granite countertops OT

My wife says to ask my tractor frirnds about counter tops. Granite? composite or what? Says I spend too much time looking at this site.. I don't think so.
 
Be prepared to spend a lot of money.
I had LG Quartz countertops put in 3 years ago and it was $ 3,500, that is the whole kitchen with 5" backsplash. LG quartz is basically a man-made granite/marble. Wife is happy, that is what counts. If she is happy, then I am happy.......That's how it works, Right?
 
The wife had granite tops put in in 2000 likes them real well. The installer told her clean them with Windex. The they should be treated with a granite sealer about once a year.
 
I just put in my second kitchen with granite. So many places sell it now that the prices are very competitive. In many cases you are talking about a few dollars difference from man made stuff.
 
We have a Corian kitchen counter top. Wife loves it easy to clean you can use any type of counter top cleaners. It wont stain and is easy to repair if it does get scratched.
 
Have granite and love it. Seal it once a year. I really like taking things off of/out of the stove and setting it right on there. This is my second home with it and I won't put in anything different.

If she works greasy dough right on the counter repeatedly it may take a stain. I had a piece that I rolled out biscuit dough on once a week for a couple of years and it took the shortening. It was just a rolling island thing, but now I know. I do biscuits on parchment paper now.

Granite and quartz are both great. About the same price, but granite has more color choices.

They will have to joint it in at least one place. Ask to see what their joints look like. Rocks are rocks, but an installer who doesn't match the glue very well can make the whole thing look like junk.
 
Just had corian or however it"s spelled and quartz put in this summer and it"s very nice non porous and so much better than our old Formica. Made by the Amish in Arthur il flawless so far. Wife"s happy what else matters
 
We were going to install granite and ended up changing our minds and installing quartz. Basically no maintenance, no bacteria, and harder to chip. When my 6yr old glues or paints anything it wipes right off. Find a good stone dealer and let them explain the pros and cons of both. Price was about the same two years ago.
 
I see them using composites on the home improvement shows. They say that it will not stain like granite and requires no sealing or other maintenance. That's what I would investigate thoroughly.
 
Granite is nice, but expensive. Make sure you have the company selling the counter tops come and measure it, so you can hold them accountable if it doesn't fit. If there is a wall on each side of your counter top, make sure the wills are drywalled and cabinets installed before the measurements are taking. Don't believe any of the talk about accounting for a half inch on each side, either. The tolerance is so tight that the length will be affected if there is any bow or dip in your wall. If it butts up to a wall but extends out like a peninsula, it will forgive a little, but if the counter fits between two walls or an floor to ceiling cabinet and wall, there is no room to wiggle. If you have laminate and have to shave a quarter inch, it won't break your heart, but a $4,000 counter top makes you very leary about making any cuts. BTW make the factory cut out for your sink, and have a bunch of people help support the counter if you are installing it. You remember how you use short screws to fasten the laminate counters to the cabinet? You don't screw in granit counters. They are adhered with a glue or liquid nail to the cabinet. You also have to use an oil sealer after you install the counter. It will look dull when you get it, and it will be porous until you apply the sealer.
 
Between our home and rental property, we've had four granite tops installed. It is wonderful stuff. Here in Motown, the competition among granite suppliers and installers is fierce, so granite is competitive with other materials such as Silestone. Granite is pretty much the standard for new kitchens here. Out in the sticks, installation costs could be steep, and you really don't want to DIY granite installation.
 
Granite is nice as long as it gets reasonable care. In my house someone would drop something on it within a week and chip it. Then granite isn't very easy to fix to where it doesn't show. At one time I fabricated corian and you could hit it with a hammer, drill holes in it or let a cigarette burn out on it and be able to repair the damage. The adhesive to glue the stuff together is the same product as the corian itself. You just use the glue for putty and fill any damage to the top. When dry it can be sanded and polished out. The same goes for the cigarette burn. It can just be sanded and polished out. What's nice about corian is it can be worked like wood. You can cut it and shape it with regular woodworking tools including using a router to put a decorative edge on it. Too bad they make you be a certified fabricator to purchase it now. It's actually easier to make a corian counter top than formica.
 
(quoted from post at 18:30:09 11/24/12) My wife says to ask my tractor frirnds about counter tops. Granite? composite or what? Says I spend too much time looking at this site.. I don't think so.

Granite counter tops require a lot of maintenance and are easily damaged if you drop something, or set something HOT on it. If you actually use your kitchen for cooking meals, etc., you do NOT want granite, or concrete, or marble. Counter tops made of those materials are for SHOW only.

If you want a counter top that is practical for actual use and still looks good, go with stainless steel.
 
Here in Houston the only thing cheaper than granite is laminate.

As a Master Plumber with 30+ years experience, granite is the way to go. I've had granite tops in my own home and rentals for at least 15-20 years and have yet to have a single problem. No breaks, no staining etc. I even started putting it in my rent houses as the tenants can't/don't tear them up.

I am very disciplined in sealing them once a year.

I had a Corian top and sink in one house. It stained bad and the PO set a hot pan on it and melted it.

Laminate stains and breaks easily. Back when the one piece rolled back splash got popular I replace more than one Formica top due to it getting broken.
 
A while back we redid our kitchen and looked at all the options. Chose Corian instead of granite. Very happy with it. As others said, the appeal of being able to repair was a deal closer. Has more of a matte finish though. So if you're looking for that shiny wet look, you may be disappointed as was a neighbor of mine when they installed Corian. I was confused on her reaction as she had seen the corian countertops in the showroom, so the final look should have been no surprise. IIRC, it was a little cheaper than granite by a few bucks. Also was disappointed that you have to be a certified installer to put them in. I'm pretty handy and after watching the "certified" guy do it, all I can say is: "it ain't rocket science". :shock: Just a scam on the mfr and retailers part to employ people, IMO.
 
You can polish corian out to a glossier finish if your up to it. Assuming it is in a reasonable condition now you could wet sand it with fine sandpaper starting with 1000 grit and finish with 2000 grit. Then with rubbing compound polish the surface to a gloss. On open areas a auto buffer would save a lot of work.
 
Good idea not to use concrete as a countertop.

After uranium makes radon gas, it's final state of decompositon is lead.

Seems like many people want to put their food on radioactive, radon producing, and then lead because it looks good.

Won't find it my house.
 

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