Countertop demand, in terms of material volume, will rise 4.7 percent annually to 750 million square feet in 2015, say analysts at Freedonia Group, a market research firm. Right now the market is at 600 million square feet, and is domianted by Wilsonart, Formica and Panolam.

The growth represents a rebound from the 2005-2010 period, which saw steady declines after the housing bubble peaked in 2005.

Freedonia bases its forecast on an optimistic view of several factors: Continued improvement in the housing market, lower unemployment and greater credit availability which will drive consumers to remodel their homes.

Homeowners frequently replace older or worn countertops and vanity tops with more attractive and larger surfaces during renovation. Growing interest in making homes more marketable will benefit higher-value countertop materials.

Freedonia says the residential market continues to dominate countertop demand, despite being unfavorably impacted the collapse of new housing construction. 

Increases in commercial construction and transportation equipment production will provide opportunities in the smaller nonresidential and nonbuilding countertop markets. Best prospects in the nonresidential countertop market will be in the office and commercial segment, as these buildings install countertops in lunchrooms and other foodservice area.