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Custom Architectural Woodwork & Specialty Finishes
Custom Architectural Woodwork & Specialty Finishes
Commercial Countertops are often considered boring and given the least consideration when it comes to millwork. Commercial countertops are flat, easy to manufacture, and only come in a few colors, right? If you think about the space in a commercial building that people will see up close, most often, what space do you think that is? Countertops are the working surfaces in most commercial buildings. When a person enters a commercial space the first object that they may notice is the reception desk (that has a countertop). Most office personnel spend their entire day working at a desk (that has a countertop). Nurses spend a large portion of their day writing reports on…you guessed it… a countertop. Commercial countertops are no longer the boring institutional spaces that are forgotten. Commercial countertops are now providing brighter spaces, pleasing aesthetics, healthier surfaces, and durability.
Below we explore the most common materials used for commercial countertops, the benefits and drawbacks of each material, and some AWI standards for each.
The most cost-effective commercial countertop material is plastic laminate (PLAM). PLAM comes in a wide variety of colors and patterns. PLAM countertops are made of a substrate (usually particle board, plywood or MDF) and a high-pressure laminate work surface. Did you know that the ANSI/AWI 1236-2022 Countertop standards states that the core material “shall be a minimum nominal thickness of 18mm (.709”)”? Some of the benefits of using PLAM are cost, variety and less likely to chip than natural stone. Some of the downsides to using PLAM are delamination caused by moisture, aesthetics, subjectivity to chemical corrosion, and a product that is not easily repaired.
Commercial PLAM countertops are best suited for environments where cost is the driving factor in deciding the material to use.
Solid surface countertops were brought into the mainstream by Dupont with their Corian product line. Dr. Donald Slocum at Dupont invented Corian and it was patented in 1968. Dupont did such a great job marketing Corian that even today, decades after the patent has expired, many people refer to any solid surface as Corian. Since the patent expired, there are now many other manufacturers of solid surfaces who offer wide variety of colors. Most solid surface sheets come sized 144” X 30”. The benefits of using solid surfaces for countertops are easy to repair, resistance to heat damage and chemical corrosion, will not delaminate, cleanability, and value per dollar. Some of the downsides to solid surface countertops are visible seams with heavy movement (swirls, large particulate, etc.), sheet sizes, and dark colors will show even the slightest scratch.
Did you know that the ANSI/AWI 1236-2022 Countertop standards states that solid surface splashes “shall be a minimum height of 76.2mm (3”) above the work surface”?
Quartz countertops are made of 90% ground quartz/pigments and 10% resin. The ground quartz is usually a byproduct of other manufacturing processes. The mixture is molded, pressed, cured, and polished. The mold provides the shape, pressing compacts the mixture and removes air bubbles, curing is done in an oven to harden the resin binder, and polishing provides a smooth and shiny finish. A standard slab of quartz will come sized 56” X 120”. Some of the benefits of using quartz are, color consistency, durability, stain resistance, and aesthetically pleasing. Some of the downsides to using quartz countertops are UV discoloring, difficult installation, cost, manufacturing which creates silica dust, and visible seams.
Did you know that the ANSI/AWI 1236-2022 Countertop standards states that engineered stone “gaps in exposed surfaces, when mitered or butted shall not exceed .4mm (.016”)”?
Granite countertops come from quarried stone and are typically made up of quartz, feldspar, and other materials. Did you know that feldspar is alumino-silicate minerals and makes up approximately 50 percent of all rocks on earth? Some of the benefits of granite countertops are visually appealing, durable, heat and stain resistance. Some of the downsides to granite countertops are prone to cracking, difficult to repair, porous, visible seams, consistency, and costly. You would not want granite if on a large commercial project if you are looking for consistency in color.
Did you know that the ANSI/AWI 1236-2022 Countertop standards states that suspended or cantilever countertops “shall not extend more than 305mm (12”) from a support, whether in the front, back or end, unless otherwise specified”?
The ANSI/AWI 1236-2022 Countertop Standard does not specify in what environment different countertop materials can be specified. The spaces that these common countertop materials are used depends on many factors. Is this a wet environment? If so, you may not want to use PLAM. Is this a space where aesthetics are most important such as an upscale restaurant or bar? If so, then you may specify granite. If you are looking for a material that is cleanable, aesthetically pleasing, and resistant to chemicals, such as healthcare environments, you may want to specify solid surface. If the driving factor for countertop material is cost, then you may want to specify PLAM. ANSI/AWI 1236–2022 – Countertops is intended to provide standards and tolerances for the quality and fit of Countertops. The button below will take you to the full ANSI/AWI 1236-2022 countertop standard.
At Giffin Interior, we are AWI QCP licensed for countertop fabrication. We have been fabricating countertops since 1980 and we take pride in the millwork we provide to our customers.
Contact us today to discuss your next commercial millwork project. sales@giffininterior.com
