Granite Tile vs. Formica Countertops

BigRedFan

Due to budget constraints developed by the fact we are not going to be in this house much longer. We are looking at either doing a granite tile or formica countertop in our kitchen.

What are the pros/cons to each

Jackofall1

Granite, more expensive, cold, scratches, water marks, more difficult to install all negatives........heat resistant a positive

Premade, easy to install, less expensive, comes in many styles and colors all positives.........not heat resistant a negative.

Mark

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joecaption

Check out the ones Home Depot is now stocking. Look just like stone and have a roman ogee on the front and back edges.
Tiles are a pain to to do something as simple as wiping down the counter.

GBrackins

granite makes most people say, "Wow! they have granite counter tops! I wanted granite counter tops!" besides what has been said about cons, I'd add it needs to be sealed approximately every year. granite is porous and will allow liquids (such as chicken fluids) to file the voids if not sealed.

formica, depends on the individual style. my mom has had formica in her kitchen since 1973 and still holding up. of course there is the one place a hot pot was set down by mistake

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sdsester

Formica gets a bad rep because we all think of the cheesy speckled 60s stuff with dark edges. You can get it in 1000s of patterns, colors, surface textures, etc. it is worth looking at---just for the price point. You can pull off a nice looking kitchen given all the design options. It comes solid core so you don't see a dark edge anymore.

Now then. The other thing to consider is whether stone fits with the kitchen and style of the house? I think it looks blazingly stupid in some authentic and period kitchens that never would have had it for the first 150 years of their life. Nothing shocks me like walking into a gorgeous, nicely restored Victorian and encountering a glaring 21st Century kitchen. It look unnatural and feels weird.

You might be able to simulate a better and more appropriate look with a laminate. Or better yet, some other material.

Granite is the current craze but my clients were already growing tired of it and wanted something else like copper, butcher block in more areass, glass, art glass or terrazo type glass. And granite comes in a wide variety of grades with the cheapest destiined to look and act really bad in five to ten years I fear. I wouldn't put the box store stone in a project of mine. If you go granite, go to a granite company.

And finally, I think granite tile countertops too tricky to pull off so they look nice.

The good news is the craze and the economy has created a surplus of stone laying around so you can get some decent prices on nice stone. And a stone company will tool it to your specs and install it properly.

The other option if you are set on granite but just trying to sell the house? Try one of the granite refacing products. I wouldn't want the risk of the stuff chipping off into my salad but some people have had good luck with the new Rustoleum countertop granite finish. I have seen kitchens done with those granite overlays that fit over existing countertops. Will they hold up? Too new to tell but they may get as much mileage as cheap stone. And I do I like leaving sub-standard materials for new owners like flippers do? No.

Usually you will get any money you put in a kitchen right back out when you sell. But they have become more and more personalized spaces and what you pick to sell the place may be the thing that makes a buyer cringe most. If you get one of my former clients that would scream if they saw another granite countertop, all would be lost. They might not have liked your Formica choice but would have no hesitation about changing it out.

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ddawg16

Granit 'tile'? Do you mean just a solid piece?

Personally....have used Formica (which is a trade name that is now generic) vs tile vs granit slab......I will never do anything else but granit....but that is me....

With tile....you still have the issue of stains in the grout....but you can seal them....just like you can seal granit.....

Formica.....actually....the best bang for the buck....but I prefer granit....

You didn't mention Corian.....which I think is a viable option....it too has it's issues (do NOT put a hot pot on it)....but it's an option...

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retro

you can also look for granite mini slabs. They are around 18x26 and considerably less expensive than a full slab. Also a lot less grout lines to keep clean.

BigRedFan

I think we have decided to use a system like the following...lazygranite.com

For our kitchen which is about 36 sq ft of countertops it would be $990 for all the supplies with an undermount sink, or about $700 if we wanted to be a standard sink

I dont think we will find anything else that is that good of a price that doesnt not involve using 12x12 tiles

Fix'n it

i know some idiots that did black granite tiles on their counter top, 24x24" i think. it turned out pretty nice.
i was suprised that those boobs could do it that well. saying that, it should be pretty easy.

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smalpierre

Formica scratches much easier than granite.