Countertops

[mikeyis4dcats.]

Tell me about your countertops - granite, quartz, solid surface.

What did you go with?
What do you / don't you like about them.
What would you do different?


Go!

[BWillie]

I'll be listening to the input too. I'd like to do granite and I also saw somebody say something about "granite veneer" to save on cost? I mean if that is cheaper and looks basically the same what difference would it make?

[DaneMcCloud]

We've had granite in the kitchen since 2003 and I'd never buy granite again. It's difficult to maintain, there are seams and overall, it's just a bitch.

In 2005, we renovated the master bath and used a brand of quartz. It's seamless, looks great, feels great, doesn't stain and doesn't require any maintenance. Some day soon, we'll re-do the kitchen with quartz.

Good luck!

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

We've had granite in the kitchen since 2003 and I'd never buy granite again. It's difficult to maintain, there are seams and overall, it's just a bitch.

In 2005, we renovated the master bath and used a brand of quartz. It's seamless, looks great, feels great, doesn't stain and doesn't require any maintenance. Some day soon, we'll re-do the kitchen with quartz.

Good luck!

We went with an engineered stone over granite. It was more expensive, but doesnt require any maint. unlike granite. It was more expensive though....i think its called Silestone?

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

We went with an engineered stone over granite. It was more expensive, but doesnt require any maint. unlike granite. It was more expensive though....i think its called Silestone?

aka "Quartz".

[Ming the Merciless]

granite veneer is a thin slice of granite on top of some other(existing) material......it should look feel and perform fairly similarly, i believe..should be cheaper than whole slabs and doing a full treplacement

I'd recommend going into a counter top shop, a higher end one and looking at a bunch of really nice setups just to get an idea of the different products...

they have so many engineered/formica and other options with a crazy amount of colors and patterns

I have concrete counters. They're awesome. But I made them and they're expensive. Not for everybody. If I were a general consumer, I'd buy quartz all day long. If I were a consumer on a budget I'd buy granite. I wouldn't ever do laminate, not even in a rental. Especially not in a rental.

[Ming the Merciless]

Originally Posted by Phobia

I have concrete counters. They're awesome. But I made them and they're expensive. Not for everybody. If I were a general consumer, I'd buy quartz all day long. If I were a consumer on a budget I'd buy granite. I wouldn't ever do laminate, not even in a rental. Especially not in a rental.

spoken like someone who owns zero rental property

Originally Posted by Pawnmower

spoken like someone who owns zero rental property

Yeah, that's probably fair. Renters would probably destroy good counters too. But if I had to install today, the price of granite has fallen far enough that it's affordable even for those who were candidates for laminate.

[Ming the Merciless]

Originally Posted by Phobia

Yeah, that's probably fair. Renters would probably destroy good counters too. But if I had to install today, the price of granite has fallen far enough that it's affordable even for those who were candidates for laminate.

i might consider it but i can go to home depot , grab a formica counter top for like a hundred bux off the shelf, throw it in my truck, cut it down to size myself, cut the sink hole out myself with a 30$ jig saw, and install it myself easily and the apartment/house rented tomorrow

all without caring if they wreck it....which is still pretty tough as the new formicas are probably actually harder to **** up than many other options

[Ceej]

I know someone who can sell you solid wood butcher block countertops.

[suds79]

Originally Posted by Phobia

I have concrete counters. They're awesome. But I made them and they're expensive. Not for everybody. If I were a general consumer, I'd buy quartz all day long. If I were a consumer on a budget I'd buy granite. I wouldn't ever do laminate, not even in a rental. Especially not in a rental.

I thought making concrete countertops was suppose to be inexpensive?

So you're telling me expensive and we all know very heavy? Pass then.

We have some friends who got quartz and seem to like them. I like it also. They told me that they weren't terribly expensive. Think they spend 2-3 G on their whole setup. (naturally this changes depending on the amount you need)

I'm personally a fan of granite and soapstone but I hear they're both very expensive.

Originally Posted by suds79

I thought making concrete countertops was suppose to be inexpensive?

So you're telling me expensive and we all know very heavy? Pass then.

We have some friends who got quartz and seem to like them. I like it also. They told me that they weren't terribly expensive. Think they spend 2-3 G on their whole setup. (naturally this changes depending on the amount you need)

I'm personally a fan of granite and soapstone but I hear they're both very expensive.

You can make rudimentary concrete countertops cheaply if you DIY. But they're rough. Finishing tools for concrete are essentially the same as the tools for Granite and they get expensive. It's also labor intensive. I don't recommend anybody attempt to DIY concrete tops unless they have both carpentry and concrete experience. It's a lot harder than it appears on HGTV. Granite is cheap these days. It's

[SAUTO]

I really want stained concrete...
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