Getting Overwhelmed Picking Out Countertops - Page 3

Sooner · ‎03-10-2010

Some of the light "granites" are not true "granite" and might absorb a stain if not sealed. Take a pocket knife and scratch the bottom of the slab. IF it is sandy and comes off, stay away from it.

I have had dark granite very hard counter tops for at least 15 years and nothing in the world could be easier to take care of. We hardly ever seal it. Wipe swipe and it's done when we are in the kitchen.

Look at the surface of the slab, and it should be smooth and not have a lot of obvious cracks or rough places on it . And ALWAYS look at the back of the slab. You can tell a LOT about the quality of the rock material by doing that!

We love ours--I hope you find a slab you love and make sure the company will cut it to put the seams and the patterns where they fit best for your kitchen if there is a lot of pattern. Sounds like fun, but stressful FUN!!!! Get what you love!

Lipstickdiva · ‎03-10-2010

@sweetee2 wrote:
We put in quartz. We wanted something not so bold and busy. We wanted a more calming feeling in our kitchen. Maybe that's why you are having a hard time finding something.

I'm looking at both because everywhere we are looking the slabs are intermingled together. Quartz personally doesn't appeal to me.

151949 · ‎03-09-2010

I would think the first thing would be to decide on a color you want to predominate - beige,brown, grey, black , blue ,green whatever. Then you have a starting point.When we were looking for granite/marble scrap for caps for our half walls we knew we had to match our beige walls so we eliminated anything that wasn't in the brown or beige family, which cut back tremendously on the choices and we went from there. Then you kinda have to decide if you prefer a smaller design in the stone or a larger one. I like the smaller design , one of my girlfriends really likes for the design in her granite to be a large pattern. Neither is right or wrong - just different taste.

ECBG · ‎01-08-2011

The problems the OP is having is exactly why we went with Corian. I have all one color, no sealing problems and the light color I picked works well in a kitchen that, in the woods, needs light.

RedTop · ‎09-01-2010

We updated our kitchen last year. I chose Formica countertops when the house was built, and I replaced those original countertops with more Formica. Cost was not an issue with my choice.

My goal was to update my kitchen, but stay true to the feel of the house. My home is modern, but very simple and basic---no frills, no fuss, anywhere. Staying with Formica seemed the most logical choice, and I love the look I created, which truly fits this house. I see many beautiful kitchens with granite countertops and other high end finishes, but that was not what I was going for.

Puppy Lips · ‎05-09-2010

We built our home in 2007 and have actually two colors of granite in our kitchen. We have a brownish with lots of shades in it for most of it, and solid black for the island. I love the black. The brown is okay, but if I were to do it over, I would pick something else. It hides every crumb, which is good and bad.

Take your time as this is a big decision. I am one for changing my mind over and over before finally picking something. I am good at driving myself and everyone else crazy. Good Luck and I hope you love your new kitchen.

Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else. Margaret Mead

Tigriss · ‎03-12-2010

It is said that a remodel/building of a house is a test of one's marriage and patience.

You have verified this.

Bestdressed · ‎04-18-2010

It helped when I took a sample of the cabinet door in with me to pick out a pattern/color granite slab that coordinated with right tone. Important to note: you do not have always seal granite... and you could ask which are not porous and type that do not require as much upkeep before choosing a type. Here is some helpful info:

Remember granite and marble are natural products and thus characteristics like absorbency can vary from slab to slab.A few granite varieties are very porous and should not be installed (in a kitchen anyway) because they are difficult to seal at all and may need re-sealing every year. Kashmir White granite is a good example.... Often it is like a sponge it absorbs and stains so easily. However, many granites are naturally stain-proof. These varieties are super dense and do not need sealing ever (in fact cannot be sealed)... not even once since they simply don't absorb liquids.

And applying a sealer "just to be safe" is asking for trouble. When a sealer can't absorb properly, it may leave a haze on the surface that is difficult to remove in most cases.

Plus, your slab may have been "resined" to fill in any chips or defects (a perfectly normal process). Resining will often seal a stone.

Most granites fall in between and a rough or very general guide is that "granite" will need re-sealing every 3-5 years. This generality is blandly passed about as if it is an absolute fact.

The truth is... sealing or re-sealing granite, marble or any stone depends on....

Porosity of the granite or marble

Type and quality of sealer used

Quality of sealer application

To test a piece granite and helpful info ...Google the next sentence and the 1st option should take you to very valuable info ... Sealing Granite Countertops: The real test .

Lipstickdiva · ‎03-10-2010

@151949 wrote:
I would think the first thing would be to decide on a color you want to predominate - beige,brown, grey, black , blue ,green whatever. Then you have a starting point.When we were looking for granite/marble scrap for caps for our half walls we knew we had to match our beige walls so we eliminated anything that wasn't in the brown or beige family, which cut back tremendously on the choices and we went from there. Then you kinda have to decide if you prefer a smaller design in the stone or a larger one. I like the smaller design , one of my girlfriends really likes for the design in her granite to be a large pattern. Neither is right or wrong - just different taste.

We do know what colors we want. However, the slabs aren't all grouped together in the warehouse by color. Plus, different lot numbers of the same color name yield totally different colors. There was one slab I really, really disliked. As we continued looking, I found one I really liked. It was the exact same name as the one I disliked so much but a different lot number so the colors were very different.

@Bestdressed, we do take a cabinet door with us. The first place we went, we didn't even think of that. It makes a huge difference.

Winkk · ‎03-15-2010

@ItsME wrote:
@Winkk wrote:
Can I ask? Does anyone use formica anymore? I know a lot of people like to use granite or quartz but formica was always so durable.
Where I am, that's not the norm. I'm a realtor, and granite, quartz, and man-made solid surfaces are much more common. Buyers love granite and quartz. Formica, although it usually holds up well, is passe, and will usually be ripped out in favor of something new.

I personally have corian..... Not modern (my house is almost 15 yeasrs old), but very durable and very easy. As much as I love granite, I prefer my counters to have less patterning so that I can see what's on them! A couple months ago I had sugar ants... the first time that's happened! .... and I'm afraid I wouldn't have seen them on a busier pattern!

BTY..... Formica does make solid surface counters in addition to the laminate.

@ItsME - I mentioned formica but corian is what I was thinking about. Thanks for refreshing my memory. I have corian in the bathroom and really like it. Does not stain and is easy to clean.