[villager]

I'm not posting this in the contractor's services section because I am not asking for contractor suggestions (yet).

I am going to start the process of looking at different options for new kitchen counter tops. I would like to know what people have and whether they like the product. I know there is granite, solid surfacing, quartz and concrete (laminate is not an option for me).

What do you like and dislike about what you have?

I appreciate you taking the time to provide feedback.

[villagetinker]

We have granite, and love it. Had man made granite back up north, and it was very nice, but the real granite has its own unique personality. We were fortunate enough to be able to build a custom house and to actually pick out the exact piece of granite (actually 2 pieces) that would be used for the kitchen. It has neat gold colored flecks in it, we love the effect.

[luvmagic2]

Granite. Liked that I was able to go to the yard and pick out a specific piece so that it really is mine. Able to have different pieces for different bathrooms so that each room was unique.

[hulahips]

We have corian and I love it. I hope women do not get upset with me but a friend of mine had kidney cancer and her Dr told her no granite I have no idea what is in it but some may want to research that prior to purchasing it. Again I have no idea and was surprised to hear this

[WhoDat]

We had quartz in out last house for 10 years and loved it. No sealing, no staining, an very durable. Having it installed in our TV house which will be done in August.

[PR1234]

Originally Posted by hulahips

We have corian and I love it. I hope women do not get upset with me but a friend of mine had kidney cancer and her Dr told her no granite I have no idea what is in it but some may want to research that prior to purchasing it. Again I have no idea and was surprised to hear this

"Granite might be the next abestos" Interesting....this was the only article I could find on it???
Granite Causing Cancer | Exposure to Radon Causes Lung Cancer

[mickey100]

We have granite and I love the look of it. Its very durable, I can place hot pots on it without a problem. The only thing I find different than the laminate we had before, is that when I wipe off the counter with a wet rag, it leaves noticeable streaks unless I dry it with a towel, I guess because it is so shiny. Our contractor also said not to stand on it, because it might crack. I used to stand on my previous counters occasionally when replacing a ceiling light bulb. Now I have to use the ladder. That said, I love the look of it and would do it again. We also looked at quartz, but it wasn't as shiny, and I happened to prefer shininess and the randomness of the pattern in granite. Quartz is all the same. But you can always add a fancy backsplash to balance it out.

[2newyorkers]

Love my quartz countertop. There is zero maintenance. You can do whatever you like with it other than use lye on it. I stand on it, cut on it, put hot pots on it.

[Rango]

Nothing beats the look of granite.

[Mrs. Robinson]

I agree that nothing beats the "look" of granite, but it is not maiantenance free.

We have had granite in our last three houses, including right now. We were borderline this time but I can tell you the next kitchen will be quartz. The other posts above are right on the money. No, you can't get the veining and patterns you can get in granite, but you just can't kill quartz.

Granite does need care and down the road will need repolishing. It also naturally emits radon which up until now, has not been a big concern, however, everyone should be aware of this.

Silestone, Zodiak, etc., all have made great improvements in the quartz patterns available. So next time -- it's quartz for us!

[Lauren Sweeny]

Question, I have heard that granite ,cement and marble countertops need , at some point, to be resurfaced or coated. True? Also that some of theses products are actually unsafe ( for various reasons) to be used as food placement surfaces, such as in restaurants .
Any comments?
We are looking for a seamless look. I would like to be able to put hot pans on it and also not worry to much about scratching or staining ( think spaghetti sauce or berries) which of the surfaces would best meet my expectations ? Suggestions?

[JanandFran]

How do you keep the corian looking good? Mine is dull and you can see rings on it from glasses, etc. Can it be polished? Tried a couple products, nothing works.

[beachx4me]

Granite, love the look and the fact I got to pick out exactly what I wanted. Easy care.

[mickey100]

Originally Posted by 2newyorkers

Love my quartz countertop. There is zero maintenance. You can do whatever you like with it other than use lye on it. I stand on it, cut on it, put hot pots on it.

You are totally right. We were equally divided on quartz and granite. The granite won out because of personal preference on looks, but either one would be a great choice. I haven't found the maintenance to be a big deal. You are supposed to seal it once a year, which is really easy. Just wipe the stuff on, let it sit for awhile, when wipe it off. Our contractor also recommended a granite polish to be used occasionally which is kind of like pledge dust wax. You spray it on, let it sit for a few minutes then buff off with a soft dry cloth. I've used it once in six months, just to give it a little extra shine. We do put hot pots on it with no problem.

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by PR1234

"Granite might be the next abestos" Interesting....this was the only article I could find on it???
Granite Causing Cancer | Exposure to Radon Causes Lung Cancer

There is radon, by the way, in all natural products. You are hundreds of times more likely to be at risk for radon emanating from the soil beneath your home. For a good read on radon in granite, try this: Granite and Radon and this: snopes.com: Granite Countertops and Radon

One recommendation I happened upon when researching granite was to be careful that your granite does not come from a third world country or Russia.

As in most things, there are different qualities of granite. the top two quality stones will not water stain. There is a 15-year sealer that can be applied ($300 for our Begonia countertops). We've never had a staining or any other problem with our Level III granite from Ultimate Granite.

Up north, we had Level I granite. It was sealed normally, and any water left standing on it would cause a dark stain that lasted till it dried out. Not permanent.

You are supposed to be able to put a hot pan on it, but I don't. One granite company up north said theoretically you can do that, but on a rare occasion you could hit some kind of seam that could cause the granite to crack.

Our corian countertops in this new house were a scratched-up mess within a year. Yes you can sand them down, but the scratches tend to occur in the same places where you use the counter a lot. So after a while, you'll have an indentation from continued sanding. I found I couldn't even put a UPS box down on it without protecting the counter. It was a nuisance.

Look at soapstone as well. More expensive than granite, but totally impervious. Some beautiful blacks with green or white veining. Martha Stewart has them. The slabs are not as wide as granite slabs, so you might end up with a seam in a designer kitchen.