Granite Counter Tops

I'm on my third house with granite. I think I might like to try one with concrete, but my first choice from experience is granite.

As for butcher block, they have health issues if they are too large to clean easily, but then, the old butchers didn't seem to have a lot of problems, did they?

Steve

Reply to
Steve B
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It's not going to be good for one of them. Cutting boards were invented for a reason (disposable). ;-)

Reply to
krw

Thinner granite doesn't crack? I like the massive look in a kitchen (at least a larger one, which is much preferred by SWMBO). Even laminate tops are pretty thick.

It's not *that* expensive, at least if it's not a "starter house". The lower end stuff can be had for $40/ft^2, or so, installed. Even some of them come with granite, now.

Reply to
krw

When I was in high school, I worked in a grocery store and butcher shop. At the end of the day it was my job to clean the butcher blocks. We put sawdust and scraped them, then wiped with a bleach solution.

Cared for properly, there are no health issues.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

You cannot argue this point with some people, though. My daughter and SIL will eat only begrudgingly out of our kitchen because we use wood cutting boards and even (GASP!) synthetic ones that could harbor bacteria. Not sure what they cut on at home. Yeah, this is the couple that replace their kitchen sink scrubbies and sponges twice a year. Whether they need it or not.

Steve

Reply to
Steve B

Many commercial kitchens use color coded plastic cutting boards.

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Particularly useful in long term care and hospitals where you got fed, state and local inspectors breathing down your neck.

Reply to
gonjah

Wood has natural anti-bacterial properties. Plastic does not. Either works if you clean it properly between uses.

Reply to
krw

mcp6453 wrote in news:yMGdnS-Dh7eZp7DSnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@giganews.com:

o granite we must have granite. Man, those people are too stupid. Next year it'll be something else.

Reply to
Earl

No, after having granite countertops, she won't have anything else. They actually *are* better than the laminate crap. Sorry if you can't afford it.

Reply to
krw

Some of those "crap" laminate counters hold up well for several years.

Reply to
gonjah

Doubt you'll ever get your money back going high end on any renovation, especially in this home market. Just get what you like.

Personally, what's in the kitchen never mattered to me or my wife when we were looking for a house. For us, as they say, it's was mostly location. When we looked at this house, which I really liked for the location, structural soundness, and good mechanicals, I thought the kitchen would kill the deal for my wife. Small, not much counter space (formica), painted built-in cabinets with poor drawer fit. She didn't blink, even when I pressed her about the kitchen. She said we can improve it later. I was probably brainwashed by all the bullshit put out by the "home improvement" marketeers as to how the kitchen had to be just so.. And she's a professional chef. Not saying she thinks about this like other women though. BTW, she uses hard plastic cutting boards, and they just get washed with the rest of the dishes.

We were just talking about finally redoing the kitchen, mostly to gain more counter space and to add a dishwasher. Her big complaint is not enough counter space. Only have counter on one wall, with the sink and dish drain rack taking all but 3 feet of it. Which means we'll put cabinets/counter on the other wall and have to remove the kitchen table. No other way. Only way to eat in there will be on stools, either on the wall counter or a small island. I'll have to tear out the sink wall and have an electrician wire that up properly, and put outlets in the wall getting the new counter.

She doesn't care what the countertops are made of, and doesn't care if I pick up used cabinets from Craigslist or off the street on garbage day. Just wants more counter space. Gives me a lot of flexibility. I'll probably get the counters made up at a big box of mid-range laminate. Oops. I just asked her, and she said she really likes the looks of granite, but a granite laminate will do. We'll see. I'm going to go with whatever she wants. She's been patient for 15 years, only cussing about it a few times.

--Vic

Reply to
Vic Smith

mcp6453 wrote in news:yMGdnS-Dh7eZp7DSnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@giganews.com:

Why do you need to decorate your kitchen? Doesn't your food taste good ubless you decorate like a fruitcake?

Reply to
frag

Thanks, Han. Any idea/guess as to what percentage is quartz vs the matrix?

Reply to
dadiOH

"dadiOH" wrote in news:jgm780$cl1$ snipped-for-privacy@dont-email.me:

Oops, I lost my cheatsheet with your real name, sorry. No I don't know the %. Even the little quartz-less patch in the counter is plenty hard. And the stuff IS heavy. If you want to come by to take a look, just ask. I'm in 07410.

Reply to
Han

Agreed. Granite has followed the classic pricing curve. It remains expensive to transport because of its weight, but has gone from something that required hand cutting and polishing, to something that is essentially mass produced.

They also started out much thicker than standard thicknesses today, which required reinforced cabinetry and added to transport costs. Today 3cm tops can go on standard cabinets and some builders are using 2cm.

Reply to
Robert Neville

I have maple counter tops but they are finished with poly urethane., They are not cutting boards. I have a big cutting board surface over the stainless counter top between the stove and sink that is treated appropriately. I did not believe the maple would hold up but I am over 10 years into it and they are doing fine with pretty rough usage. The one that really takes a beating is due for another coat of urethane (first time it needs it) but that is no big deal.

Reply to
gfretwell

Sure, but crap is always crap. Once you go granite, she'll never go back to laminate. BTDT.

Reply to
krw

I must not be trying hard enough. I can't imagine how one would go about scratching Corian. Their web site says scratches can be easily repaired.

Reply to
Dan Espen

A knife.

Sure, by a professional. So can wood and it's not plastic.

Reply to
krw

...

Doesn't take anything particularly difficult nor a "professional" to rub out a scratch in any of the manmade finishes. All the ones I've had occasion to either install or have come w/ a small repair kit and instructions for the homeowner and materials are readily available.

It's nothing magic at all...

Reply to
dpb

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