Erin Napier's Alternative For Granite And Marble Countertops Is Also A Better Value

Although they're beautiful, marble countertops are often so pricey that they're out of the budget for most homeowners. Erin Napier considers limestone a great alternative, in part because it's more affordable. On her HGTV show "Home Town," she complimented limestone's "old world, European, and simple" aesthetic which makes it a great option for many kitchens.

Most people love marble and granite for their natural beauty, from huge arrays of colors to one-of-a-kind designs. This beauty makes it easy to find the perfect slab, but only if you have the time and (more importantly) the cash to do so. Limestone enjoys similar qualities but comes with such a reduced price tag that people quickly rethink adding marble countertops to their kitchen. Granite and marble can reach as high as $200 per square foot for premium material, so you can save a ton of money and still achieve a similar aesthetic with limestone, which doesn't tend to go for more than $150 per square foot at most; you'll likely find it easy to get a high-end limestone counter at $100 per square foot or less.

Many people prefer keeping their countertops lighter in color than their cabinets because it helps the kitchen feel more spacious and helps identify spills. Limestone primarily comes in light, cool colors, so finding one that pairs with anything from natural wood to painted cabinets shouldn't be hard. Napier has a particular love for the unobtrusive designs you get with limestone, which keeps things simple, homey, and affordable. It's also a good choice if you're concerned about the environment, as it's a naturally abundant material that requires little processing.

Just as limestone shares many aesthetic qualities with marble and granite, it also has similar maintenance requirements. While it is fairly durable, it's also porous and soft so you'll want to make sure you only use appropriate cleaners, avoid anything that can scratch the surface, and give it an annual deep clean.

You should never store acidic foods on countertops because most countertop materials are at least somewhat susceptible to low pH. However, this goes double for stone, including limestone. Even acidic cleaners that are labeled as "gentle" can erode this material and punch through sealant over time, sabotaging the structural integrity of your counters. Another risk to keep in mind is moving heavy objects over them, which can create scratches and dings that form a perfect environment for bacteria; potentially creating an unsanitary cooking environment even after you've just cleaned.

To avoid staining limestone, you'll want to clean all spills immediately. An annual deep clean to remove grime and bacteria is important, but limestone's porous nature means it's next to impossible to get stains out if they've had the chance to set. Best practice is to seal your countertop once a year by applying a stone sealant, which creates an invisible barrier between the mineral and common kitchen messes. You have to do this one small area at a time and let each section thoroughly dry as you go, but it's far better to tackle this task once a year rather than live with discolored countertops.