Countertop choices

[phylny]

We are building our last house, and I've been pondering choices for countertops. I am not a huge fan of granite, for no good reason, but I'd consider it. We do not need a countertop that we can put hot pans on, etc., because we've lived so long with Formica that we never WOULD put a hot pan on anything.

So, any thoughts on granite, Zodiaq/Silestone, and Corian? Please share your experiences. Thanks!

[NMDemDist2]

1. I've had corian and silestone and currently have 10" tile

I'd love to rip it out and put in Formica

Formica has come so far in the past decade, I can't understand going any other way in the kitchen

take a trip by the showroom and look at all the choices you can get today

tired of it? replace it for a few hundred bucks in five years

[madmax]

23. I hate my Corian!!!

Maybe it's me but stuff just seems to stick to that sucker to no end. Give that good old fashion Formica!

[Stinky The Clown]

2. Thoughts on granite, Zodiaq/Silestone, and Corian, and other stuff

Of the three you mention, the most practical *and* durable is the quartz stuff (Zodiac/Silestone). As a countertop material, its pretty much indestructible.

Granite is nice if you like granite. It needs to be sealed (and periodically resealed) as it can stain (many people don't know that).

Don't even *think* about marble. Its a pain in the ass to maintain and it stains just by looking at it.

I have a personal aversion to Corian. To me it looks like ..... plastic trying to be granite. It is also not all that great around heat.

We have stainless steel counters in our kitchen. I like the look and the practicality. Being in the business, however, I go them pretty cheap. I also got extra deep sinks fabricated into the countertop. I would have them whether or not the fashion choice favoring stainless was hot. Stainless scratches and develops a patina. If you think they'll stay looking new, you need to make another choice.

Richlite is a great counter. Pricey though.

Tile is okay. You have to deal with grout. You can handle it .... or you'd rather not.

Laminate is always a safe choice. And if you don't like it, its cheap enough to replace every few years and get a whole new look in your kitchen in the bargain.

[DrDan]

3. we bought a house a couple of years ago with tile countertops

boy did I ever hate those.

The grout stained and looked dirty. Hard to write on - always had to have something beneath the paper.

So replaced them with granite. I love the granite. Shopping for it was actually fun - so many choices - so many different looks the widely varying choices could offer.

While changing the kitchen cabinets - decided to do a couple of bathrooms as well. They look terrific.

Except for the resealing - which does not seem to be a big issue - I see absolutely no downside to the granite. Shopping around saves a lot of money - a fraction of the cost from Home Depot etc.

A granite supporter here.

on edit - let me add. The granite is natural. So there are variations between the slabs, and within an individual slab. So you have to accept this variation. If you do not want that - then probably a man-made top is a better choice. We love the variation - and sought to focus on it to highlight some interesting, but different aspects.

[Longhorn]

4. If you haven't already, you might also want to check out this old thread.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=287&topic_id=77

Good luck! :hi:

[AlCzervik]

5. i like concrete, if i were going to replace my current corian---which i hate so much

i'd do concrete or maybe limestone. I've had corian in 2 houses now, i would never buy it again.

[Dora]

6. Laminate.

There are some very good-looking laminates out there - at least take a look at what there is. If you go to a laminate showroom, you'll be able to see the different edging effects too.

You may save a lot of money that can be spent on something else - like appliances.

[Warpy]

7. The countertops you listed are all vulnerable to acid spills

and you'd better make sure you pick exactly the right color because they're expensive to replace.

The good news is that they can be patched if you do damage them, unlike granite. Granite is also more porous, and no matter how carefully you seal it, it will eventually get food and bugs growing on the food in the surface. Granite is also prone to cracking if you drop something heavy on it, like a can of beans. They had to drop a bowling ball from 15 feet to get laminate to fail on "Stress Test." They didn't test engineered products.

My own choices are laminate or stainless steel because both are kind to dropped dishes and glassware and resistant to acid based dyes I use if I clean spills quickly. If I were pressed to install solid surface counters, I'd get the engineered products instead of natural stone.

The one thing I would never do is concrete. It has all the drawbacks of stone and none of the beauty. I would also never do wood near a water source because it will turn black over time, no matter how meticulous you are about keeping it sealed and dry.

[japple]

8. The new countertops in my kitchen are from Wilsonart.

They are a laminate with matte finish, and I think they are very nice. They don't show dirt, they're easy to clean, don't scratch when the new kitty (rescued from a barn--still in training!) jumps on them. There was a huge variety of colors. I chose a mottled green that has a touch of blue in it. It looks kind of organic, too, and goes very nicely with the new Armstrong Marmoleum linoleum flooring, which I adore.

If you go with a laminate, my brother's recommendation (and he used to install countertops) was to go with a matte finish. He said that shiny countertops can sometimes cause a glare which could give someone a headache if they spent a lot of time in the kitchen.

[Warpy]

17. Shiny laminate also looks like hell

after a few years, no matter how careful you are to do things like keep a towel under the cutting board. Microscopic grit always eats away at the finish.

There's a product called "Countertop magic" that will restore the shine temporarily with a thin coat of petroleum scented scuzz, but it also increases the wear and tear by trapping even more microscopic grit.

[CC]

9. I have Zodiaq

and love it. Easy to clean hard to mess up. Wipe it off and maybe use a little windex to shine it back up and it looks new again. I guess if you dropped glass on it the glass would break but then here it would break no matter what once it bounced to the floor. I haven't dropped anything on it and the DH seems to only drop stuff on the floor. The DH is also good at setting stuff that should not be on a counter there so I needed something that would survive him. The last counter was laminate and he had cuts and stains all over it.

[Quakerfriend]

10. Zinc countertops are very pretty, from what I've seen.

Nate, the interior designer seen on Oprah's shows, rec'ds them highly! ;-)

[Stinky The Clown]

11. They're also **very** spendy

I think they're more costly than even copper.

[Warpy]

13. If they have a metallic finish they're going to require a lot of

maintenance to keep them that way. Zinc oxidizes readily to a white powdery surface.

[wildeyed]

12. I have silestone and I like it.

It is pretty much indestructible and easy to clean. I have white and it never stains. Laminate is also a great choice. Looks good, and the price is right.

[Whoa_Nelly]

14. Recently saw a show where black lab top was used

The type you see on counters and tables in high school or college labs.
Takes any amount of high heat, doesn't scratch, and the guy used lemon juice to occasionally clean it.

Corian is expensive, but since this is your last home, go for the granite...so many colors and variations of marbling and depth...beautiful and durable.

[phylny]

15. Thanks to all for your input!

We went to the kitchen place - we were really pleased that it's a small operation that employs about 30 people from the area. They make all the cabinets there, which we thought was great.

We found out that due to the rising price of petroleum, Zodiaq and other quartz counters are MORE expensive than granite right now. I was pretty surprised.

It looks like we'll go with either granite, or laminate (I know, one extreme to the other!) We're going to find out how much the granite would cost and see if we can do it within the budget given to us by the builder.

Again, thanks for all the great advice!

[NMDemDist2]

16. don't forget we want pictures!!

:hi:

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

18. counter top

I reconfigured what was once a master builders office building into a law offices. Of the choices I suggested for the receiption desk granite was the choice.Four of the six attorneys now have granite in their kitchens at their homes.It,s a wise choice. Your contractor should be able to get you a good deal on granite.I can tell you if you go with it you will be happy that you did.And it has a rich look about it.

[merci_me]

19. Do granite counter tops give off radiation...........

Last night a Houston television station ran a story about a study being conducted by Rice University about a possible link between some granites used in counter tops and radon. The study is funded by competitors of the granite industries, but if the study holds up, it really doesn't matter where the money for the study came from.

http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khou080507_jj_countertopdangers.da1f6698.html

[Warpy]

27. Granite gives off radon gas

which is why houses with basements in New England built on granite bedrock need to be tested for gas buildup if they've been super insulated.

If the granite countertops are in a kitchen with frequent air changes, it shouldn't be a problem. If they're in a kitchen in a house that's been super insulated and sealed, they can contribute to polluted interior air.

It's just another of the many drawbacks to a beautiful but silly fad.

[Midlodemocrat]

20. I just installed granite in the kitchen. Love it. Love it.

Marble with integrated sinks in the baths. Love that as well.

The granite is incredible, though. Always looks great.

Corian was originally my first choice, until I read here in this forum, that the integrated sink can crack when boiling hot water, (think pasta) is poured into it. So I ruled that out.

For resale sake, go with the granite over the silestone.

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

21. People that have corian love it too.

Installed one on a kitchen remodel some years back. Added a hot water tank under sink for soup,coffee,tea etc. Distributes boiling hot water instantly. Gone threw three tanks over there. No stains or cracks to the corian counter top or sink. Cracks can be filled sanded and buffed out. Same marble or granite. I put a chip on one of my granite counter tops during a remodel and the company that manufactured the granite counter tops fixed it for free. Maybe that's because my clients buy so many of them. My personal choice is granite ,it just has such a rich look about it!

[napi21]

22. FWIW, I just redid our kitchen. Did the reface job and bought new doors.

I replaced the countertops with laminate. I ordered the square edge, and 90° separate back panel. The laminate is a clack textured slate, and it looks exactly like genuine slate countertops! We're VERY happy with them, and the four separate sections cost a total of $600.

They've been installed since January this year, and I would not choose anything else!

[Dover]

24. Avonite

I don't have any experience with this product, but had saved it in a file. They use recycled materials (concrete, glass, metal, stone, etc.)

http://www.avonitesurfaces.com/products/default.asp

[midnight]

25. I like this Co.

[Virginian]

26. I saw the glass avonite used as a counter top with lights under it.

It was nice how the lights glowed through it. I thought that would be nice for a bathroom night light.

[Happyhippychick]

28. I have had tile, corian, laminate and granite (not in the same house).

I would never do tile again, the grout will not stay clean. I personally disliked corian, as Stinky said it looks like plastic. I don't get the whole corian thing. Laminate was very good and mine looked just like granite, nobody could tell that it was any different. My real granite is wonderful and I do love it.

If I actually got the chance to choose (all of these options were in the homes that I bought), I would do granite again. If money were an object I would do laminate.

Do not go anywhere near marble, limestone, etc. I love the way they look but they are extremely porous and will stain easily.

Butcher block can be pretty cool too.

[Robb]

29. I took out butcher block

to put in granite slab. It was a monumental pain to install (silly me helped), but there's so much beauty in slabs, and it's tough as snot. Loved it.

Fun part: took the old butcher block surfaces, cut and sanded and varathaned and sanded etc. etc. etc. and made coffee tables. Got a friend who welds to make bases. :thumbsup:

On concrete: saw one guy who mixed in crushed colored glass, then polished the surface down... about the coolest looking thing I ever saw in a kitchen.