countertops

[cassie]

Anybody have any input on kitchen counter tops? I am thinking about quartz or granite but if there is something out there that is cheaper but still good, I would like to hear about it. And if there is something I need to steer clear of, I would like to hear about that, too.

 

[Rich386]

If you are doing it yourself you can save a ton of money. I did mine with granite tile and used a coped granite edge. I have had it done about two years now and am very happy with it.

 

[platinum]

I haven't done it myself, but I am looking into concrete countertops. I love the way they can look, especially since you can shape them into virtually everything.

http://www.houzz.com/photos/kitchen/concrete-countertops-

I saw a video of a professional doing it on youtube and the results were amazing. It didn't look hard, but I don't think I'd be capable of doing it. Not sure how much it costs though.

 

[ChickensRDinos]

I redid my counter tops last year and ended up going with granite. I went direct to a company that does prefab granite rather than going to the yard and picking a slab. It was WAY cheaper and I was able to get a nicer granite for a lot less than I thought. It all depends on the layout and size of your kitchen and if you have an island and what not but the prefab granite can look just as good as not prefab and is great for the money in most spaces.

I paid to have the granite installed but did the glass tile back splash myself. That also saved quite a bit.

 

[cassie]

Thank you for your input. I am now leaning toward granite with a tile backsplash. Lowes in our area is having a big promotion on granite and it is far more affordable than I thought it would be. Of course the color I liked best was not on special. Do you have any complaints about the granite?

 

[ChickensRDinos]

I love the granite and would do it again in a heart beat. You just want to make sure to seal it every 6 months or so but it is super easy. The granite is really easy to clean. I have also been really happy with the tile backsplash. I think it looks a little more modern and it was also cheaper than paying to bring the granite up.

You may want to look into side-stepping lowes or home depot just to see. They are just a middle man and contract out all that work so you might be able to get better prices if you go direct to a granite company. Depends on how great their sale is and if you are wanting to finance or not I guess. The prefab companies will be cheaper than the custom slab ones but will have less options.

 

[cassie]

Right now it is $35 per square foot installed. I think that is good, but I really don't know. Opinions?

 

[ChickensRDinos]

I paid $25 a sq foot installed. It was probably a little over a year ago now.

I had to buy 3 pre-fab slabs to complete my kitchen -- each was 16 sq and I paid $1200 total. The square footage was over what I actually needed but I kept the extra piece and it is big enough to use for the sink in my hallway bathroom when I get around to fixing that up someday.

 

[bakerjw]

Although granite looks good, I did our counter top with a rose colored marble. The one thing to keep in mind with any tile job is preparation. There has to be a solid foundation for the tile to lay on as it doesn't take flexing very well. I did ours with 3/4" plywood and then 1/2" hardibacker board. Hardibacker is much better than cement board IMHO. If you do it yourself, make sure that you use non sanded grout. Most grout uses sand as a filler and it can scratch surfaces as you wipe it off after applying it.

 

[ChickensRDinos]

I agree that marble is beautiful. All the stone colors and patterns I really loved at the stone yard ended up being marble to my disappointment. I think the only concern with marble is that it is a much more porous stone and is a little more tricky to clean and maintain -- more prone to stains or etching. Not terribly so if you love the look. Lots of people make it work just fine. But, if you use your kitchen a ton it may be a hassle. Quartz or granite are generally a little more durable.