Opinion on countertops please...

skipjack

Depending on how smoothly my floor tiling goes in my kitchen reno, I'm waffling between just hiring someone to install laminate countertops or tiling the countertops myself with granite.

I haven't priced it yet (hell, I haven't even ordered the cabinets!) but can anyone say how having laminate installed by a contractor compares to DIY granite tile price wise?

I realize the granite isn't maintenance free either... anyone with granite tile countertops have any regrets, complaints?

jerryh3

I did a 12" granite countertop. I don't know if I would do it again. I wish I would have spent the extra money and bought a granite slab countertop. The price to do the tile countertop was right around what a Wilsonart HD laminate top would have been.

skipjack

Jerry, I thumbed through your photos and saw a picture of your kitchen. The countertops look great. Actually, I was looking at the same style/color of cabinets also.

May I ask why?

jerryh3

I will post some more pics so you can get a better view of them. Don't get me wrong, I do like them. But, I'm not crazy about them. The Schluter Rondec edges are a little too "commercial" looking, the grout lines tend to get a little stained, and the tiles(no matter how hard I tried to keep them flat/and tiny variations in the thickness/flatness) have small variations in the height. But, the price was the selling point. The total materials for the tile countertop (about 50sft) was about 30% of what a slab granite top would have cost. The budget was tight for the remodel so we did the tile, but know I wished I would have just put the extra money into it at the time. BTW the cabinets are American Woodmark Maple Spice.

jmb324

While pricing out counter top options...you might want to look into quartz...its becoming the new "in" material as people start looking for something other than granite..my neighbor didnt want granite and was told about the quartz and hers is really sharp looking, really impressive colors swirled in and it turns out they were cheaper than granite and easier to take care of than granite...
heres a link about them if you want more info:

http://design.hgtv.com/kitchen/Artic...il.aspx?id=389

quote from the article:

"Joe Everitt, an independent contractor who has spent the last decade remodeling New York City brownstones and lofts, says that homeowners love the fact that quartz allows color choices never before available in stone. But he says the best features of quartz are actually invisible.

"These countertops are close to indestructible," explains Everitt. "They're so durable that most manufacturers offer a warranty, something you won't find with, say, granite. And quartz isn't porous like other stone surfaces, so these countertops are much more sanitary in a home kitchen. You can keep them 99.9 percent bacteria-free." This durability also means that, unlike other types of stone countertops, quartz resists staining or corrosion from cooking oils, liquids and most household cleaning products — so there's no need for periodic resealing of the surface."
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there are also some great looking stone simulated laminates out now, but the real estate genre treat laminate like the "red headed step child" now and unfortunately they dont get the re-sale value, so I dont know if thats a concern for you.
good luck with your reno.

skipjack

Quartz is interesting.. my dinnette table actually has a quartz top on it. And your right.. it is durable and clean and heavy. I'll look into pricing but with my budget, I'm not sure I can afford solid anything at the moment. Although, I'm only looking at about 35 sqft of countertop.

One of my local outlet stores is selling black galaxy granite tiles for $4.99 a sqft which caught my eye and seemed like a good deal. That got this whole ball rolling in my head in the first place. And I think the black would really stand out nice in my kitchen.

Even though I don't plan on moving... resale is always in the back of my mind. You never know when you might have to stick a "for sale" sign in the yard.

jerryh3

Check this thread. About half way down is another pic. It's the only other one I have right now.
counter remodel

skipjack

Looks great Jerry! I really like the color. The edging does give it kind of a commercial kitchen feel... which isn't bad, I don't think. I'm not sure how I'm going to handle the edges if I go ahead with this. I'm just about to spin over to the home improvement store and pick up a tile saw for my floor. I'll take a look and see what bullnose pieces are going for while I'm there.

harleysilo

Price Quartz. I love mine, but they were expensive. Did our Kitchen table in the same material. another plus, no seems anywhere.

Greytguy

We are very happy with our Silestone counters- larger color selection than granite and they don't have to be resealed.

jerryh3

If I were to do it over, I might have used a hardwood edging.

angus242

Go to a local stone supplier and see if they have remnants. Maybe they will, maybe not. If so, you can usually get a substantial discount that way. When you order a new slab (granite, quartz, etc) you have to put money down. Sometimes deals fall through or someone needs just a bit more than 1 slab so they have to waste a majority of the second. However, you're limited to what's available. Can't hurt to check it out though.

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Angus

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