Countertop refinishing

[Dave Combs]

I used something like the resin/chip product back in the late '60's to resurface a vanity top. Looked good. Got it at Monkey Wards.

[ZsaZsa]

Hello Gents,

Vell, we priced Corian today. Ouch!

Any thoughts on the Corian sinks? It all looks so lovely, but it's a tough decision. I love spending Mr. Zsa's money, but I loathe wasting it foolishly. There is always the wardrobe to consider!

What's the favored choice in kitchen countertop materials among you experts?

[dadiOH]

No expert but you get my *opinions* anyway :)

Not... formica (plastic) corian et al (also plastic) quartz (also plastic)

That leaves... wood natural stone concrete metal ceramic tile other?

My druthers.. 1. Stone. Specifically, soapstone 2. Concrete 3. Ceramic tile

I used tile because it looks good, is easy to maintain, durable, resistant to heat/water and is inexpensive (though it can be expensive). If $$ were not part of the equation I would have used soapstone.

For a sink I would choose porcelain or porcelain on cast iron. Easy to clean, non-staining (unlike corian), very scratch resistant (unlike corian), last bloody forever. Now go and make goulash.

-- dadiOH ____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06... ...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that. Get it at

[ZsaZsa]

Thanks DadiOH,

I'm looking into tile now, just to complete the research project.

The refinishing company is slow to respond, has no samples for me to see except something they will bring to the house, and they're rude, so that one is off the list. Too bad, it looked interesting.

Concrete interests me too, but our house is so traditional it would probably be a mistake. Seems like it would be a very cool look in a New York loft though.

Thanks for the feedback, I'm on that goulash project as we speak!

[Charles Spitzer]

look into granite tiles. cheaper than slab granite, easier to lay than tile, large enough that you have fewer grout lines, which leads to less pot/plate rocking, which i find to be a hassle on tiled surfaces.

[Matt]

Well, I once had some countert... uh, well, not exactly countertops, they were more like large, flat boards that uhh... well, not boards really, and not very flat either - some people said they were just sticks from old trees and hmmmmm come to think of it I guess they really were sticks! So, uh, why are you asking me about trees, anyway?

[TammyM]

Charles Spitzer wrote: : look into granite tiles. cheaper than slab granite, easier to lay than tile, : large enough that you have fewer grout lines, which leads to less pot/plate : rocking, which i find to be a hassle on tiled surfaces.

I agree. I am envious of friends who installed granite tile worktops. Easy clean, (relatively) inexpensive, wear like iron, and make a nice work surface for candy & pastry making endeavors.

TammyM