granite countertops OT

[CH(upstate,NY)]

My wife says to ask my tractor frirnds about counter tops. Granite? composite or what? Says I spend too much time looking at this site.. I don't think so.
 

[David G]

I put in Silestone, like it real well, except I would do rounded edges instead of mitered.
 

[Wile E]

Be prepared to spend a lot of money.
I had LG Quartz countertops put in 3 years ago and it was $ 3,500, that is the whole kitchen with 5" backsplash. LG quartz is basically a man-made granite/marble. Wife is happy, that is what counts. If she is happy, then I am happy.......That's how it works, Right?
 

[LenND]

The wife had granite tops put in in 2000 likes them real well. The installer told her clean them with Windex. The they should be treated with a granite sealer about once a year.
 

[JF in CT]

I just put in my second kitchen with granite. So many places sell it now that the prices are very competitive. In many cases you are talking about a few dollars difference from man made stuff.
 

[d beatty]

We have a Corian kitchen counter top. Wife loves it easy to clean you can use any type of counter top cleaners. It wont stain and is easy to repair if it does get scratched.
 

[notjustair]

Have granite and love it. Seal it once a year. I really like taking things off of/out of the stove and setting it right on there. This is my second home with it and I won't put in anything different.

If she works greasy dough right on the counter repeatedly it may take a stain. I had a piece that I rolled out biscuit dough on once a week for a couple of years and it took the shortening. It was just a rolling island thing, but now I know. I do biscuits on parchment paper now.

Granite and quartz are both great. About the same price, but granite has more color choices.

They will have to joint it in at least one place. Ask to see what their joints look like. Rocks are rocks, but an installer who doesn't match the glue very well can make the whole thing look like junk.
 

[Mark6005]

Just had corian or however it"s spelled and quartz put in this summer and it"s very nice non porous and so much better than our old Formica. Made by the Amish in Arthur il flawless so far. Wife"s happy what else matters
 

[zems]

We were going to install granite and ended up changing our minds and installing quartz. Basically no maintenance, no bacteria, and harder to chip. When my 6yr old glues or paints anything it wipes right off. Find a good stone dealer and let them explain the pros and cons of both. Price was about the same two years ago.
 

[Dick2]

I see them using composites on the home improvement shows. They say that it will not stain like granite and requires no sealing or other maintenance. That's what I would investigate thoroughly.
 

[Bob Huntress]

Granite is nice, but expensive. Make sure you have the company selling the counter tops come and measure it, so you can hold them accountable if it doesn't fit. If there is a wall on each side of your counter top, make sure the wills are drywalled and cabinets installed before the measurements are taking. Don't believe any of the talk about accounting for a half inch on each side, either. The tolerance is so tight that the length will be affected if there is any bow or dip in your wall. If it butts up to a wall but extends out like a peninsula, it will forgive a little, but if the counter fits between two walls or an floor to ceiling cabinet and wall, there is no room to wiggle. If you have laminate and have to shave a quarter inch, it won't break your heart, but a $4,000 counter top makes you very leary about making any cuts. BTW make the factory cut out for your sink, and have a bunch of people help support the counter if you are installing it. You remember how you use short screws to fasten the laminate counters to the cabinet? You don't screw in granit counters. They are adhered with a glue or liquid nail to the cabinet. You also have to use an oil sealer after you install the counter. It will look dull when you get it, and it will be porous until you apply the sealer.
 

[MarkB_MI]

Between our home and rental property, we've had four granite tops installed. It is wonderful stuff. Here in Motown, the competition among granite suppliers and installers is fierce, so granite is competitive with other materials such as Silestone. Granite is pretty much the standard for new kitchens here. Out in the sticks, installation costs could be steep, and you really don't want to DIY granite installation.
 

[Stephen Newell]

Granite is nice as long as it gets reasonable care. In my house someone would drop something on it within a week and chip it. Then granite isn't very easy to fix to where it doesn't show. At one time I fabricated corian and you could hit it with a hammer, drill holes in it or let a cigarette burn out on it and be able to repair the damage. The adhesive to glue the stuff together is the same product as the corian itself. You just use the glue for putty and fill any damage to the top. When dry it can be sanded and polished out. The same goes for the cigarette burn. It can just be sanded and polished out. What's nice about corian is it can be worked like wood. You can cut it and shape it with regular woodworking tools including using a router to put a decorative edge on it. Too bad they make you be a certified fabricator to purchase it now. It's actually easier to make a corian counter top than formica.
 

[George Marsh]

Radioactivity in granite. Hope I do the link correctly.
Dangers of granite counter tops

 

[rustyfarmall]