[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Counter Tops (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 6/12/2014 1:49:32 PM EDT
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I'm going to replace the shit ass 80s counter tops in my house within the next year. Problem is that I don't know what to replace them with.
I'm sure everyone will tell me that granite is the only acceptable counter top material ever. But, I have a bad feeling about them. As in they are going to go "out" soon and it will look about as good as green appliances, pink mosaic tiles, faux wood paneling, etc etc. Suggestions? |
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In, since I will be replacing mine this year.
I considered concrete, then granite. But I don't know if I want a hard surface that requires sealing. My parents had Corian- custom, looked great, but cost a bit. I am thinking of just going with a modern laminate to ditch the 80's look. |
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I used to work as a kitchen installer.
Go with either square edge laminate or spend the $$ and get quartz. They do make laminate that looks just like stone now, I put it in all my bathrooms and people were always fooled. This would be my choice. Corian and other plastic tops are made overseas now and it is not what it used to be. Shops will usually push that since they make the most money on it if they are the fabricators. Granite is a natural material. Some of it never needs to be sealed, some of it is so porous it never will seal. I have quartz in my kitchen and fake stone laminate in all the bathrooms. No matter what, a bunch of scumbags will be your installers, so lock everything up in the house and make sure you are home. |
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Quoted:
I used to work as a kitchen installer. Go with either square edge laminate or spend the $$ and get quartz. They do make laminate that looks just like stone now, I put it in all my bathrooms and people were always fooled. This would be my choice. Corian and other plastic tops are made overseas and it is not what it used to be. Shops will usually push that since they make the most money on it if they are the fabricators. Granite is a natural material. Some of it never needs to be sealed, some of it is so porous it never will seal. No matter what, a bunch of scumbags will be your installers, so lock everything up in the house and make sure you are home. Now this is the part that I want to hear more about. |
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Quoted: I'm going to replace the shit ass 80s counter tops in my house within the next year. Problem is that I don't know what to replace them with. I'm sure everyone will tell me that granite is the only acceptable counter top material ever. But, I have a bad feeling about them. As in they are going to go "out" soon and it will look about as good as green appliances, pink mosaic tiles, faux wood paneling, etc etc. Suggestions? |
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Quoted:
I used to work as a kitchen installer. Go with either square edge laminate or spend the $$ and get quartz. They do make laminate that looks just like stone now, I put it in all my bathrooms and people were always fooled. This would be my choice. Corian and other plastic tops are made overseas and it is not what it used to be. Shops will usually push that since they make the most money on it if they are the fabricators. Granite is a natural material. Some of it never needs to be sealed, some of it is so porous it never will seal. I have quartz in my kitchen and fake stone laminate in all the bathrooms. No matter what, a bunch of scumbags will be your installers, so lock everything up in the house and make sure you are home. Hmmm. 
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Quartzite (NOT quartz)
I have Stone Wood (Palomino) Quartzite on my island. If I had the budget, my entire kitchen would have it. (google photo of quarry) 
(google photo of slab) 
The slab that I picked without sealant (picked do to ability to make 12' long without noticeable seam)  </a>" />
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Quoted: I'm going to replace the shit ass 80s counter tops in my house within the next year. Problem is that I don't know what to replace them with. I'm sure everyone will tell me that granite is the only acceptable counter top material ever. But, I have a bad feeling about them. As in they are going to go "out" soon and it will look about as good as green appliances, pink mosaic tiles, faux wood paneling, etc etc. Suggestions? Granite's been popular for over 15 years; it's not going anywhere anytime soon. Neither is stainless steel appliances, for that matter. |
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I'll give you my list.
Laminate: plastic coated paper adhered to a thin wood veneer that is then glued to a substrate--usually particle board. Pros: cheap, lightweight, wide variety of patterns and colors, can be molded to custom edge and backsplash profiles without seams, maintenance is only routine cleaning and touching up the seams and edge sealant. Cons: susceptible to moisture damage, seams are hard to hide, easily scratched, can discolor under direct heat, may discolor over time with exposure to UV. Solid Suface: (Corian and the like) solid polymer surfaces about 3/4" thick with built up edges over a wood or engineered substrate. Pros: less expensive than stone, color all the way through the surface material, same variety as laminate, more dense (feels more substantial) than laminate, almost zero maintenance. Cons: easily scratched, not heat tolerant, can discolor with age. Ceramic Tile: unit tiles laid in a mortar bed on a flat substrate. Pros: water resistant, heat tolerant, available in nearly any custom configuration (pattern, color, etc.) you can think of, cheap. Cons: tiles are easily chipped or broken and can be difficult to replace, grout susceptible to staining, surface is not uniform, must be built in place, edge profiles extremely limited. Concrete: reinforced concrete cast thicker than 2" (usually) set directly on base cabinets. Pros: water resistant, heat tolerant, can be formed in nearly any shape, less expensive than stone, can be built in place or cast off-site. Cons: extremely heavy, prone to cracking, limited color and finish options, requires regular sealing. Quartz: man-made material embedding around 95% hard minerals in a 5% resin matrix, assembly is similar to solid-surface materials. Pros: water resistant, stain resistant, heat resistant, wide variety of colors and patterns, resistant to scratches and cuts, seams are practically invisible, no regular maintenance apart from general cleaning. Cons: easily chipped by a hard blow, requires routine sealing, as resin costs and demand have increased prices have reached near parity with granite, heavy. Granite: slabs of solid stone cut and polished to your specifications. Pros: water resistant, heat resistant, scratch resistant, and The Look (sheen and depth of finish is unmatched by any other material). Cons: requires routine sealing, can be prone to staining even with a good sealant, expensive, heavy. Soapstone: slabs of solid stone cut and polished to your specifications. Pros: like granite except for the finish, some users choose to oil their counters for a wet look but it's not necessary to maintain the stone, easily shaped. Cons: expensive, not available everywhere. Butcher Block: solid hardwood glued-up into planks or on end to make a uniform slab. Pros: knife friendly, surface defects are easily repaired, cheap and light relative to stone and man-made materials. Cons: as a working surface they show evidence of use (not everyone considers this a con), requires regular oiling with food-grade mineral oils, some people believe the wood can harbor harmful bacteria but this fear is largely unfounded, in my experience. |
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Quoted: Maple butcher block. Been helping the boy remodel their house. They went with this. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v334/mototard/5D9EE306-3C7B-4600-B814-92809A722D45_zpslheouriy.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v334/mototard/5D6E1556-A46F-4C43-B86B-700850E0945B_zps8ke0fa12.jpg The counter looks nice but the window notch is something I haven't seen before. |
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White plastic tops are coming back into fashion, and butcher block tops are picking up steam.
I looked at at process at a home show in which the new counter top was cast in place over the existing tops. A variety of fillers were available ranging from nice to NFW. |
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Quoted: my new house has granite. Its nice but that shit will chip if you hit it hard enough. I found two spots in it already where i whacked the fuck out of it with a pan and it chipped  |
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Quoted:
So what is the best choice for guys who whack the fuck out of their counters with their pans Quoted:
Quoted:
my new house has granite. Its nice but that shit will chip if you hit it hard enough. I found two spots in it already where i whacked the fuck out of it with a pan and it chipped Fuck if i know but im much more careful now. Luckily its black with silver fleks in it so its hard to pick them out. ETA; Best shot of the color we got on ours. 
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We chose granite because it looks great. We don't care if it goes out of style because we've put so much money into this place the only way we're leaving is feet first. I'm not sure if I'm in the same boat or not. We bought it cheap enough (more or less a distressed property) that we could do whatever we want and not get screwed too badly, but that also means it would make an attractive rental. Those two scenarios mandate entirely different approaches to renovation, unfortunately. |
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I remodel kitchens for a living, and granite will never go "out". Thinks like the mosaic glass tile backsplashes will, but never granite. The only top I would consider other than granite for my kitchen would be a poured concrete top, grind off the top layer of cement to expose the aggregate, then use an acid stain to add some amazing color and depth.
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Quartz is where its at. No sealing, as, if not more, durable than granite and around the same price. Quartz has anti-microbial material used for bonding agent. I am waiting on mine to be made, 58 sq ft installed for around $3300. Shop around. MPD165 Shit that's not bad at all. We have a small, straightforward kitchen so only about 30 SF. That would be under $2K and a lot more tolerable even if the shit is hideous 15 years down the road
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Quoted:
I remodel kitchens for a living, and granite will never go "out". Thinks like the mosaic glass tile backsplashes will, but never granite. The only top I would consider other than granite for my kitchen would be a poured concrete top, grind off the top layer of cement to expose the aggregate, then use an acid stain to add some amazing color and depth. thats a good idea. Concrete tops look awesome! |
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Shit that's not bad at all. We have a small, straightforward kitchen so only about 30 SF. That would be under $2K and a lot more tolerable even if the shit is hideous 15 years down the road
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Quoted:
Quartz is where its at. No sealing, as, if not more, durable than granite and around the same price. Quartz has anti-microbial material used for bonding agent. I am waiting on mine to be made, 58 sq ft installed for around $3300. Shop around. MPD165 Shit that's not bad at all. We have a small, straightforward kitchen so only about 30 SF. That would be under $2K and a lot more tolerable even if the shit is hideous 15 years down the road
I did a little fangaling. Ordered it through Home Depot the weekend before Memorial Day and paid for it on Memorial Day weekend. 10% off and pay no taxes on home improvement projects. Mind you, this price was for me to rip out the old stuff and do my own plumbing. The only thing the installer is doing is installing the sink, drilling the holes for the faucet, vent and affixing the countertops to the base cabinets. Still it was a price I could live with. MPD165 |
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we have granite, but I looked at a couple of houses a few years ago that used stainless steel for all their counters. Looked sharp, but dunno about durability over time given scratches, polishing, cleaners, etc. Parents have a vacation home with a SS counter top... I'm not sure of the exact age but I'd say it has to be at least 40 years old. The top looks "used" but not bad. It also has a very "industrial" look to it (if you are really, really into cooking I could see this as a selling point) and it makes one hell of a racket when you set something on it. |
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Butcherblock is easy if you have some woodworking skills. That's what I did in mine. The downside is that it can be a PITA to oil on a regular basis. But it is a (relatively) inexpensive option and combined with a basic subway tile backsplash can make for a budget friendly remodel.
60sqft of IKEA butcherblock countertop and 45 sqft of menards 3x6 subway tile backsplash ran me around $1000 in materials. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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I was in the engineering field, got laid off, worked for some friends' kitchen company, then got rehired later back in engineering.
This one group of countertop installers were some of the scariest, scummiest dirtbags I have ever been near. I know some were meth addicts. gang tattoos, etc The business went by territory, so you couldn't hire anyone else if you wanted quartz. I can't believe these companies would hire these scumbags to go into customers homes. I wouldn't leave the customers alone with them. I would tell the customers to close all the doors and close the garage doors. |
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Quoted:
Fuck if i know but im much more careful now. Luckily its black with silver fleks in it so its hard to pick them out. ETA; Best shot of the color we got on ours. https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfp1/t1.0-9/1393866_10152001779693491_2013483152_n.jpg Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
my new house has granite. Its nice but that shit will chip if you hit it hard enough. I found two spots in it already where i whacked the fuck out of it with a pan and it chipped Fuck if i know but im much more careful now. Luckily its black with silver fleks in it so its hard to pick them out. ETA; Best shot of the color we got on ours. https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfp1/t1.0-9/1393866_10152001779693491_2013483152_n.jpg Looks like ubatuba. They can fix chips and cracks with resin. Done correctly its really hard to see. |
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Quoted:
I remodel kitchens for a living, and granite will never go "out". Thinks like the mosaic glass tile backsplashes will, but never granite. The only top I would consider other than granite for my kitchen would be a poured concrete top, grind off the top layer of cement to expose the aggregate, then use an acid stain to add some amazing color and depth. Got any pics of that? |
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Quoted:
Got any pics of that? Quoted:
Quoted:
I remodel kitchens for a living, and granite will never go "out". Thinks like the mosaic glass tile backsplashes will, but never granite. The only top I would consider other than granite for my kitchen would be a poured concrete top, grind off the top layer of cement to expose the aggregate, then use an acid stain to add some amazing color and depth. Got any pics of that? from google 
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Quoted:
Parents have a vacation home with a SS counter top... I'm not sure of the exact age but I'd say it has to be at least 40 years old. The top looks "used" but not bad. It also has a very "industrial" look to it (if you are really, really into cooking I could see this as a selling point) and it makes one hell of a racket when you set something on it. Quoted:
Quoted:
we have granite, but I looked at a couple of houses a few years ago that used stainless steel for all their counters. Looked sharp, but dunno about durability over time given scratches, polishing, cleaners, etc. Parents have a vacation home with a SS counter top... I'm not sure of the exact age but I'd say it has to be at least 40 years old. The top looks "used" but not bad. It also has a very "industrial" look to it (if you are really, really into cooking I could see this as a selling point) and it makes one hell of a racket when you set something on it. I put stainless in my house. I love it. ETA: 
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