The bar countertop for the kitchen: popular materials

Today, bars popular as ever. A variety of materials, design and construction enables their use in the interior of any kitchen. In small rooms they take over the function of a dining table in the spacious serve as a place for morning coffee or get-togethers with friends. But since the food conditions are sufficiently severe, you must correctly choose the material of manufacture of furniture. First and foremost, attention should be paid to the bar countertop.

Primary requirements

The rack can be used as an additional work surface when the hostess to cook need a lot of space. That is why its tabletop imposed the same high requirements as to the main part of the kitchen units:

• Humidity resistance;
• Hygienic and easy to care for;
• Abrasion resistance;
• The ability to withstand temperature extremes.

In addition, it must integrate harmoniously into the overall picture and to complement the interior.

Do not forget about usability bar. For it to be really comfortable, it is necessary to correctly choose the size of the tabletop. Regardless of the kitchen space dimensions, the width of the high-section can not be less than 30 cm, optimally - 50-60 cm. But the length of the "tied" to the number of people living in the apartment: at each sitting behind the counter should account for at least 60 cm surface.

The best materials

How much will serve your countertop and how long to retain a presentable appearance, depending on the material of its production.

Particleboard

The most popular and accessible boards for the manufacture of kitchen worktops pleasing variety of colors and textures. All thanks to a decorative polymeric film on their surface. It not only gives the conventional chipboard panels look of natural stone or wood, but also protects them from moisture.

The main advantages of countertops:

• Availability - find the plate for the bar can be in any large store building materials.
• Low price - even imported products is relatively inexpensive.
• Good machinability - from whole plate laminated chipboard can be of any shape to saw table top.

However, the loose boards easy to absorb moisture, and they contain wood fibers immediately react to this increase in volume. Water entering the exposed film surface particleboard swelling causes its deformation and with no chance of recovery. That is why, after cutting out custom countertops, you need to carefully seal the edges. This is not only a requirement of aesthetics, but also an important condition for long service bar.

If funds permit, instead of the budget CPD should take a little more expensive, but reliable and durable material - MDF.

Wood

Fits perfectly into any kitchen interior, it looks aesthetically pleasing and soundly, but the cost, of course, more expensive substitutes pressed. In the care of such countertops can deliver a lot of trouble, so do not cut them products or avoid contact with hot dishes. Although these precautions do not relieve you of the need from time to time to polish the surface and update the lacquer coating. On the other hand, wood countertops completely maintainable, and even larger chips they can be repaired by yourself.

For the manufacture of tabletops bar counters are best suited following wood species:

• Oak - expensive and soundly. Such a surface will serve you for many years and will take a minimum of hassle. Durable heavy mass has a high density, and therefore, excess humidity it is not terrible.
• Hevea - highly resistant to cracking and warping. It is well tolerated temperature and humidity regime cuisine.
• Lipa - perfect for creating original tops with carved decoration. It has a beautiful warm tone, but will require additional processing stain, because it is very fond of various pests.
• Walnut - another strong and durable option for the kitchen.
• Wenge - valuable wood, which perfectly fit into the luxurious interior, has good resistance to shocks.

A rock

Use natural mineral plate in the kitchen irrationally. They are very expensive due to the complexity of the treatment, but they have huge weight and prone to staining. Spilled wine, coffee or juice may leave stains on a table top, which is not to clean, since the liquid is absorbed into the pores of the natural stone.

Where better to show themselves artificial composite worktops, and in terms of decoration, they give a hundred points to natural materials. Modern technologies allow the creation of rock dust and seamless polymer products of all shapes and colors. They have a completely smooth surface is hygienic and easy enough to be restored in case of any scratches, cracks or abrasions. However, to bring the composite the bar will be difficult to the point in the home.

Glass

There is only good is very strong and thick tempered glass, which is relatively expensive. Normal is also sometimes used, but in the kitchen it can be unsafe, and over time it gets scratched. Production of high-quality and abrasion-resistant countertop is possible only under the order, so that at first will need to think carefully about the design bar furniture and specify all sizes accurately. After that, the only disadvantage that it takes you - constantly appearing fingerprints and stains. However, matte grooved surface devoid of such shortcomings.