DawnM Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 POLL Our countertops (used to be white formica and 22 years old) need to be replaced. If you had a choice, what countertop would you choose? DH and I have some different ideas about this at the moment!~:tongue_smilie: Thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbie Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 SILESTONE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 If I was a rich girl, I'd have granite, but we ended up with butcher block which was much less and I've really liked it. It won't wear anywhere near as well, but it still looks good several years on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kebo Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 I chose granite (but not most of the granites I have seen -- I'm picky!), but if the color scheme supported it, I would like soapstone. If there were a lot of busy elements (backsplash, floors, etc), I might prefer a tasteful uniform solid surface. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 I'm a very visual person with an artistic flare. I did not see anything I loved the look of other than granite. I'm so glad we went with it. We are complimented on ours all the time. I love to just walk around and see it at different angles. I'm told it can chip (didn't know this before we bought it) so we are careful with our cast iron. Granite is regularly used in kitchens. I've been in homes where it's been there for decades and still looks brand new. I am very happy with our choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookfiend Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Quartz - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SebastianCat Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 I've had formica, Corian, and now granite countertops, and I'd choose Corian in a heartbeat. Granite shows hard water stains much more than I realized, and needs to be re-sealed periodically (otherwise it looks very dull). The Corian counters we had in our last house were maintenance free, and we lived in that house 10 years (and previous owner, who built the house, lived there 2 years). We've lived in our current home 2 years and the granite counters were installed approx. 7 years ago, and they need re-sealing (or something like that). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasRachel Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Granite. It's what we have now and I love it way more than I thought I would. I don't need to be careful of it at all. I'd never ever get tile. You can't roll anything out and the I hate the cement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angela in GA Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 I'll be watching this thread. The house we're in the process of buying has corian counters. I hadn't even heard of them before we looked at this house. We've lived in military housing for most of the last 15 years. I will say the counters in our new house do look pretty. Maybe I'll actually get to cook in that kitchen next weekend. I'm not holding my breath. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 I've had formica, Corian, and now granite countertops, and I'd choose Corian in a heartbeat. Granite shows hard water stains much more than I realized, and needs to be re-sealed periodically (otherwise it looks very dull). The Corian counters we had in our last house were maintenance free, and we lived in that house 10 years (and previous owner, who built the house, lived there 2 years). We've lived in our current home 2 years and the granite counters were installed approx. 7 years ago, and they need re-sealing (or something like that). our granite needs to be resealed every 15 years. Also, a good granite cleaner really makes the granite shine like new. I am careful to wipe down water after each time I use the sink. My last sink had awful hard water stains which were already visible when we bought our home. I don't want that to happen to my granite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nd293 Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Solid timber. It looks beautiful, and can be refinished easily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucy in Australia Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Some kind of hardwood Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beaners Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 I'd probably choose butcher block. None of the "fancy" materials would look right in our kitchen, and you can only see the counter when I clear the junk once a month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Quartz - :iagree: and just say no to tile... :leaving: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myeightkiddies Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 I'm going with quartz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Silestone. Granite is great but porous and has to be sealed periodically; the quartz based materials aren't and are easier to care for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Silestone. Granite is great but porous and has to be sealed periodically; the quartz based materials aren't and are easier to care for. Well, thanks for this very informative post. I was unaware that silestone was quartz! I should have voted silestone instead of other, I suppose. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edelweiss Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 We have the most amazing granite in our kitchen. I absolutely love it. We get tons of compliments on it and nothing shows on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 I'm pretty sure this house has granite. It's nicer looking than the laminate I'm used to having but I don't like it. You can't tell if it is clean. It hides dirt and food very well, which I don't think is a good thing on a food prep surface. I find myself running my hands over the counter to feel if it is clean, which doesn't exactly help it stay clean. So, not granite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 I'm pretty sure this house has granite. It's nicer looking than the laminate I'm used to having but I don't like it. You can't tell if it is clean. It hides dirt and food very well, which I don't think is a good thing on a food prep surface. I find myself running my hands over the counter to feel if it is clean, which doesn't exactly help it stay clean. So, not granite. Everyone I know thinks I'm nuts but I like white countertops. White quartz is what I want. I can't stand not being able to instantly tell if a countertop is clean. I shouldn't have to run my hand across it to tell. I have a friend with dark granite and she says she likes it but when I'm there, I see her scanning it and running her hand and then picking stuff off. Ack. No thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georgialee Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 (edited) Quartz all the way!!! We just built a house and we chose Cambria (quartz) for our countertops. I love it. It looks great. Cambria just had some new colors come out in the last 6 months or so - the color we chose is called Canterbury and has copper flecks in it and is gorgeous. Edited December 7, 2011 by georgialee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbridgeacademy Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 I probably do concrete (DH DIY) or wood/bamboo. Much cheaper better for environment. If neither of these matched my existing cabinets (and I has $$$) then I'd probably go with a seamless man made style. I see no reason to spend so much for granite. One alternative is granite tiles (DIY again) could save a bunch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Everyone I know thinks I'm nuts but I like white countertops. White quartz is what I want. I can't stand not being able to instantly tell if a countertop is clean. I shouldn't have to run my hand across it to tell. I have a friend with dark granite and she says she likes it but when I'm there, I see her scanning it and running her hand and then picking stuff off. Ack. No thanks. this surprises me. My dark granite shows E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G. I clean it all the time. My off white laminate counters (HATED them!) didn't show as much as my dark granite. :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 I'm doing butcher block when we replace the counters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted December 7, 2011 Author Share Posted December 7, 2011 That sounds really pretty Quartz all the way!!! We just built a house and since we chose Cambria (quartz) for our countertops. I love it. It looks great. Cambria just had some new colors come out in the last 6 months or so - the color we chose is called Canterbury and has copper flecks in it and is gorgeous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrdinaryTime Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 We bought granite last year, fairly affordably. We got a lower grade granite, but in a leathered or antiqued finish. It is very soft and matte, not shiny. It is dark so it looks like soapstone, but without the upkeep. I absolutely love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 this surprises me. My dark granite shows E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G. I clean it all the time. My off white laminate counters (HATED them!) didn't show as much as my dark granite. :confused: Maybe it's because hers has a lot of those swirls in it, lots of veins and mottling to distract the eye from crusted on food. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elise1mds Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 I voted other. I really want soapstone. It's a little bit higher maintenance if you want to oil it, but I would totally take the trade. It's gorgeous and nonporous, and if you scratch it, the scratches either weather naturally or you can sand them out. Oh, and you can stick hot pots directly onto it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThatCyndiGirl Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Stainless steel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 I think it really depends on the kitchen. My house is a 1950 post-war home, so I would do something in keeping with that. Possibly a laminate or butcherblock. If it were a fancier house, marble. But granite and man made products wouldn't look right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Quartz!!! There's NO maintenance at all beyond keeping it clean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 I think it really depends on the kitchen. My house is a 1950 post-war home, so I would do something in keeping with that. Possibly a laminate or butcherblock. If it were a fancier house, marble. But granite and man made products wouldn't look right. :iagree: My house is from the 1800's and I have *gasp* white formica with a cherry wood edge, and a butcher block peninsula. I was thinking of something granite-y, as they were so in fashion, but I have a very colorful Portuguese tile backslpash, and the white looks so clean. I grew up with laminate and don't think I could put a hot pot on nor chop directly on a countertop even if I tried. I've been trained. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Marple Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Stainless steel. :iagree: I love my granite, but SS was my first choice - totally out of the budget! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 We just had granite put in this past year, but later I heard granite may release radon. If I had known that before, I might have chosen something else. Has anyone heard this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 I voted "Silestone" but was not sure why it was put on the same line with glass. Maybe I am thinking of something else. The name I also have in mind is Zodiaq Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoughCollie Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Slate and stainless steel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Soapstone for me. I might go with a quartz, if I could get something similar to soapstone. :-) So many granites are (1) too busy for me, and (2) too gold and brown. I'm not a fan of golds and browns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KatieJ Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 I have 3 yr old Corian in my kitchen. We dind't do a ton of research and I probably would not have it in my kitchen had we done so. It's lovely, but it's plastic. I am wary of my crockpot, so I put it on the stove. We had install problems, but I hear that's rare. :glare: I love the way it looks until I get close to it. It's horribly scratched. Everything scratches it. No, you don't notice it until you get up close to it. The installers put a major knick in it and you can still see where they "polished" it out with a circular motion, 3 years later. I have no clue what I would go with if I ever have to make a choice, but I am hoping to die in this house. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandragood1 Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 I'm looking at countertops, too! We have laminate that is coming up after 13 years and is horribly worn in places. I'm afraid I have scrubbed the color off! Granite is nice, but it DOES stain. My kitchen is dark - faces the north - so I know I'm looking for light colors, which will show stains. I've heard oils can stain it. Lowe's carries a granite that has a 15 year sealant in it. I *may* go with that. The man made quartz products are nice and maintenance free. I'd avoid Sliestone because of the antibacterial stuff manufactured into it. There are 2 or 3 other brands. I'm having a difficult time deciding.... Sandra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twilight Woods Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 soapstone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom25girls Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Love our Soapstone!! It's 8 years old and looks new! Easy to clean, easy to live with and best of all, it's not intimidated by my five daughters!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 (edited) The "granite" we chose is an anarthosite (I'm sure that's spelled wrong but it's been several years), from Canada. It's so hard that it does not absorb the regular sealant well, but we will never have to seal it ("blue eyes"). Some of the other granites I looked at I really don't like for us, the ones with "movement." And some that are too uniformly dark can show the crumbs and fingerprints so much more (we live in the land of crumbs here, so this is important). You all should have seen the look on my mother's face when I removed the turkey at 500 degrees to flip it. I put the roasting pan right on the countertop. One of my other favorites is Tropic Brown, though it also seems favored by doctor offices and hotels, lol (I feel like I see it everywhere). I don't know how hard that one is. You can actually research levels of "hardness" though I don't recall the technical terms. The rule of thumb is that lighter colored granites are typically less hard/more porous than darker ones, though ultimately it depends on the type of the stone. oh, be still my heart - I went to find a pic of my granite and found it in a white kitchen (we have natural maple but I'd love white when the kids are older; we had white pre-kids). There's tons to research on-line about granite and the different types. have fun shopping! eta, the other one that I'd love to find a way to use is labrador antique. We have some tile of that on a basement counter. Edited December 7, 2011 by wapiti Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justasque Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 I grew up with laminate and don't think I could put a hot pot on nor chop directly on a countertop even if I tried. I've been trained. :tongue_smilie: I know I'm in the minority but I love my Formica. I don't want something I have to be super-careful about, and granite seems like it would be that way to me. Mine was also one-sixteenth the price of granite, so I figure I can replace it fifteen times and still come out ahead. Mine Formica pattern isn't designed to look like something else; it's a lovely light blue speckle which looks great in my light wood/white Scandinavian-esque kitchen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyCamper Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 I thought I wanted another type of counter, but our kitchen designer insisted I choose a granite top. She was 100% right. So easy to clean, care for and always looks terrific. I love it so much more than I thought I would. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 I know I'm in the minority but I love my Formica. I don't want something I have to be super-careful about, and granite seems like it would be that way to me. Mine was also one-sixteenth the price of granite, so I figure I can replace it fifteen times and still come out ahead. Mine Formica pattern isn't designed to look like something else; it's a lovely light blue speckle which looks great in my light wood/white Scandinavian-esque kitchen. Glad I'm not the only one! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ma23peas Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 I guess it's called quartz...it's better than silestone or at least the old silestone...I opted against granite b/c I do not want to seal anything and if you do not seal it you can get seepage/discoloration...I am too busy to seal stuff...my quartz can be chopped on (although I do try to use a cutting board I had cut from silestone in our last house) and does not ever have to be sealed, it keeps the true color, I've had hot pans on it and not issues..although again I try not to do this, but it's nice to know you can and not have discoloration. Per sq. ft it was more expensive than granite, but if you look really hard and drive a cash bargain you can usually knock of 25% and get it a good deal... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In2why Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Quartz It is stronger and prettier than Granite and doesn't need to be sealed like granite to prevent staining. It is in the same price point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmoe Posted December 8, 2011 Share Posted December 8, 2011 Concrete with a resin top Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stellalarella Posted December 8, 2011 Share Posted December 8, 2011 We bought a house 2 years ago that had 10 year old gray Corian. It has the built in sink feauture (white) and I have a super hard time keeping the stains out--I do use bleach but some stains are tough. I've even tried using very fine sand paper. I will say though, that our sink gets HEAVY use. Meals for 8 three times (or more) a day...So maybe you'll have better luck with your white corian sink. :001_smile: Honestly, the main things I want out of kitchen countertops are functionality and cleanability. If we got to change our kitchen, I would spend the $ on very good appliances and just get some easy to clean (and cheap) formica. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kari C in SC Posted December 8, 2011 Share Posted December 8, 2011 I have had my Silestone for 4 years and I still love it. I mean I LOVE. LOVE. LOVE it. I have had a few friends with granite and even though it does look nice - I love the look and maintenance (zero) of my silestone. I have no regrets in getting it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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