set within the largest vision of simulating growth in smaller towns, have generated considerable job market and triggered amenity and infrastructure development to check migration to mega cities.
Country’s overall economy has also depended greatly on these export-oriented units. For example, China volume of export is whopping 1600 billion dollars. Of which, despite hate-hate relationship with USA, it has the highest share of exports with the US at the magnitude of over hundred billion dollars. India ranks seventh in China’s export destination at nearly 40 billion dollars.
Underpinning China’s export success is a combination of long term investments in automation and sport-term depreciation of the currency. Manufacturers across China are investing in labour saving equipment, reorganizing shop floor management and taking other measures to maximize production efficiency.
Important to note is that is much or more than automation it has concentrated on streamlining the processes to yield maximum production with minimum waste within a mass production mode rather than customization. Even smallest component and actions are given their due for cost competitiveness, like investing in computer-controlled drill that does the work of up to eight people, or a garment company buying machinery to manufacture buttons more cheaply. These constant endeavours have ensured that despite rising labour costs the final product cost remains competitive for export and quite often cheaper than before. Central authorities have strongly endorsed stepped-up equipment investments by exporters. Labour shortages in export zones have also meant that workers have not tended to protest the introduction of more machinery.
With domestic Chinese economy slowing, the government has also counteracted some of the pain by taking currency actions to help exporters. It has allowed the country’s tightly managed currency, the Renminbi makes Chinese goods less expensive in foreign markets, and makes imports less affordable in China.
Urban infrastructure is constructed, operated, and maintained by separate companies set up by Chinese government with a large stake in cost recovery. While, in India, much of the time the municipal government performs these functions through its departments. Chinese cities have the autonomy to raise investment funds by monetizing land assets and to retain 25% of the value added taxes. Large infrastructure projects in China often have special purpose vehicles to get access to the debt market.
Not just the fiscal system, the whole urban governance structure in India is not decentralized enough. Mayours d not necessarily have enough executive powers or accountability to the local citizenry. The chief official in policy implementation is often the municipal commissioner, a state government official accountable upwards, to the higher-level government. This is quite different from the empowered mayors in cities in other developing countries. In coastal China local business development under the auspices of local governments have contributed substantially to local revenues and building of local infrastructure. In India this is rare. With centralized system China has circumvented models to positively contribute to remote places compared to remote places compared to the so called decentralized powers assigned to federal, state and city municipalities in India.
World Finance’s Infrastructure Investment Awards celebrates the successes of some of the world’s leading infrastructure projects and the people who have made them happen. Read articles from some of the winners in the September October edition of World Finance magazine, available now in retailers.
