topic Re: Kitchen Countertops- Granite vs Cambria in Kitchen

Kitchen Countertops- Granite vs Cambria

Twins Mom — Wed, 07 Nov 2018 15:28:32 GMT

Thought I had this decided. Cambria looked like good alternative since lower maintenance but have heard some negative on customer service and quality. Any experiences to share? Opinions.

Re: Kitchen Countertops- Granite vs Cambria

scoop — Wed, 07 Nov 2018 15:38:57 GMT

I have Corian in my kitchen but we renovated 2 bathrooms a couple years ago and put Cambria Quartz on my vanities. I love it and it always looks nice. If I were to replace the kitchen countertops, I will use the Quartz. The one and only thing I don't like about granite is that if you have to have it pieced together, you always notice the line no matter how good your tile person is. Quartz, if I'm not mistaken, is much more durable and there is really no maintenance involved. Hope this helps!

Re: Kitchen Countertops- Granite vs Cambria

CAMOGIRL — Wed, 07 Nov 2018 15:48:51 GMT

I did granite thru out my house, and love it.

Re: Kitchen Countertops- Granite vs Cambria

Sooner — Wed, 07 Nov 2018 15:54:15 GMT

We have had granite in our last two houses and I have had no problems at all with it. We had a very dark one in the last house and have a very light cream colored here.

We hardly ever "seal" them, just wipe off as you would any counter top. I don't let things sit that might stain like beet juice or olive oil, but I wouldn't do that on any counter top anyway.

Don't be afraid of granite. The haters for some reason come out to say it is high maintenance, but I've sure not found that to be true in the last 25 years of having it.

Re: Kitchen Countertops- Granite vs Cambria

kaydee50 — Wed, 07 Nov 2018 16:07:14 GMT

In the condo we bought last year we have black granite kitchen counters and we both hate it!! And as a previous poster mentioned, if you have to have separate pieces--our counter is 10 feet long--the seem is noticable and attracts crumbs.

I am hoping to replace it next year and it won't be with granite. We have corian in our NV home and love it. Will also look into quartz but cost will be a factor. Not sure at this point how they all compare.

Re: Kitchen Countertops- Granite vs Cambria

Fressa — Wed, 07 Nov 2018 16:15:00 GMT

I have the Corian in the kitchen and two bathrooms. Love it! Really doesn't require any special maintainece or cleaners. I am happy with my choice.

Re: Kitchen Countertops- Granite vs Cambria

Carmie — Wed, 07 Nov 2018 17:26:56 GMT

I have a dark granite in my kitchen and one bathroom. I love it. It is seamed in the kitchen in one place, but not noticeable at all. The company that made and installed my counter tops are a small mom and pop business who learned the craft in Italy where everything is done with stone.

I wish I would have chosen a lighter color though. Dark anything shows fingerprints and streaks. It is beautiful though.

I have quartz counter tops in the other three bathrooms. I love it too. I chose a light color that is gray and beige and cream.

Both of the materials are easy care. I just spray a stone cleaner and polish on them and dry with a paper towel to keep them looking nice. The newer seals last a lifetime. My granite is 9 years old and has never been resealed, nor will it have to be.

The price of each was about the same. I would suggest you get what appeals to you and chose a place that does excellent work. I have seen some poor installations and crafting of the stones. Both are wonderful products. It's just a matter of personal taste.

Re: Kitchen Countertops- Granite vs Cambria

GraceLady — Wed, 07 Nov 2018 16:47:19 GMT

I am a huge fan of quartz, Cambria in particular. Quartz is no maintenance, where granite does stain and does need to be resealed. We all have our preferences though.

I am surprised to hear Corian mentioned. I haven't heard the mention of Corian in years. I didn't know it was still around.

Re: Kitchen Countertops- Granite vs Cambria

Allegheny — Wed, 07 Nov 2018 19:18:18 GMT

I did my kitchen countertops and entire backsplash to the cabinets in Cambria ten years ago.

Have encountered no issues. It is easy to maintain. Installers did a wonderful job seaming the horizontal pieces. I have to look very hard to locate them. Vertical seaming is much more difficult do disquise if one is planning on using it as a back splash. I have accidentally chipped a couple areas on the edges surrounding my undermount sink. Totally my fault when washing some pots. Cambria was willing to send a representative on a 2 hour drive to look at these areas and see if there was something they could do to rectify the chips.

I researched the company for 2 years before I selected. I liked what I read about the company and their standards.

Re: Kitchen Countertops- Granite vs Cambria

Twins Mom — Wed, 07 Nov 2018 20:03:41 GMT

@Allegheny
Thanks for input. Does it chip when hit when with pots and pans? I am doing undercounter sink.

Re: Kitchen Countertops- Granite vs Cambria

ID2 — Wed, 07 Nov 2018 21:04:52 GMT

When we built our cottage, 4 years ago, I was a stickler on trying to use natural products. I had Corian, when it first came out in my first house, back in 1989 and I HATED it! But it was new on the market so I'm sure its better now but I still won't own it. What turns me off about Quartz is its a man-made product. Not real. I opted for granite counter tops throughout my home. And in my neck of the woods, granite is cheaper than fake quartz. My granite is cinch to take care of and looks gorgeous all the time!

Re: Kitchen Countertops- Granite vs Cambria

Sooner — Wed, 07 Nov 2018 21:33:12 GMT

It's funny to me about all the "resealing" stuff about granite. We had the dark for 20 years, and we maybe "resealed" it four times. The resealing involved clearing off the top of stuff that was sitting on it, wiping it down and giving it a good clean (just like I did the formica ones occasionally), squirting on the cleaner/sealer and letting it dry, and putting stuff back on.

I am not lying when I say it went years between "sealing" at times, and I never really saw much of a difference. And we used those countertops hard! We never thought about sealing them again when we sold the house. It just wasn't an issue.

Re: Kitchen Countertops- Granite vs Cambria

faeriemoon — Wed, 07 Nov 2018 21:39:37 GMT

I am a proponent of "natural" elements, so I love granite, marble and quartzite.

Re: Kitchen Countertops- Granite vs Cambria

Allegheny — Thu, 08 Nov 2018 00:47:11 GMT

@Twins Mom To answer your question regarding chips. In ten years I have two tiny chips. I have an undermount sink, and the edge design on the quartz is the treeline edge, often called a bevel edge. The edge surrounding the sink does not chip easily. It was totally my error. I believe I was handling a large hot pot, draining water into the sink and the bottom of the pot slipped and hit the edge of the sink. They are small, really not noticable to anyone but me. I try to be pretty careful when washing anything that protrudes over the edge, but I have banged it a few times with pot handles and have had no further chips.