Best countertop material for a busy kitchen?
AKJR
9 years ago
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funkycamper
9 years agoJillius
9 years agoRelated Discussions
Counter-top Advice for old outdated farm kitchen
Comments (4)You need to do some homework. Every material has it's pros and cons, and it all comes down to what you are willing to live with. "Best" is completely subjective. Frankly, if my DH had not felt so strongly about our using a "higher end" counter top (we ended up with engineered quartz) I would have done a laminate. They are durable, warm, soft, and very inexpensive. Completely low-maintenance if you are not careless about using them. Our quartz will be fine, and looks fantastic, but we spent nearly three times what we could have spent on a high-end laminate. IKEA has some DIY laminate for incredibly little cost if you are willing to put in the effort and will buy you plenty of time to do some research on your countertop options. Here is a link that might be useful: IKEA wood and laminate countertops...See MoreHelp in choosing counter top material!!!!!!
Comments (94)Every choice has pluses and minuses, in the end you have to choose which plus and which minus matters the most to you and/or which have an easy fix (like using a cutting board under the crockpot; at work we have an extra piece under the big coffeemaker). budget mattered a lot to me (and I hated formica) so, I ended up with a lesser expensive granite and am very happy, no sealing or extra work for the stone I chose. I had formica previously which looked like h#*! from the day I moved in and didn't get better (except that I could use bleach to remove stains) so those of you whose formica looks like new after 30 years must be taking appropriate care -- using cutting boards (mine had little cuts all over) and so forth -- where my previous owners did not. But, I read that formica now is much better quality than what was installed 30 or 40 years ago. I looked at Burled Beach and liked it. It looked a warm sand-ish color on my samples in my house, but I saw a demo kitchen of it at a big box store and it was a warm greenish tone (I still liked it) under their fluorescent lights. You always have to ability to STOP and make changes unless the cabinets are all already made. If he is just now starting it might not be too late -- call him now! PS do you have an IKEA near to you? Most counter materials are less expensive there....See MoreHelp with kitchen counter-tops is really needed...
Comments (42)for the handles, may I suggest something to pick up on the hues in the flooring? A little more copper toned. you have light cabs, light floors. I think throwing in a dark ORB w/o actual copper highlights would be too much of a contrast. IMO. cypress park Sandra, I like the porcelain one better than the other one. Does the backsplash have to be done immediately? If the tones in the porcelain tile you picked clash w/the ivory tones in the counter, it could be a problem. However, I did find some copper toned ones that should be avail. these are porcelain/SS, and treated so as not to stain or tarnish. I LOVE these for your kitchen. timeless and gorgeous. They are probably not super cheap, but it would be worth it for me. http://www.miusartmosaics.com/arabesque-lantern-beacon-copper-tile-in these would also work. the site is here: maybe they have them in stock.http://www.westsidetile.com/arabesque-tiles/ i like this one too. notice the copper faucet. beautiful w/the glass mosaic. if you got the cream countertop, this would look amazing w/your floors. this last one is a copper colored slate/quartzite....See MoreCountertop Material for 19 SQ FT counter
Comments (41)first off, there is no such thing as a combo of marble and quartzite. I was schooled on this issue last year by a geologist that pops in every now and then. It's either a marble, or a quartzite. no in-between. ( since marble and quartzite are two very differently formed minerals) If it etches or stains at all, or it scratches w/a shard of glass, it's not quartzite. (quartzite will turn a glass shard into powder) marble is a 3 on the mohs scale, and quartzite is up in the 8 range. Completely different compositions. glass is harder than marble, but softer than granite/quartzite. this is prob the easiest test to do w/a scrap piece of whatever stone you're considering secondly, stone salesmen aren't geologists. You'd think they'd have basic knowledge of what they're selling, but sadly it's not the case. If they are telling you Fantasy Brown is a granite, they're clueless. (or more likely they know people don't want marble so they tell you it's 'granite' so that you'll buy it) Fantasy Brown is classified as Dolomite, (like Super White, that they all confuse as a Quartzite) which is marble's first cousin. Dolomite is a bit heartier than a marble like carrara. It takes a little longer for etching or staining to occur, which is prob why sellers think it's a granite. It's 'slightly' harder than calcite(marble)., but it will still scratch like marble. However, it's porous and will need to be sealed. You will have a bit longer to wipe up spills that stain, then those on marble. Geologically speaking: Dolomite is a sedimentary rock containing more than 50 percent of the mineral dolomite by weight Marble is a non-foliated metamorphic rock which is composed of recrystallized carbonate which is formed when limestone is exposed to high temperatures and pressures over a long time I believe there is a test you can do to verify if it's marble or dolomite. stones the 'bubble vigorously' or release carbon dioxide gas, are marble (since it reacts w/the calcite) . With dolomite, you won't get that bubbling gas release like it does on marble (unless it's heated or the stone is powdered) Dolomite effervesces with dilute hydrochloric acid, but slowly rather than vigorously as calcite does; in general, it appears to smolder slowly, and in some cases it does so only after the rock has been powdered or the acid warmed, or both. since this hydrochloric acid is highly dangerous, perhaps using vinegar to test on sample stones would be safer! Vinegar is a dilute acetic acid solution (about 5% to 10%) that produces a weak effervescent reaction with calcite and dolomite. It can be used instead of hydrochloric acid for introducing students to the acid test. Vinegar is easy to obtain, inexpensive, and safer to use than hydrochloric acid. The effervescence using vinegar usually requires a hand lens for clear observation and is only observable with carbonate minerals that have a strong reaction with hydrochloric acid. This is a sample marble piece at one of my stone yards. the guy used vinegar, ketchup, oil, lemon juice, and something else. They all etched or stained almost immediately. With fantasy brown, it won't happen as quickly. and that's the main diff between dolomite and marble. So, there is your geology lesson for the day. you can inform the sales guy to quit marketing his Fantasy Brown as a granite, and tell people the truth that it's Dolomite....See Morepractigal
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