Kitchen countertop?

[iGas]

Has anyone here have experience with slate countertop?
What do you like and dislike about it?
Thanks

 

[mizzou]

Slate sounds like a very solid product, very robust. Is it expensive?

 

[olds]

Isn't slate porous?

 

[Howard]

Why consider slate over the other common options like laminate, granite, or quartz?

On the plus side, if you ever get tired of it, throw some cloth down and play a game of your choice of billiards.

 

[iGas]

Slate cost roughly the same as granite. It is not as hard as granite, and it is not porous, hence easier to clean, and I like the colour/look of slate.

 

[richardycc]

great, if you wanna go for that chem lab look. lol

 

[purbeast0]

granite is easy as balls to clean. all you need is water and a sponge, everything basically wipes right off. you can also get granite in pretty much any color.

 

[futurefields]

what you want is marble or granite

carrerra marble is my favorite

 

[BurnItDwn]

Laminate is better IMO, or maybe butcher block. Stone is heavy, and too high of maintenance.

 

[Dr. Zaus]

+1 for butcher block

 

[vi edit]

Slate would be one of the worst choices I could think of for a counter top. It's soft, flakey, and about everything you *don't* want a kitchen surface to be.

 

[herm0016]

marble is a horrible choice. it is very reactive with some food chemicals.

Slate would be one of the worst choices I could think of for a counter top. It's soft, flakey, and about everything you *don't* want a kitchen surface to be.

slate roof tiles and slate for countertops is different. The slate countertops have similar structural properties to granite or other stone.

slate is great.

 

[JM Aggie08]

We're fixing to have granite in our new home, including atop the island. I'm seriously considering removing it from the island and installing butcher block.

 

[massmedia]

great, if you wanna go for that chem lab look. lol

Were those slate?

I always wondered what they used.
i know that dry ice will etch the surface

 

[massmedia]

I vote for synthetics... same look w/o the seams
even laminates are tempting these days

 

[poofyhairguy]

Laminate is better IMO

No way. I love putting hot pots straight from the burner to counter. Wouldn't trade my granite tops for anything!

 

[jagec]

Laminate is better IMO, or maybe butcher block. Stone is heavy, and too high of maintenance.

Heavy...OK. Don't know why that matters, since you're never going to have to pick it up, but OK.

But high maintenance? What, exactly, are you doing to your granite?

I just wipe mine off with a wet rag. Same as any other countertop.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Why granite? It's just a fad that costs more. Kinda like how linoleum was a fad.

We went with a high end laminate and took the extra $3K and went to Disney.

 

[richardycc]

Were those slate?

I always wondered what they used.
i know that dry ice will etch the surface

most chem labs use soapstone for their impenetrable, both are natural stone, slate will need sealer, soapstone does not (do need to oil them to give them a nice gloss). I am sure there are some other subtle diff between soapstone and slate.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Why granite? It's just a fad that costs more. Kinda like how linoleum was a fad.

We went with a high end laminate and took the extra $3K and went to Disney.

I'd rather drop a granite countertop on my foot than go to Disney.

Laminate is better IMO, or maybe butcher block. Stone is heavy, and too high of maintenance.

Most granite countertops are sealed and require very little, if any maintenance. Ours is just wipe and forget.

 

[Anubis]

yea maintenance with granite and quartz is non existent, you simply clean it with soap and water if there is anything on it


if you want something hard but cheaper the concrete ones can be made to look like anything and are not nearly as expensive as granite or quartz

 

[BurnItDwn]

I was thinking you would have to seal them every X number of months ...

Heavy against ones wallet!

Also, heavy means its hard to install. I can install laminate, I can not install 3 tons of stone.

 

[Anubis]

I was thinking you would have to seal them every X number of months ...

Heavy against ones wallet!

Also, heavy means its hard to install. I can install laminate, I can not install 3 tons of stone.

you could just let the countertop people do it for you like 99% of the world does

 

[vi edit]

Also, heavy means its hard to install. I can install laminate, I can not install 3 tons of stone.

Honestly setting the granite tops in one of my previous kitchens was way easier than working with laminate. Laminate needs these clamp things you have to use to "pull" the top down onto the bases. With Granite you just run a bead of silicone around the top of the base, get a couple people to help you lift and set it down. Done. Longest section was 6 feet long and it was a little over 30 pounds per linear foot. 3 of us got it set.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

The utilitarian differences between slate and granite are minimal. However, I think stone counters are the new stainless steel appliances. Way too many people spend money on looks.