Night Elf Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 I hate my laminate countertops. We did look into granite but we simply cannot handle the cost right now. In our last home, DH replaced our master bathroom counter with tiles. I could never decide if I liked it or not. Now we're wondering about doing it in the kitchen. This is what our bathroom looked like. Would that look weird in a kitchen? I have no idea what kind of tile we might be able to choose. We have large ceramic tiles on our kitchen and dining area that looks sort of like this. I would have to figure out what material and color to use. But basically, would this make the kitchen look nice and up to date, or old type dating that make people see a huge renovation project just begging to be done? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotherMayI Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 I think tile can look very modern, but the grout can be hard to clean. You can get granite tiles, and I have seen that look very nice. We just enlarged our kitchen island and we put in a laminate countertop with a new, very authentic looking "stone" finish. I honestly thought I would hate it, but I don't! It actually looks very nice, and when we are ready we will probably update with a quartz product. If you do go with a tile countertop, I would suggest using an epoxy grout. It is impervious to stains. I'm not on Pinterest, but I bet there are some great ideas there for tile countertops... Best wishes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amo_mea_filiis. Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 What about replacing the laminate with laminate? See if there is a color that you like. What about concrete/cement? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candid Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 Besides the hard to clean part, you also need to learn whether tile in a kitchen is common in your area. In some areas it is extremely common and it would be fine to do, however, in other areas it is not common and would not be a wise investment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelly in IL Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 Picture a glass of spilled milk running off the counter top in a billion different places, because it follows all the grout lines! Plus they are really hard to get "food clean." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brigitte Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 I would go with either a high end laminate (Wilsonart makes some that looks like granite from a distance) or granite tiles. Both will look fresh and up to date. Ceramic tiles looks dated quickly and the grout can be a pain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa in Jax Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 There's laminate that looks like granite now. Have you seen it? IMHO, for the money, it looks great. Here's a photo of a marble look-alike from Formica's 180fx series: http://www.formica.com/images/gallery/3460_CalacattaMarble_DNA_3.jpg Tile counters do look like a "project" to many buyers. Grout cleaning can be a pain, too. Given all that, I'd do the granite-look formica. Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 We moved from California where we always had tile countertops. It was very common. They were heavily sealed and were NOT a cleaning problem. However, here in NC I would NOT do it if I were even considering selling the house in the next 10 years! No one here likes it and the first thing they say is, "All that GROUT!" I personally don't mind it at all, but for resale value I would NOT do it, at least not here. Have you looked around and priced granite? There are varying grades of it and some are cheaper than others. We will be replacing ours this year and we wish to sell our house, so we are going with granite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 I don't like tiled countertops. I do not rent or buy homes that have a major kitchen issue because 1. I spend a lot of time in the kitchen and 2. moving every 2-3 years does not allow time or money for an investment like a kitchen re-do. If you plan on staying there and/or eventually re-doing it, then it doesn't matter so much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NittanyJen Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 When we redo our kitchen there will be no bumpy tiles and grout. There will be no granite that will absorb spills (even if sealed) if not cleaned up quickly-- not all members of my family are great about mopping things up immediately, and stone will absorb liquids. I probably will do at least one big section as a nice thick butcher block (despite what people think, they sanitize very well). It can be periodically sanded down over and over if it needs a touch-up, and my MIL's, which actually gets used, has been beautiful for decades. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted September 23, 2012 Author Share Posted September 23, 2012 My house was built in 1997 but the laminate the first owners used looks like it's from the 80s. I'm desperate to change it but when we priced the kitchen and bathrooms, which have the same laminate, it would cost about $2,000. I can't remember which stone I was looking at, but for resale value, if we're going to replace them, it cannot be with the same as what we have. I guess I'm going to have to just wait. We can't do anything expensive until at least the end of 2013. I also hate my bathroom cabinets. They are that white RTF stuff and it's all nicked and scuffed. Next weekend, we're going to attempt to paint it. I'm scared it's going to look like carp but I'm desperate to change that too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 In Las Vegas, tile counters were very popular in the 90's. Now, everyone is ripping them out for granite/corion/concrete. I have seen laminates that look like granite. They are very nice. I can tell you, as a lady that cleans houses, I loathe, hate, despise tile countertops. Once the grout gets dirty, it never comes clean even with bleach. It drives me crazy. I personally would never consider tile for my own house. I would look at laminates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 I'd go with new laminate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 I'd do new laminate as well or go with a butcher block if you like a more rustic look. I really don't like tile and I really wouldn't want it for counters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 Our counters right now are tile and I hate them. They are awful to clean. We are putting higher end laminate in the house we are building. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 (edited) the 4 x 4 tile looks very dated, and it would be a "needs to be replaced" flag for me when looking at a house to purchase. grout lines galore. tiles for less has an 18 x 24 granite tile that is way cheaper than a full granite slab. or even a slate/granite 18" sq tile. there are even slate/ granite/ porcelain 12" sq tiles. that can be used. if you don't want the expense of the tile, do a laminate. Edited September 23, 2012 by gardenmom5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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