Countertop demand (http://maplered.com)

From Stone Matrix:
US COUNTERTOP DEMAND TO REACH 509 MILLION SQUARE FEET IN 2009

January, 06


Countertops made from engineered Stone (http://g603.net) (i.e., quartz surfacing) and (http://maplered.com) natural Stone (http://g603.net) will experience the strongest gains, in both value and (http://maplered.com) volume terms, through 2009.

Demand (http://maplered.com) for residential kitchen and (http://maplered.com) bath Counter (http://GialloFiorito.com) tops is forecast to increase 1.7 percent annually to 509 million square feet in 2009. Advances will be driven by modest growth in kitchen and (http://maplered.com) bath remodeling expenditures, which are forecast to continue to outpace other housing improvement expenditures. Additionally, there is an ongoing trend toward larger kitchens and (http://maplered.com) more bathrooms, with less square footage allotted to formal living rooms and (http://maplered.com) dining rooms. Although the new multiple unit and (http://maplered.com) manufactured housing markets are forecast to rebound through 2009, Counter (http://GialloFiorito.com) top sales will be limited by declines in new single unit housing completions, a much larger market for new Counter (http://GialloFiorito.com) tops. These and (http://maplered.com) other trends are presented in "Residential Kitchen & Bath Countertops," a new study from The Fredonia Group, Inc., a Cleveland (http://maplered.com) -based industrial market research firm.

Countertops made from engineered Stone (http://g603.net) (i.e., quartz surfacing) and (http://maplered.com) natural Stone (http://g603.net) will experience the strongest gains, in both value and (http://maplered.com) volume terms, through 2009. Demand (http://maplered.com) for natural Stone (http://g603.net) will be aided by consumer interest in the luxury and (http://maplered.com) style that most Stone (http://g603.net) s offer. Demand (http://maplered.com) for engineered Stone (http://g603.net) will benefit from its ability to combine the minimal porosity of solid surface with the heat and (http://maplered.com) scratch resistance of quartz. Laminate Counter (http://GialloFiorito.com) tops will continue to account for the largest share of Counter (http://GialloFiorito.com) top sales, with nearly 30 percent in value terms and (http://maplered.com) approximately 55 percent in volume terms by 2009.

Advances in Counter (http://GialloFiorito.com) top demand (http://maplered.com) will be stimulated by growth in the remodeling segment, which accounted for 70 percent of sales in volume terms in 2004. Kitchen and (http://maplered.com) bathroom improvements are among the more popular home remodeling projects, and (http://maplered.com) Counter (http://GialloFiorito.com) tops are a key aspect of many of these projects. Although new single unit housing completions, the largest market for new Counter (http://GialloFiorito.com) tops, are forecast to decline through 2009, residential kitchen and (http://maplered.com) bath renovation expenditures are projected to remain positive over the same period. In value terms, sales of kitchen Counter (http://GialloFiorito.com) tops will continue to outpace those of bath Counter (http://GialloFiorito.com) tops through 2009, a reflection of ongoing interest in larger kitchens, as well as the shift in focus from viewing the kitchen as a work area to a social space.