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Building a Home Kitchens

Marble Looking Countertops

4 years ago

I'm building a home and we're doing a white kitchen and I really love the look of marble. Real marble is out of the question because of durability. I thought super white quartzite would be the answer, but heard it etches really easily. Does any one know of a similar material that's more durable but still has the white/gray marble-ly look I want? I'm so disappointed about the quartzite. Does anyone have quartzite who can attest to its durability? I'm open to suggestions on quartz/granite etc. TIA!

Featured Answer

Lia Butler

4 years ago

Hey there! I just purchased Quartzite for my kitchen countertop in our new house build and according to everyone I have spoken to, its the best of the best as far as durability. The cool thing about quartzite is that you can sand away any scratches and it doesnt effect the finish. I actually just posted a video on my new youtube channel with a tour of the new build because I need a community of people to help me figure this crap out! My name on there is Lia Butler so check it out if you wanna put heads together lol. It took me months to decide on stone but quartzite is the way to go! Good luck :)

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Joseph Corlett, LLC
4 years ago
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I am NOT a pro, but my understanding is that quartz doesn’t react well to direct sunlight (one reason why it isn’t used outdoors) so how much sun your kitchen gets should be a factor in whether or not quartz would be a good choice. In the past, darker colors faded and lighter colors yellowed when exposed to direct sun. So a natural stone might be more suitable for you. Of course, there may have been improvements to quartz products made recently of which I am not aware so hopefully someone with more knowledge will chime in. Good luck!
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alley2007
4 years ago
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.
Liana
Original Author
4 years ago
I definitely want to do a marble backsplash. I'm not crazy about the look of full slab quartz. I agree that the smaller samples look better than a whole slab. Thanks for the input!
Lia Butler
4 years ago
quartz really sucks in my opinion but quartzite is totally different and outshines everything else.
alley2007
4 years ago
As someone who agonized over the durability of marble for almost my entire build and then ended up choosing it - - go with the marble if that's what you love. Do I have etches? Yes. Do they bother me at all? No. I haven't had any issues with scratching or staining.

A completely different look, but absolute black granite with white cabinets and marble backsplash is a beautiful and classic look as well. If you are going with a marble backsplash, that does limit your countertop options somewhat as they need to coordinate and not compete with the backsplash.

Good luck!
Liana
Original Author
4 years ago
Thanks, Lia! I just checked out your video on YouTube. I love how you describe building your home as a long, treacherous road....I can completely agree with that statement. I really do want to do the Quartzite counters, so I think as long as I make sure I'm actually getting real Quartzite, I don't have anything to worry about in terms of durability. Thanks! and I look forward to seeing the progress of your home on YouTube!

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