Countertop Geology, Part Six. Let's talk about rocks some more!
karin_mt
9 years ago
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karin_mt
3 years agoMarguerite Mastromatto
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoRelated Discussions
Countertop Geology: Marble and quartzite and granite, oh my!
Comments (162)I am so confused and frazzled. Every time I think I have a handle on this durability and non porous thing, I choose a stone and after research find so many things potentially wrong with it. I saw a beautiful slab of Macaubus Fantasy, but have since seen mention that it will stain. I need something that is fairly indestructible. I live near the beach and have lots of company, but I am often away for a week at a time and not around to keep wiping the countertops. Even if I am home, I don't want to baby a countertop that will never grow up. Which of these stones should I stay away from and which are definitely good? Macaubus Fantasy "Quartzite" Allure Quartzite (does practicality increase/decrease if it's leathered?) River Blue Granite Or are my only sure choices Taj Mahal or Sea Pearl? I'd appreciate any feedback...See MoreGranite countertops - would you do it again? Why or why not?
Comments (60)For those who asked, my granite was called "New Golden Beach". After choosing it I googled the name hoping to see images of it used on finished countertops. What I kept getting were pictures of "Golden Beach" which is far more golden and tan than mine. Mine's a cream base with taupe striations and flecks of black. It is much cooler in tone than Golden Beach which to me has a yellowy cast. When I went looking for granite at the huge stone yard outside of Boston that my KD recommended, I was surprised to find very few slabs in white & cream that had muted patterning. They told me that those like mine flew out the door as soon as they got them in. They said it was because most who wanted that look were going with marble or quartzite, of which they had plenty. They tried to persuade me to consider one of those but I said I didn't know anyone personally who'd had a great track record using it the way I knew it would be used in my kitchen. The rep said that was the reason the light granite stones were taken so quickly. Customers like me who wanted the light stone but felt more secure with granite chose them over marble and quartz/quartzite. I selected my stone 2 years ago. Since then I have seen a number of people here install quartzite and/or quartz countertops and give positive reviews about their performance with regard to being stain and heat resistant. I still think granite was the best look for me in this kitchen, and it sure has stood up to all manner of things like lemon juice, red wine, ketchup, blueberry jam, etc, that might have been bad news with other more porous stones and choices. That said, I think there's a lot to choose from other than granite & laminate....See MoreAdvice on Quartzite Countertops
Comments (68)We also abandoned the search for quartzite and ended up going with Silver Waves granite. It has similar "motion" to the one we had except it's black/white/gray. They're (different company!!) coming Monday to template....See MoreMarble Looking Countertops
Comments (7)Super white that etches is not quartzite; it is marble. Quartzite does not etch. Take a look at any of the contertop geology threads on the kitchen forum. Here is a link to the most recent: http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2692150/countertop-geology-part-six-lets-talk-about-rocks-some-more?n=597 IMHO nothing compares to marble. Can you find a nice light granite or quartz countertop? Sure. But the marble-look-a-like quartz products pale in comparison to real marble. If you decide to go that route, I would highly recommend seeing a full slab of the quartz as the small samples can look pretty good (as do pictures online), but seeing the full slab in person is very different. Folks here seem to have luck with Minuet by LG Viatera as a marble-look-a-like quartz. Another option could be white quartz counters and marble backsplash....See MoreMarguerite Mastromatto
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