OT: Kitchen counertops, questions

The Wifey wants new countertops. I would also like new countertops, but... We think we want the new Silestone brand, basically it looks like cultured marble or something. The wife doesnt want Corian, (I would like to have Corian) But, it can melt and doesnt hold up like Granite or a hard surface, The wife doesnt want Granite.

Has anyone here put in Silestone? If you have then do you like it? It is real durable? The silestone is $70 per sq. foot installed, or about $3000 total. My formica that was put in 10 years ago was $600 with installation.

I wish I had the chemistry ability to patent a countertop that I really want, basically a Corian with a super durable Epoxy coating that is scratch resistant, heat resistant, not porous and was basically bulletproof to a woman dropping heavy pots on it.

We have Silestone installed about three years ago on our kitchen counter tops. It is holding up real good Wife likes it, it doesn't seam to scratch. It is a little pricy, but I think it is worth the extra money. I didn't think there was anything wrong with the tile counter tops we removed, or our bed and matress,and bed frame, and the bedroom dressers, or our old washer, and dryer we just replaced. I am going to need to cut alot of weeds this year.You know what, the wife's happy. Stan

We redid our kitchen a little more than a year ago and went with Quartz (not Silestone brand, but to my research they are pretty much the same). Pretty much indestructible. I guess if you take a hammer to it chips, but as far as normal drops of pots it is great. Thing I like best is serving up for a group, you can just set hot pans anywhere and have the buffet start.

Highly recommended here.

YMMV,

Kirk

check out elitecrete.com coating for countertops

We remodeled our home about 3 years ago and had Silestone installed in the kitchen. Great product holds up extremely well. Looks just like the day it was installed.

I used to work selling kitchen remodels. Here’s my Standard Speech on countertops:
1. 4 types cover 95% of the market- Laminate, Corian, Granite, and Quartz (Silestone, Zodiac, etc.)
2. Laminate is always the cheapest. When you get tired of it, you throw it away and get a whole new kitchen look with a new top and some paint. Too many people turn up their noses at laminate. They’ve had laminate tops for 30 years and they want something fancier. I say 30 years is damn good service, and you could have replaced it twice in that time and still had money left over for a nice vacation.
3. All three of the rest are close enough in price to take that out of the equation:

a. Corian is perhaps the most functional top. Yes, it can scratch, but the scratches (and any other damage) can be repaired. Will not stain or harbor bacteria. Where you see “stains”, they are in the surface and a little elbow grease will remove them. Seams are invisible, and you can get integral sinks. Looks like plastic because it is plastic.

b. Granite is a beautiful natural stone- no one has made a really convincing fake yet. Must be sealed to prevent stains unless you’re okay with a little “patina”. It can spall or crack with severe thermal shock. Obviously, cannot be repaired. Will outlast you and me, so you’d better love it. Visible seams and undermount sink.

c. Quartz combines the sanitation of the Corian and the natural look (and longevity) of Granite because it’s made from the biggest component of Granite- Quartz. Silestone advertises some antibacterial quality, but I’ve never seen anything in hard legalese to say you’ll never get food poisoning if you buy their countertops. I’m sure your home is clean enough. Comes down to finding a color you like and a fabricator you can trust. Visible seams and undermount sink. Often the most expensive option unless you start to consider some of the rarer natural stones.

We put a Zodiac top in our Kitchen because we like the color and I know neither my wife nor I would ever get around to sealing granite, and she would be freaked out if there happened to be a stain- that’s just her.

ALWAYS use a hot pad or trivet with anything hot, no matter what surface you have. Quartz is 95% stone, but that leaves 5% things that can be affected by heat. With granite, you’ll destroy your sealer.

Forget about the “lifetime sealers” sold for granite tops. Read the fine print to learn what is (and isn’t) really guaranteed. A natural stone top is a commitment.

Please, please don’t even think about those filthy (grout), bumpy, tile countertops!

Hope that helps.

neighbors just finished the kitchen in their new home...they used formica that looks just like granite...pretty sure it came from Home Depot...i'm thinkin about redoin my counter tops with it...nice lookin stuff.

Why doesn't your wife want granite? Silestone has very similar properties as granite, although it's a bit cheaper. If she doesn't like granite I doubt she'll like Silestone.

We have granite countertops in our house, and we've been very happy with them. The cost difference with Silestone wasn't much, since there are a lot of countertop guys looking for work these days.

My wife says that there is a "Radon" risk. We looked it up online and there is a slight risk cause Granite is mined out of the earth.

The Wifey doesnt want Granite for that main reason and cause Granite will scratch or something.
When you put pots on it, Whatever, I will be the guy paying for it.

My wife says that there is a "Radon" risk. We looked it up online and there is a slight risk cause Granite is mined out of the earth.

The Wifey doesnt want Granite for that main reason and cause Granite will scratch or something.
When you put pots on it, Whatever, I will be the guy paying for it.

Gun Guru-
Forgot to address the Radon issue. Manufacturers of competing countertop materials have drummed this one up to gain market share and it’s been mostly debunked. Yes there is Radon coming out of granite. There is radon coming out of you and just about everything. You are not significantly more exposed to radon with a granite countertop than with any other. Way more radon coming out of your basement.

Scratch the granite? Well granite varies, but averages about 60% Quartz; then Feldspar and many other stones. Quartz is the third hardest stone on Earth- much harder than a steel pan or knife. That big fat diamond ring you bought for her will certainly scratch the granite, but she’ll dull her knives if she cuts on the granite.

Your wife has better reasons for not choosing granite. My guess is she just prefers to invest the family’s hard-earned funds into something else, and I applaud that.

How much radon can be in a slab of granite? I never heard that one. So I googled it and it seems like a pretty low risk.

As for damaging granite, sure, anything can be damaged, but you really have to work at it to do anything to granite. I really don't think Silestone is better in this regard, and Corian is much worse.

So far we've put granite in our kitchen, one bathroom and the bathroom of a rental property. Not cheap, but the results have been very good. Get multiple quotes from small contractors, you may be surprised that the cost is not that much more than the alternatives.

Gun guru,
Great comments by Spacechem. We also did research about 6 yrs ago on countertops and it came down to granite or Corian. Went with the Corian and we love it. Yeah, it scratches but on ours, you've got to get down real close at an angle to see where the kids were cutting P B & J sandwiches without a plate. They're plenty of them but just walking by or standing in front of it, you don't notice. One of these days (when the wife starts complaining about it), I'll rebuff the top. Basic reason for Corian over granite was the sanitation/staining/sealing issue. Went with an undermount SS sink, though. Just didn't like the looks of the plastic integrated sinks. I do agree that granite is beautiful. I did an outdoor barbeque countertop in granite and love it.