Your Complete Guide To Waterfall Countertop Installation

One of the best things about stone countertops is how beautiful they are. The veining and marbling give the stone such dimension and depth, making the countertop a focal point of the room.

If you’d like to show off more of that stone, a waterfall countertop installation might be what you need. Waterfall countertops are a stunning way to showcase the natural beauty and unique characteristics of the stone.

What Is a Waterfall Countertop?

A waterfall countertop is a design feature commonly used in kitchens and occasionally in bathrooms.

It involves extending the countertop material vertically down the sides of an island or cabinet, creating a continuous surface that appears to “cascade” over the edge.

A waterfall countertop isn’t just a countertop with stone on the sides; it needs to create the illusion that the surface is seamless.

Waterfall countertops make an elegant statement in interior design. They can be incorporated into various contemporary or rustic styles.

Another reason waterfall countertops are popular is that they visually elongate the appearance of an island, bar, or cabinet, making the space feel more expansive.

Best Stones for Waterfall Countertops

A successful stone waterfall countertop installation requires the work of highly skilled installation experts—but the work is worth it.

Waterfall countertop installations can be completed with any stone countertop material. At Wise Stone Choice, we’ve been installing countertops in the Fort Wayne area for over twenty-five years, so we’ve learned a great deal about waterfall countertops.

Here are our top recommendations for the best stones for waterfall countertops.

Quartz

Quartz is an ideal stone for waterfall countertops for several reasons. First, it’s lighter than other types of countertop stones.

This is because quartz is an engineered material composed of ground quartz crystals, pigment, and resin. The resin makes it significantly lighter and easier to side-mount.

Because quartz is manmade and the pigmentation is controlled at the factory, it is also the easiest material with which to create that seamless illusion.

Granite

Granite, refined and stately, is another good stone for waterfall countertops. It is a heavy stone, but the strength of the side panels can help support the top panel.

Granite has superior heat resistance, so it’s a great choice for islands or counters with inset stovetops.

While perfectly matching the veining in granite can be a challenge for a fabricator, a well-constructed granite waterfall countertop installation will last essentially forever.

Marble

Soft and easily polished or honed, marble has been used to make seamless stone construction since the days of the ancient Greeks and Romans.

Marble is an impressive stone for waterfall countertops, and if you use a solid-colored marble or a marble with light veining, it’s relatively easy for your fabricator to match the pattern for the illusion of a solid piece of stone.

But don’t let that deter you from choosing a marble with heavier patterning—with care and attention to detail, it can be done.

Quartzite

Quartzite is the ultimate in durability and strength. Tougher than granite and weighing about the same, quartzite countertops are one of the most durable and scratch-resistant choices you can make.

Edge chips can interfere with the continuous look of a waterfall countertop, so quartzite, which is extremely difficult to chip or crack under normal circumstances, is a great stone for waterfall countertops.

At Wise Stone Choice, we want to be your waterfall countertop installation experts. With more than twenty-five years of experience serving the Fort Wayne area, our service and experience are unmatched.

Reach out to our friendly team of countertop pros and get a free quote for your project today.