astrid Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 If you have quartz countertops, do you like them? Pros? Cons? We're considering them for our kitchen. We are about to embark upon a kitchen renovation. Major overhaul. Our house is a 1890 Victorian, and the kitchen is the last room we've tackled because we've just been too paralyzed with indecision about it. It's a design challenge, to say the least. I've always wanted to send some pictures to DIY, HGTV or This Old House because it's truly a conundrum when it comes to design. Due to three giant windows, a door to the back porch, a door to the hallway, a big alcove opening housing the fridge and a microwave cart, and a diagonal hallway leading to a butler's pantry and a laundry/food pantry, there is precious little upper cabinet space. That's not as huge a problem as it could be, thanks to the two pantries. However, it's OLD. I cannot look at the brown formica countertops, dated wallpaper and a ruined vinyl floor ONE. MORE. MINUTE. So we called a local kitchen and bath guy and he tasked his designer with this challenge. The plan she came up with is sheer genius and we'd never have imagined it ourselves. HOWEVER, I'm terrible at making decisions so I think that when I see all the flooring, cabinet and counter choices I will again be paralyzed with indecision! Astrid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacie Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 We have Cambria and I absolutely love it. It's not as much maintenance as the granite in our old house, and the colors/veining/patterns are really evolving into some beautiful product. I avoided it the first time because it looked too much like solid surface products, but now is resembling granite but with the lower maintenance. I hope you like it as much as I. BTW, I went to a home building show a few weeks ago and an overwhelming majority of the kitchen remodeling and renovating companies were displaying the Cambria product. A few had granite, one had cultured marble for kitchen use, and none that I saw had solid surface or formica products. I can't say if it's more trendy to use it or if it's a better product, but it sure is popular. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 We have quartz in our house. I LOVE THEM!!!! They are pretty! We chose them over granite because they are less work. They clean up nicely and just FEEL nice. I love the way my dishes sound when I put them down. No matter what countertop you choose, go with an undermount sink. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlktwins Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 :iagree:with the previous posts. We recently had Cambria quartz installed and we love it. It's beautiful and easy to maintain. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
May Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 We put in Silestone (brand of quartz) when we remodeled. We took out granite and didn't replace it because I just didn't like the look. I love the quartz and it's easier to maintain. There are alot of choices out there. Have fun and good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kari C in SC Posted March 15, 2011 Share Posted March 15, 2011 We put in Silestone (brand of quartz) when we remodeled. We took out granite and didn't replace it because I just didn't like the look. I love the quartz and it's easier to maintain. There are alot of choices out there. Have fun and good luck. We have had Silestone for 3 years and I think aside from my screen porch it is my absolute favorite renovation. Love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MSNative Posted March 15, 2011 Share Posted March 15, 2011 We looked at quartz and ended up choosing granite. None of the quartz looked right for what we wanted. That said, we went to three counter places and a stone warehouse before we found the stone we wanted. Didn't realize we were so picky. :) We had granite in our old kitchen, too. Maintenance is not a big deal. Once a year I sealed it - meaning I sprayed sealer on it and wiped it off. Nothing harder than that. Not trying to talk you into granite. However, if you fall in love with a granite, don't worry about the maintenance. My best advice - go look. See what the options are. Bring samples of the other choices you are making (paint, cabinet color, flooring, etc.) Bring samples home and see what they look like in your light. Go online to do research, too. Search Victorian kitchen remodels and see if you can find pics that are similar to the look you're going for and see what they chose. Good luck and have fun! It will look better than torn vinyl and brown formica. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margaret in GA Posted March 15, 2011 Share Posted March 15, 2011 We have Casearstone. Love it. We had granite in the last kitchen we remodeled, but this new house needed something modern. This is what I got (Blizzard) : http://www.caesarstoneus.com/showcase/showcase.cfm?id=25 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingMOm Posted March 15, 2011 Share Posted March 15, 2011 We also have quartz & love it for it's low maintenance. I did not want to mess around with sealing it or be worried about stains. Dh is a contractor and something he has been hearing is that some of the granite is allowing moisture (from spills, drips, etc. while cooking) to leach through the countertop & mold begins growing on the underside of the countertop. Most people don't know it's there but still... ICK! We've had our quartz almost 5 years and still love it & think it was worth every penny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
min Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 I know a couple of people with the manufactured granite countertops who say theirs have chipped. Another says hers is fine, but the kitchen is "her" space, so she's probably able to be careful. I've got three assistant cooks, I can live with scratches, but not chips. :( Our builder uses acrylic countertops as standard. So far I've only heard good things about them. Has anyone got one and/or got an opinion? Min Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjzimmer1 Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 I can't help with you countertops because I have a laminante that I'm very happy with, but if you haven't checked out this website you should. Lots and lots of forums for learning about diffferent aspects of home improvement and if you post layout plans, they will give you feedback for improving your space (on the kitchen forum) http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/ HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
min Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 Thanks, Stephanie I've also been quite content with my laminate counter for many years, but the builder uses acrylic, so I'm having to learn about them now! Thanks Min Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kitchensfocus Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 Quartz counter top would be costly and hard to maintain rather then a normal granite stone which would be easier in maintenance so most of the peoples prefer them in their kitchens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KatieJ Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 No matter what countertop you choose, go with an undermount sink. :iagree:I also had my sink cabinet built 3inches deeper than the cabinet next to it. It was a design thing at the time because I used two different cabinet colors. However, I love it because there is more room between the sink and the back wall for soap dispeners, a glass, etc. The backspash and window stay clean! Splashes end up on the counter top and not on the wall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwallowTail Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 We installed quartz in our home we built in North Carolina. It was by far my favorite counter material. It is beautiful, sturdy, you can clean it with windex or vinegar, and you never have to seal it again. We currently have granite, and it is a big pain. Granite cannot be cleaned with regular chemicals. You need to use a special stone cleaner on it. It absorbs water, so it is horrible to use in wet spaces. It must be re-sealed twice a year in wet areas. It chips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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