Any quartz countertop fans out there?

laurap_2007

16 years ago

Am going to redo my kitchen and am 99% sure I am going with Silestone (blanco maple color of choice). I have a small, dark kitchen and need a light colored countertop, and I love the "indestructibility" of silestone as well as the translucent look of it versus Corian. Plus, I can use an undermounted sink with it. Any other pluses I'm missing, or is there anyone out there NOT happy with their quatz countertop?

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chipshot

16 years ago

Quartz counter in DD's bath will be Bianco Neve. About as white as it gets.

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Comments (36)

patches_02
16 years ago
We have the center isle with the quartz and love it. Had it a year now with no problems. Do have corian on counter tops.
chedanemi
16 years ago
I'm a happy quartz fan! I have had Cambria Bristol Blue for more than two years now, and it looks as good as the day it was installed. The little chunks of quartz really shine when the light hits it. I have the undermount sink as well. I really couldn't be happier with my choice.
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Here are a some pics and my dilemma. Keep in mind this is my old fridge...new one comes today! Here is how we ended up with this: I have never had an enclosed fridge so didn't think about the peninsula dying into panels or how deep panels were going to be. I "semi" designed the new footprint and took it to Lowe's where the KD took over. (yes---I know......) Bought Schuler plywood with maple fronts cabinets. Although the kitchen designer had the model number of the fridge we were buying, which is a full-size, she designed the kitchen with 24" deep panels. She knew I was trying to have the look of an enclosed fridge. Being that I've never had an enclosed fridge, it was something I just didn't think of until the install started. Evidently she put a counter-depth in the design program because the elevation sketches she gave me showed an enclosed fridge. "Luckily" the panels actually came in wrong and were cut at only 23" for some strange reason and the installer caught it right away when looking over everything. Otherwise he probably would have installed them and I would be stuck. So called Lowe's to reorder the panels and somehow in all this it suddenly dawned on me that a full size fridge was going to be deeper and require deeper panels. I thought "no problem! Yay I can order them at 30!" By this time the KD had quit her job due to the pandemic. The other KD didn't know what was going on so we called in the Schuler rep. She was the one who immediately told me that those 30" panels would be sticking out in front of the peninsula. She asked if we could move the peninsula forward since the other side is an overhang for seating, but we couldn't since it would bottleneck the entrance into the kitchen down to under 36" and getting rid of an existing bottleneck was one of the reasons for the re-design to start with. So we had a dilemma. We cannot go down to a counter depth fridge which was the other option. What I decided was to split the difference and order 27" refrigerator panels. The fridge without doors is 29.5" so I will have about 3" of the side of the fridge sticking out which I don't like, but while I want my kitchen to look beautiful, I value the functionality too. The old fridge that you see in the pic sticks out a total of 32" The new fridge will stick out 34 with doors but without handles (4.5" of that is doors that would stick out anyway) Here's the really complicated part....we will be installing decorative panels on the end of the fridge as we have them on all the cabinets. This is how you enter the kitchen and I don't want that big blank space there next to the peninsula. The panels should be installed with just 1/4" reveal. I posted a photo below of how the panels look that are already installed on the side of the pantry that adjoins to a 17" high window seat. Luckily those face the opposite way from the fridge panels so you will never see both at the same time. I also posted photos of us holding up panels on the side of the fridge (they are NOT the right size panels...we have to order those still---we just used these to look at the right edge as to how wide to make the panels.) Also keep in mind we can remove the quartz backsplash piece if that would look better. That was not originally planned...the panels were going to sit directly on top of the countertop. So do we order the panels with just the 1/4" reveal to match the panels in the rest of the kitchen? Or, as the Schuler rep recommended, order the panels so they are the same width with the countertop, leaving about 1 3/4" reveal on the right side, but then your eye follows the countertop all the way up. I asked the countertop templater guy if I should just lengthen the overhang on the kitchen side of the peninsula to 2.5" to bring it out to within 1/4" of the fridge panel but he said no....I'm now thinking I should have insisted on it. Especially since we have full overlay cabinets that already make the overlay look very small since the 1.5" planned overhang is measured from the box, not the front of the drawers. Note how small the overhang looks to the drawers. And then of course, they had templated for a 1.5" overhang and I only got 1.25" UGH! Every quarter inch there would have made the reveal on the side of the fridge less. Suggestions appreciated! I'm hoping that I will eventually make peace in my mind with this issue and won't notice it but it is driving me crazy right now. I think of all the things that screwed up just because of this one error by the KD that I didn't catch and I am beating myself up for it!
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laurap_2007
Original Author
16 years ago
yes, the Blanco Maple is a light beige background with little bits of grayish quartz that I am crazy about. One more question, do you ever put hot pots directly on the quartz countertop, or is that a no no?
divamum
16 years ago
We have a Cambria quartz counter, and I'm loving it more each day. We picked it up secondhand (original installation about 3 years ago, I believe), and it still looks fantastic!
saskatchewan_girl
16 years ago
I just had to take a look at this topic!!! I was hoping to see a pic or two : ( We just had our counters templated for Cambria quartz!!! Good to hear such positive feedback. I know I'm a research NUT but it sure sounds like the best thing out there, on paper, so it's good to hear from ppl who've had a few years : )
laurap_2007
Original Author
16 years ago
well I have found out that hot items are NOT to be placed directly on quartz countertops for long periods of time, but that's Okay -- done lots of research and quartz meets more of my needs (plus beautiful appearance) than any other countertop out there. Glad to hear from those of you who have had your quartz countertops a year + and are very happy with your choice.
chedanemi
16 years ago
This is actually one of a cake I made for my niece, but it's a pretty good picture of the quartz countertop as the backdrop.
laurap_2007
Original Author
16 years ago
gorgeous blue color - what color are your cabs?
mommyof5
16 years ago
I'm in the planning stage of our new kitchen and really wanted Santa Cecelia granite, but now am looking at Hansstone quartz. Victorian sands on the creamy white perimeter cabinets and Odessey on the stained island. Just got a quote back for 123 linear ft., backsplash, main sink and island sink, edge and installation $9150.00. The Cambria quote was $10,600.
chedanemi
16 years ago
My cabinets are Maple Frost... can't remember what brand. By the way, as you can see, there is still no back splash... any ideas???
divamum
16 years ago
Here ya go!

This was while they were installing.
rucnmom
16 years ago
We put Hanstone "Victorian Sands" (cream painted cabs) in the inlaw addition we built last yeat for MIL. Looks great and no problems. I picked it because I wanted a uniformly appearing product.
Happyladi
16 years ago
I have had mine almost 5 years and am very happy with them. My husband puts hot pots on them, though I tell him not to. He doesn't listen well.

I do have two very small "chips" in a spot that gets a lot of use. I can feel them and can see them if I hold my head at an angle and look across the counter. I don't know if it can be repaired.
eal51
16 years ago
Absolutely a fan of quartz!!!!!!!

We had the Zodiaq brand installed two years and couldn't be happier. We went with a dark green, can't remember the name and of course I can't find the paperwork. Works great with our white cabinets, oak floors and matches the green marble around the fireplace in the family room/ great room.

Durable, easy to keep clean and it sparkles!!!

Enjoy the journey.

eal51 in western CT
hapyfrustrated
16 years ago
I have the Cambria and love it! Can't remember the name and have no idea how to post the pics. It has beige,dark brown, and black. It shines and sparkles all of the time, and very very easy to clean. I also have a Blanco silgranite sink in black, it is beautiful!

I would never put a hot pot on it, but, I would never put a hot pot on any surface, my installer told me if he had it in his house, he would not put hot pots on it either!

Wish I was not so computer handicapped, or I would show you how pretty it really is. I also went to a Silestone showroom, they have huge slabs and many many more colors than you will see in the big stores!
saskatchewan_girl
16 years ago
Hapyfrustrated, I'd love to see your quartz!
To post a pic just open a photobucket.com acct and put it in there, then copy the html (3rd line down) under the pic and paste it in your post : ) Ta da !
ccc123
16 years ago
We're looking at quartz too: Caesarstone "Blizzard".

It's the whitest white quartz I can find. Although it looks a little grey to me. Does anyone have Caesarstone "Blizzard"?

Loved the Cambria for its higher gloss. Gorgeous! But didn't want speckles.

I also looked at IceStone, which is beautiful, but needs to be resealed yearly like granite, etc.

I've seen Glacier White Corian in kitchens but it gets too scratched up.

Love the idea of quartz! No maintenance. Hurray!
try_hard
16 years ago
I am a quartz fan! I installed Hanstone quartz in my kitchen 2 years ago and now we're building a new house and I'm putting quartz in the bathrooms and laundry room. I originally planned to put quartz in the kitchen, too, but DH saw a granite that he immediately fell in love with so we went with granite in the kitchen.

You'll love it!

try_hard
caligirl_cottage
16 years ago
I'm definitely going for quartz because if I can't have soapstone, that's my second choice. I don't like the look of granite personally, but there are some great quartz tops that are really lovely and don't become the center of attention.
tonilynne
16 years ago
We have Silestone Rosa Grey and we love it. I love the uniform pattern, but it has a lot of depth to it as well. It's very easy to keep; I am incapable of babying my kitchen, and this countertop is definitely a workhorse.
champagne_taste
16 years ago
Glad to see so many people who have had good experience w/ quartz. It is reassuring, as I just ordered mine a couple of days ago. I hear so much buzz about granite, but after looking at all of the samples (both quartz and granite), quartz came closest to the color I wanted (Galaxy Black). Plus, I knew I wouldn't take the time to do all the sealing, etc. required of granite, though it is beautiful.

Will try and post pics once my tops are installed. They are saying 3 weeks. Never posted pics online before, but I'll TRY!
ccc123
16 years ago
Thanks for all the great info!
cpanther95
16 years ago
Just changed our minds from granite (which we've wanted for years) to quartz. Seeing the Cambria lineup changed our minds. Not crazy about the remote, but possible, issue of staining or cracking of granite.
skip97
16 years ago
We are very happy with our Silestone countertop. I would recommend you go with a deep stainless sink to faciliate pot washing. With our sink we had the countertop extend slightly over the sink edge to prevent water sitting around the perimeter of the sink. Also talk with your fabricator about where they would put seams if necessary to make sure you agree. We stayed with fairly simple squared type edge with a slight rounded top edge. We decided to make the backsplash ourselves. See some things to consider at the link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Kitchen Remodel with Quartz Countertop
chipshot
16 years ago
Caesarstone Pacific Reflections planned for kitchen island and another, whiter quartz material whose name I can't remember for DD's bathroom.
jrdown
16 years ago
I, too, have the Cambria Bristol Blue and think it is just lovely. Until now, I didn't know anyone else that has a blue countertop but it is unique and very pretty. I love the smaller whitish/silver quartz pieces. They look spectacular gleaming in the sun or the overhead light!

I hace put hot pots on it and especially when I am mashing potatoes. Never had a problem and I only use Formula 409 to clean it with ........ it's a breeze!

Robyn
lynninnewmexico
16 years ago
I love, love, love my Dark Canyon Silestone. We've had it in for 3 months now and it's a cinch to clean. I just use a (generic) spray bottle filled with 1/3 parts white vinegar to water to clean it with. I've been told by the manager of the counter place and the installers that the only pots you shouldn't put down on it are the cast iron ones, because of their high heat retention. Another plus is that I never have to reseal it. Silestone (and granite) also will defrost things very quickly, because of super-fast heat transference.
greenandgold
16 years ago
CCC123 I saw the Ceasarstone "Blizzard" installed in a showroom, and it looked really good. I was surprised how much I liked it, because I didn't really like it in the little sample square. Sometimes those little squares don't show the color to its best advantage. I thought it looked pretty darn white, if I recall.

We've chosen Ceasarstone "Rosemary" after much deliberation, and I cannot wait to have it installed. Sort of a greyish color with a hint of green. Very light on the speckles--we didn't want too much color variation in the pattern, and this color has less "movement" than many of the others.
alanandnancy
16 years ago
Count me in - planning on Caesarstone Verde - has a couple of greens with some black. Trying to decide if our Blanco silgranite should be white or anthracite. I love the black sink, not sure if it will look ok with our white appliances.
--Nancy
mlraff53
16 years ago
I just got my Silestone Coral Troya on Friday and I LOVE IT!!!
chipshot
16 years ago
Has anyone compared Caesarstone Pacific Reflections with Zodiaq Celestial Blue?
ponydoc
16 years ago
Just had our quartz installed last week. We are not living with it yet.... cannot wait! We chose Zodiaq - the dark is Mystic black and the lighter- you can just catch the corner of it in this photo- is Lunar Pearl.

I am in love with the Mystic Black and DH is in loev with the Lunar Pearl!
lsbutler2000
16 years ago
I have Caesarstone copper abyss in my kitchen - got them right before Christmas and love them! They are easy to clean and look really nice!
cpanther95
16 years ago
Am I crazy for loving this edge style (see link) Would it be impractical in a kitchen?

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:1587250}}
scottwjenkins_gmail_com
15 years ago
I'm glad to see so many quartz countertop fans out there. As an architectural designer I am a big fan of recommending superior products.

You'll have no complaints. There are lots of resources for quartz countertops on the web and the list seems to grow daily as quartz gains in popularity. I have sent a couple clients to this site that have had similar questions about quartz.

Here is a link that might be useful: Quartz Countertops