OT: Kitchen Countertop Replacement

[Kitaman]

OK I'm going to finally spend some money. I've got old fashioned laminate countertops and looking to replace them. Actually my wife wants to replace them, I really don't care.

Looking for aesthetics and something that I can cut vegetables on, spill coffee/juice/berries without staining and put a hot pan on without damaging. (If there is such a thing.) So durability, functionality, and long lasting without losing its appeal, is important. Being easy to clean would help a lot.

What's best marble, quartz, granite or something else? Is a dark color better than a light color? What about back-splash, better to buy as a combo or separately and later?

Any tips on buying and/or installation so I don't get ripped off? Should they cut at my house or measure then cut at shop and install? Is it cheaper to buy separately and install separately (different person)?

Is there anything to protect me of a company mistake in sizing/installation or damage done by installer?

Trust me google ain't better than the Boneyard, and you guys always help me shorten my procrastination, decision delay (cold feet) and give me confidence when shopping for such things for the first time. Also I notice that sales reps 'mistakenly' think I know my stuff when discussing the purchase. LOL

 

[husky99]

quartz is the only answer. Friend just had it put in and loves it.

 

[Drame]

Ikea does great cheap kitchens.. countertops included... They come and do it all..whatever you need.
For a material I recommend Corian. Not my favorite personally if money were no object but it covers all your bases.

 

[jleves]

Granite is classic and durable but can have different amounts of being porous. They all need to be sealed. Check the back of the slabs. Slabs with a mesh glued to the back are weaker and typically more porous. I only considered non mesh back slabs. I don't think color makes a difference on durability. I always try to put hot pots and roasters on the stove top, but I don't think it would hurt to put them directly on the granite top. Granite really tends to be a good value - slabs aren't as expensive as quartz and marble.

Marble is very durable - pretty sure you don't need to seal it. But it will be discolored if you get citrus acid on it. Don't cut citrus on it.

Quartz is also durable and as far as I know, doesn't need to be sealed and can stand up to just about everything - but it is expensive.

One solution you may want to consider for a bullet proof counter top is polished concrete. Neat look, totally customizable to any shape you want and stands up to everything and tends to be less expensive than of the rock solutions. That's what I intend to use on the outdoor kitchen counters.

 

[VPDcurt]

Look into soapstone as well. Completely non-porous, does not need to be sealed like granite. It can scratch but any scratches can be sanded out with ease.

 

[Husky25]

Corian looks great, but it can scratch and I won't put hot pans on it. I always have a moppine or pot holder at the ready.

 

[tdrink]

Quartzite is the only surface that will meet all your criteria though I don't understand why people would use their counters as a cutting surface.

Granite should be sealed and heat or cutting wouldn't hurt the stone but would wreck the sealer.

Marble is stained easily by oils. I like it for bathrooms but don't think it belongs in kitchens other than a kneading table.

I have soapstone and love it, but it's not for everyone. It scratches easily and has to have oil rubbed into until it develops a patina.

Corian and quartzite have their upsides, but are synthetic materials. There is nothing like having counters that are made of big old slabs of quarried stone.

 

[uconnfan68]

Stay with laminate and spend the money on a nice vacation.

 

[FASTEDDY]

Quartz is the only way to go.

I just totally redid my kitchen and went with quartz. Totally functional and looks great.

 

[tdrink]

Go with someone reputable and they will be insured for a calamity. Final payment upon completion and inspection. If there is an issue hold back money until it is remedied.

There are loads of options for backsplash, most higher end kitchens people are tiling from counter up to their upper cabinets. But you really only need to protect the areas around your sink and stove and you can save bunch of money making those areas focal points (sink usually has a window over it so that is already eye catching) and then transitioning to a less expensive material like the cabinet wood or even a simple quarter round. Most people put stuff on the counter and you dont end up seeing anything low anyway.

 

[UconnFanNVa]

I plan on redoing mine as well. But I'm pretty dead set on using concrete. Found these molds online that allow you to pour in place. Good tutorials, and the end product looks amazing. Check out z counterform.

 

[Hankster]

Good thing my wife doesn't come in the Yard. She wants the whole kitchen done .Rearrange the dishwasher, new cabinets, counters, etc. The whole lot. I saw the proposal and almost passed out. I am trying my best to delay this project. I may be wrong but I compare home worth against redoing a major project. I will look a the Quartz option.

 

[80shusky]

Good thing my wife doesn't come in the Yard. She wants the whole kitchen done .Rearrange the dishwasher, new cabinets, counters, etc. The whole lot. I saw the proposal and almost passed out. I am trying my best to delay this project. I may be wrong but I compare home worth against redoing a major project. I will look a the Quartz option.

Yes on the home worth thing. I have a 1200 sq foot lake bungalow from the 40s. One bathroom needs to be redone. The kitchen is functional, but from the 60s, I'd like to do that too. In the next five years or so I will need a roof and I'd like to do siding and gutters. Add that all up and I'm thinking maybe I just tear the thing down a build a new one on the same footprint. However, you have to store all your stuff and live somewhere too.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Good thing my wife doesn't come in the Yard. She wants the whole kitchen done .Rearrange the dishwasher, new cabinets, counters, etc. The whole lot. I saw the proposal and almost passed out. I am trying my best to delay this project. I may be wrong but I compare home worth against redoing a major project. I will look a the Quartz option.

We just went under contract on Friday. New cabinet facing, new counter tops, new trim and a redo of the kitchen sink area. Yes, the price gets steep quick.

 

[pnow15]

If you have a great set of cherry cabinets hand done by a great craftsman, then pay for the marble if the rest of your house lives up to the kitchen. If you have home depot type cabinets and the rest of your house is on the average side, then buy a laminate that looks like marble.

 

[Danzz]

Quartz. A little more money than granite but requires the least care. Granite, marble and quartz all look great. I went with granite but if I had it to do over I'd go with quartz. This from the internet:
"Quartz is non-porous and does not require any sealing – ever. These stones offer a virtually no-maintenance material solution for countertops."

 

[Hankster]

Quartz. A little more money than granite but requires the least care. Granite, marble and quartz all look great. I went with granite but if I had it to do over I'd go with quartz. This from the internet:
"Quartz is non-porous and does not require any sealing – ever. These stones offer a virtually no-maintenance material solution for countertops."

Great info. I will pass this along to my wife for consideration. Sound s too good. If she approves on this, she might take me for..........granite. (snare drum and cymbal background)

 

[WillB4]

Quartz is the way to go. I installed Cambria with our new kitchen, very happy, easy to maintain. I always use a cutting board when knife is in use and hotplates, just to be sure. I have mixed ground beef for meatballs and pasta dough directly on it.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Look into soapstone as well. Completely non-porous, does not need to be sealed like granite. It can scratch but any scratches can be sanded out with ease.

I regret my soapstone counter. It's gorgeous or was when new, but it's just much to soft. I can't open a beer bottle on it without leaving indentations. I'd go granite if I had a do over, even though I prefer the matte look of the soapstone.

 

[tdrink]

I regret my soapstone counter. It's gorgeous or was when new, but it's just much to soft. I can't open a beer bottle on it without leaving indentations. I'd go granite if I had a do over, even though I prefer the matte look of the soapstone.

Keep oiling it.

With the matte finish you won't even be able to see the scratches.

I installed mine myself. At the house warming party one guest opened a bottle of wine grinding the bottle into the counter and another guest dropped a serving platter that chipped the edge. I almost cried. But when i threw some more oil on those spots they vanished.

Now I don't mind them getting a little beaten up. I oil them once a year to freshen up the surface.

 

[8893]

We did the kitchen overhaul a few years ago. Went with granite and couldn't be happier. This is the place to get the stone, be it granite, quartz or whatever (I don't think I even knew of the quartz at the time):

Home Page

Our installer was an Eastern European fellow who smoked like a chimney but did great work. He came to the granite place with us after we had narrowed the selection. The owner knew him and they assured us that we would only pay for what was used, and guaranteed against broken slabs and breakage while installing.

We decided to do backsplash separately, with different material, and that we would choose that after living with it for a while. Of course we still haven't done it, but we did pick out the material recently...

The installer came to our house and measured, and then cut in his shop and brought it in to install. We noticed a spot or two that needed touching up and he came right out immediately and took care of it.

Light or dark depends on your decor. We went light with the cabinets and darker for the granite.

Did our island in walnut for nice centerpiece to the kitchen. It was a bitch but glad we held out until we got it right.

Don't skimp. You and your guests spend more time there than anywhere else.

 

[VPDcurt]

Keep oiling it.
I oil them once a year to freshen up the surface.

Do you use a specific mineral oil product? Still looking for one - just moved into a house with soapstone.

 

[VPDcurt]

At the house warming party one guest opened a bottle of wine grinding the bottle into the counter and another guest dropped a serving platter that chipped the edge. I almost cried. But when i threw some more oil on those spots they vanished.

1. Sand/oil soapstone as needed.
2. Find new friends.

 

[Mots010]

We gutted our kitchen last December, and went with quartz. Zero maintenance, and these days there's quartz that looks like granite. I wouldn't say quartz is always more expensive than granite. In my experience, those exotic granite's can hit a higher price point than quartz.

Our contractor subbed out the counters. The sub came out and measured once the base cabinets were installed. They cut at the shop, and installed a week later. They adjusted any areas that needed it right in my driveway and had them installed within an hour.

 

[tdrink]

Do you use a specific mineral oil product? Still looking for one - just moved into a house with soapstone.

I used mineral oil for years. Texiera Soapstone and Boos block ( best known wood counter supplier) sell a product that is mostly mineral oil but with beeswax added so the oil doesn't evaporate as quickly.

1. Sand/oil soapstone as needed.
2. Find new friends.

Relatives. Those are harder to replace.