I had Silestone installed in 2001. Still looks new, and I like the ability to put hot pots right on it. Easy to clean too.
The only thing you can't get with stone is a sink made out of the same material, all one piece. You can get that with Corian and other plastic-like materials but they're not heat- or scratch-proof.
Copyright 2010 by Shaun Eli.
yes, you can get a stone sink, although they're rather expensive.
There is no "best" material to use since it's somewhat subjective. Personally, I'd be OK with laminate as long as it's not on particleboard.
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I've got granite next to the stove. It's a pretty wild pattern. A mix of browns and rusts and such. I don't think a stain would show up. No, I don't think I'll hit it with merthiolate just to see what would happen.
Cindy Hamilton
Anybody mention concrete?
Here're some examples:
At this point, a quality Formica install is gonna outlast ME, so what do I care? The genuine stuff, installed by a pro, and not abused, will easily make 30 years.
"mike" wrote
OK, it did not work for your folks, but mine has been in this house for 30 years with no damage. I'll probably replace in an a couple of years just to freshen up the kitchen, but not because of any damage or wear. I don't see that costing me more than any other surface.
Think first in terms of what counter tops are in similar homes to yours. If most of the homes in your area use Corain or Ceramic tile, than I'd give that some strong consideration. It's better to overshoot, though, than to undershoot and use something like laminate in a neighborhood that typically has granite.
I consider solid granite to be the top counter top from a marketing and also use standpoint. Yes, if you park a lemon slice on it for days, you can get a dull spot. However, a long term sealer helps, as does the coloration and particle color of the granite. Yes, if you drop your mortar or pestle on it from 10' in the air, you can break it. Yes, it's almost impossible to get a sink of the same material. However, granite is still the standard for upscale homes and its popularity is justified by its durability and utility. Having now had a kitchen with granite tops for the past 10 years, I can honestly say I don't want any other materials.
Second to solid granite is the solid-composite, such as Silestone. I place it in the same category as Corian-type counter tops. It's good, it's durable and its less expensive. Still, I place those materials in the category as "almost as good." If you consider the marginal cost difference between those materials and granite, I cannot understand NOT going with granite.
The laminates and grouted-type materials are on further down the desirability list. While they're practical, it's like comparing a Ford to a Mercedes. If price is the big issue, I think a grouted material would still be better than a laminate, which I place at the bottom of the utility and desirability category.
Mark
I put in maple counter tops (Grainger work bench tops) just to humor my wife, thinking they would be firewood in a year and we could get "real" counter tops.
10 years later they are still doing great. I wiped the oil off with mineral spirits, shot about 10 -15 coats of thinned poly urethane on them before I installed them and that was about it. We are tough on them too. Nothing hurts them and if you drop a glass it won't shatter like you have with granite.
Well, thank you. That WAS a sincere compliment...wasn't it...??
Been told that granite stains. T/F?
You're right about much of this, Cindy. I did have the counter itself re-tiled few years ago, but I made this mistake of having a handyman do it, so result did not wear as well as orig. installation decades ago by a real tile-setter. This time I had to go to a special place to get the matching tiles, as they are from long, long ago. Dunno if there could be a difference in quality? This job has a lot of dings and cracks around the sink.
Satisfied? Appearance, yes, but grout got dirty easily , and my attempts at re-grouting were less than stellar. Still, as you now remind me, retiling the damaged areas might still be the best option. After all, I am not building for the ages...
However, have also seriously considered the latest in "formica", if I can halfway match the tiles, and I promise not to put down a hot pot while screaming. Some people have a sort of trivet built in, of metal or tile, to avoid this problem.
Thanks for your thoughful response.
HB
No, it'll be the same as tile, perhaps a little better because you're using such big tiles. It defeats a some of the advantages of granite, though.
m...
Sounds great. I asked another kind member about edging around a sunken sink. How would granite handle that?
HB
A hole is cut in the counter top slightly smaller than the undermount sink. The sink is then supported on two struts that extend from the back of the cabinet to the front, or side-to-side. It is held firmly against the underside of the counter top, where silicone caulk makes the joint water proof. The polishing mentioned is what is done to the cut edge of the countertop where the opening for the sink was made.
Mark
Undermount sinks are way nicer than having a metal rim that looks silly and traps crud.
Other than bragging rights for it being trendy or natural nobody's ever shown me a single reason that granite is better than engineered stone (Silestone, etc.).
Copyright 2010 by Shaun Eli. All rights reserved.
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We've had upwards of 100sq.ft. in our house for two years. I didn't seal any of it and no stains so far. I think it depends on the color and the granite itself.
do you mean an undermount sink? i've never seen an undermount sink with granite (or even ceramic) tiles. they're usually only used with a solid surface counter.
i suppose one could use an undermount sink if you were really careful with sealants. you'd want to cut your tiles into strips, maybe 1", and create a lip over the top of the sink to seal off water intrusion into the subcounter.
polishing makes the edges look better. it has nothing to do with staining. you need either to buy tiles that don't stain, or treat it to seal it.
take a sample tile, seal 1/2 of it, and add a lot of materials on it and let sit overnight. rinse and see if there are any affects in the surface (dulling) or staining the next morning. i tried lemon juice, red wine, food coloring, oils, water.
if it will clean up ok, doesn't dull, and any dark areas from liquid intrusion dry off and become non-visible, you're good to go.
you can probably get almost all colors of granite made in tiles too.
my kitchen with 12" granite tiles:
a slab of granite has absolutely no plastic in it.
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