Backsplashes and Countertops

Softer and highly-polishable, soapstone can be an excellent choice for a stone counter by Michael Pekovich

Stone countertops too chilly for you? Radiant-heat mats built beneath them can fight off the cold. by Kurt Lavenson

Even stone is susceptible to scratches, staining, chipping, and heat damage by Jennifer Stimpson

Once the pour cures, a surgical hand protects the unfinished surface by Jeremy French, Matt Kabat

When a family likes to prepare meals together, happiness is having the space to work without getting in one another's way by David Edrington

by Fu-Tung Cheng

The perfect marriage of cost, aesthetics and performance is what suits your lifestyle and budget best by Scott Gibson

by Duane M. Dionne

A belt sander will be your best friend when fitting factory-made laminate countertops to wavy walls by Steve Morris

With store-bought moldings and a router, you can give laminate counters the monolithic look of solid-surface material by Herrick Kimball

by Steven Morris

An experienced fabricator explains the process from the templating to the final setting of the slabs by Joe Ranzoni

by Johannes Boonstra

From cutting a hole in the counter to attaching the faucets and drain, a master plumber shows the way by Peter Hemp