Wat OT but need some help. Kitchen counter tops

Submitted by Monkey House on

I know OT isn't popular right now with the season so close but I need some info. I bought a new house and I'm moving soon but want to remodel the kitchen when I move in. Anyways I'm thinking about going with granite tops or butcher block. Anyone have any opinions on either of these good or bad? Is there any problems I might run into with either? I don't really just salesmen and prefer some info from outsiders. Thanks.

turtleboy

August 15th, 2015 at 8:52 PM ^

Exactly. Granite is more affordable, and usually has a greater variety, and cheaper installation. I'd personally go with stained concrete counters over quartz. They can be extremely beautiful, several inches thick, and even less expensive.

Abe Froman

August 16th, 2015 at 12:36 AM ^

Yup. Engineered Quartz like Caesarstone.

Try Granite City on 8-mike. Ordered a vanity counter from them last week and they were excellent.

Also if you are doing a backsplash check out a product called "slate-ish" if you like a stone look.

bluebyyou

August 15th, 2015 at 9:59 PM ^

Quartz or granite....they are both excellent materials.  I like granite  because of the uniqueness of its appearance.  I have had several kitchens, all with granite, and never had staining/sealing issues.

Do a search on the web, OP, and you will find a ton of information.

VaUMWolverine

August 15th, 2015 at 8:29 PM ^

Definitely not butcher block except maybe on an island.
Granite can be sealed with an over the counter sealer bought from Lowes or Home Depot. About once a year. Quartz is nice and a lot like granite but does not need to be sealed. Not as beautiful as natural granite. They all have pros and cons but granite will re-sell better too.




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Burns400sx

August 15th, 2015 at 9:19 PM ^

Very easy to seal. Wipe on wipe off. Just like Miyagi says. They make a spray cleaner/sealer that you can use everyday. The installers use rubbing alcohol to clean and a good sealer to seal. Be careful w/ some granite at places like Home Depot. They seam the front edge and depending on color can look like shit. I remodel kitchens and baths for a living, and granite or Quartz is the way to go. Depending on your taste, granite looks more natural w/ every peice that is unique. Quartz is a more uniform look through out.

bostonsix

August 15th, 2015 at 9:10 PM ^

you just clean the granite first, then use a 100% cotton cloth and wipe on the sealer. let it soak in and then wipe the counter tops down with a dry cloth. Most sealers have different specification by manufacturer so just follow the directions. Sealing an entire kitchen for a DIYer should take no longer than 30 minutes.

Amutnal

August 15th, 2015 at 8:29 PM ^

My fiancé would tell you Carrara marble. I know its porous but that's what's the latest trend (as of couple months ago, which was the last time
I paid attention). But it really does look good.

pfholland

August 15th, 2015 at 9:29 PM ^

It is absolutely gorgeous, but marble etches and chips extremely easily. We bought a brand new house last year with marble kitchen countertops and can point out every defect. If you're going to obsess over minor damage (and especially if you have or plan to have children) get something else.

Maize in Cincy

August 15th, 2015 at 8:34 PM ^

As others have said Quartz or Granite.  It's all about preference between those but they both hold up well and are great for resale.  I've talked with 4-5 different contractors about our kitchen and you can't beat the price/selection/convenience that Lowes and Home Depot have for counter tops. 

bostonsix

August 15th, 2015 at 9:24 PM ^

Home depot and Lowes is that they use their subcontracted installers who typically are hired cheap and install cheap. Save yourself the headache and spend the extra $500 or so to have it done by a specialist in countertops. You can contact a reputable kitchen company and they can usually point you in the direction of three good counter company's.

True Blue Grit

August 15th, 2015 at 8:42 PM ^

quartz countertops.  More specifically, Cambria out of Minnesota.  Their counter tops are beautiful.  Compared to other quartz lines we looked at, theirs has a nicer finish.  As others have said, the advantage is it is no-maintenance.  And engineered quartz is actually harder than granite.  The Canterbury style we chose is by far their most popular.  So, take a look at that one.  The company is great to work with and send their own people out to do the measuring and installation (at least here in Ann Arbor).  LINK.

The caveat though is the cost.  Cambria quartz isn't cheap at all.  But, we don't regret it for a second and love the look. 

Another thing is we really like the idea of tiling the backsplash down to the counter, vs. having a backsplash made of the same material as the counter.  It looks better and you don't have that issue with the backsplash starting to separate from the wall over time. 

sadeto

August 15th, 2015 at 8:44 PM ^

I have Carrara marble in my master bath, would not recommend it for a kitchen. Too soft and porous. We just remodeled a 90 year old Tudor and did granite in the kitchen. Looked at Quartz but liked granite. Have to seal it of course. We're in New York and my girl is Chinese so we sourced it in Flushing and beat the big stores by a mile on price. Gray pearl granite. Ogee edge.

animalfarm84

August 15th, 2015 at 8:45 PM ^

We redid our counters last summer. Granite, and we love it. Agree with the posts above on granite and Quartz being quality choices. Biggest advice I have: choose your fabricator/installer very carefully. We had to have ours redone a couple times, and had a plumbing issue that the installer caused that left us with no kitchen for a couple weeks while everything got sorted out. It can be tough to separate the good fabricators/installers from the bad, so hopefully you can get some good recommendations in your area.




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Dogger

August 15th, 2015 at 8:49 PM ^

My wife and I had quartz installed earlier this year, and it's awesome. I'd look beyond the general stuff at big-box stores like Lowes and Home Depot if you want better aesthetics/quality. We have a pattern that looks like natural stone, and everyone we've shown it to has been amazed by how good it looks. The rep we dealt with asked to take photos of our kitchen after it was done to enter into a national contest, so it does look very good and we didn't break the bank to do it. You'll get what you pay for. A lot of quartz is very structured grain-wise, so you have to look to find something that doesn't look like a cheap laminate. As for durability, I'm a former chef and still cook a lot of international cuisines at home, and I've had no problems with it at all. Weigh the pros and cons of your lifestyle/cooking frequency/styles of cooking, as well as your budget/aesthetics, and go from there. Ultimately, you have to go with what you like and can afford.

bacon

August 15th, 2015 at 8:58 PM ^

We got granite a few years ago in our kitchen, still looks brand new. I might be naive, but guess ours was well sealed when they put it in and we've never had problems with water soaking in or whatever (we do in our bathroom granite vanity). Butcher block just seems like it would get damaged over time.

jabberwock

August 16th, 2015 at 8:59 AM ^

was supposed to last years & years before it needed to be resealed (barring incident).

We haven't touched it in 5 years and while its possible it's lost some of it's porosity (porousness ?) it's mosty black-sh and looks as good as the day it was installed.

I understand Quartz has some advantages in maintenance, etc. but I think it looked too plain for the $ and I appreciate the unique appearance of granite.

Doctor Wolverine

August 15th, 2015 at 9:01 PM ^

I agree with what others have said about granite looking better. For a kitchen, I would (did) go with granite over Quartz because I think it looks better, and granite over marble because it's easier to maintain (very low maintenance, don't let the Quartz people scare you off). There are also large variations in granite quality, color and price. A high end granite will generally have more unique and interesting variations in the stone and be more dense. Also, people will tell you that it is ok to cut directly on granite without a cutting board. While it is true that it will not damage the granite, it will ruin your knives. Hope that helps!

mdoc

August 15th, 2015 at 9:05 PM ^

Butcher block is beautiful. The maintenance isn't really that bad. You can install it yourself. You can then reinstall it yourself 5 more times before it costs as much as granite. Over time you might scratch it, ding it, gouge it, but that's what makes it YOURS. I love mine. You should at least consider it.