Redoing the kitchen .. need counters - granite, corian, silestone, glass .. thoughts??

[Lemodular]

Originally posted by: GCS


Granite - too hard, too shiny, cracks after 5 years or so, needs sealing several times a year, expensive

Nicest in my opinion, lots of colors and patterns choices, heat resistant, have never seen one cracked (unless the owner picked a bad slab), not repairable

Corian - won't last for long (so I am reading), cuts and scratches easy, expensive

No shine, LOTS of color choices lasts long if it's solid core, scratches but can easily repair, refinishable after years of use, few brands to choose from

Silestone - looks too fake but holds up well

(engineered quartz) good color choise but all same patern, similar to granite in hardness and shine, non-porous, few brands to choose from, needs certifide fabricators for some brands

Soapstone - looks good but chips, scratches and won't last

Nice looks, can chip, non-repairable, limited colors and patterns

Slate - looks nice but again chips and breaks

Nice looks, hard, heat proof, non-repairble when chipped

Glass - different but I have no idea on durability

sheet glass, contemporay looks, slick, non-porous, may be heat proof, can add lights to underside, non-repairable. Glass tiles similar but need good installers

 

[BoberFett]

Laminate. Ideally in Harvest Gold.

 

[UTmtnbiker]

Granite FTW. We have granite counter tops going on 4 years now, without nary a chip or a crack. I can't imagine how granite is going to crack unless you drop something amazingly heavy on it or it was a terrible install job. It's heat resistant, so there's not going to be any type of thermal movement.

My parents and inlaws have corian. May scratch up, but it's so easy to buff out and make it look like new again. My parents' was just installed last year so I can't give you a benchmark on durability with theirs, but the inlaws have had theirs for 15 years (right when it first came out) and it looks beautiful (my father in law refinishes them himself about every 2 years).

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82

Originally posted by: funboy42
Textured and colored concrete. Its the new thing in Kitchen counter tops and will last long times
OH its cheap too

Not sanitary at all, though.

yes it is. It just has to be sealed.

 

[CorCentral]

I'm also thinking of getting new countertops. I've read that Quartz and Granite are very good. Not many people know about Quartz countertops. I may go with that to be unique

 

[ni4ni]

I have Corian countertops and I love them. They look great, can be easily repaired and love the seamless integrated sink.

 

[DBL]

Originally posted by: funboy42
Textured and colored concrete. Its the new thing in Kitchen counter tops and will last long times
OH its cheap too

Concrete installed by a professional is anything but cheap.

 

[DBL]

Originally posted by: GCS
Well we have to redo our kitchen counters. The existing ones (simply cheap laminate tops) have gotten wet underneath and are completely ruined. We need something that will last. We have a modest home in a typical middle class neighborhood. Our cabinets are nothing fancy. Basic white cabinets (not bottom of the barrel but a step or 2 up from it).

Looking for alternatives. I have done a lot of "websearch" and get mixed views on everything (these aren't necessarily my opinions just what I have read)

Granite - too hard, too shiny, cracks after 5 years or so, needs sealing several times a year, expensive

None of the points have any validity to them.
Too hard - huh?
Too shiny - get a honed finish if that is your preference.
Sealing - No way you need to have this done several times a year. Choose a hard granite and it never need to be done.
expensive - It varies (depending on the granite you choose) but should be cheaper than other high-end countertop materials such as stainless steel, concrete, quartz, glass.

I did a lot of research when choosing a material for a kitchen and I came to realize that a lot of the misinformation put out about granite comes from manufactures of other products trying to push their particular materials.

Granite encompasses a whole range of natural stone. If you do your research and pick a type that is considered strong (not tropical for instance) , it is some of the best material you could possible use in a kitchen.

 

[brandonbull]

Originally posted by: CorCentral
I'm also thinking of getting new countertops. I've read that Quartz and Granite are very good. Not many people know about Quartz countertops. I may go with that to be unique

We had Zodiaq(Quartz) tops installed a few months ago and they look great. Cheaper than similar granite tops and way less maintenance.