Counter Tops

[SequSpur]

Yo.. what do some good countertops go for in the kitchen? The ones they put in our new house have been replaced twice due to water damage in the seams and honestly.. I'm tired of this and want something decent...

We currently have the colored el cheapos... the kitchen has 2 counters on both sides of the stove.. then the sink is cornered in an open area with about 4 feet on each side at 45 degree angles and then an upper counter for seating that is about 12 feet wrapped around the top...

anybody ever upgraded their crib before?

[Bear Grylls]

Yo.. what do some good countertops go for in the kitchen? The ones they put in our new house have been replaced twice due to water damage in the seams and honestly.. I'm tired of this and want something decent...

We currently have the colored el cheapos... the kitchen has 2 counters on both sides of the stove.. then the sink is cornered in an open area with about 4 feet on each side at 45 degree angles and then an upper counter for seating that is about 12 feet wrapped around the top...

anybody ever upgraded their crib before?


Cant go wrong with Corian or Silestone Countertops, and both are nonporous.

[leemajors]

i believe lots of them also have microban built into them. going with that can't be bad.

[Bear Grylls]

i believe lots of them also have microban built into them. going with that can't be bad.


Yes, Silestone has built-in Microban protection .

[ObiwanGinobili]

I really like the Corian, for reasons mentioned above, and also if (god forbid) you do manage to scratch or chip it (who knows how..but it happens) the color goes all the way thru. It;s not just a surface color.
Also they have alot of variety.

[ObiwanGinobili]

http://ap.stop.dupont.com/Surfaces/en_US/products/corian/price_estimator.html

[Bear Grylls]

Only negative about Corian is that it is has a low tolerance for heat, so I would recommend using trivets.


I would go with Silestone

[Shelly]

http://www.granitetransformations.com/index2.html

They install these over your current countertops. I think they said the average cost was $4k

[SpursWoman]

Yo.. what do some good countertops go for in the kitchen? The ones they put in our new house have been replaced twice due to water damage in the seams and honestly.. I'm tired of this and want something decent...

We currently have the colored el cheapos... the kitchen has 2 counters on both sides of the stove.. then the sink is cornered in an open area with about 4 feet on each side at 45 degree angles and then an upper counter for seating that is about 12 feet wrapped around the top...

anybody ever upgraded their crib before?


What plan do you guys have? That sounds exactly like ours. No water damage on the counters, though.

[blizz]

Depends on what you want to upgrade for. If you're strictly going for practical use and to get away with from the water damage and you're never going to sell, go with something man-made. If you want to make your kitchen stand out and increase it's value, simple...granite..and not the junk that goes over existing formica. Another option, which is rapidly gaining popularity, is concrete. They look awesome and will definitely add value. If you're handy at all, you could even try making your own at a fraction of the cost. Just sayin'.

[ChumpDumper]

On the "This Old House" show in Austin they used concrete with recycled glass chips in it. Many of the pieces there and in the factory looked great.

Barring that, it's hard to go wrong with a slab of granite. Not granite tile.

[NorCal510]

marble

[Shelly]

I wouldn't get concrete. Too cold looking IMO. I don't mind concrete floors expect for the wear it shoes in the high traffic areas.

I've seen glass countertops before, but I think that I would get tired of that fairly quickly.

FWIW, my friend does faux painting in high end homes, and said the trend is still granite.

[Das Texan]

granite.


silestone second.

[DisgruntledLionFan#54,927]

Soapstone

[easjer]

Granite or silestone if you are looking to add value.

[ducks]

Bowling Designs On Them

[SequSpur]

SW, we have the Silverado.

[Mark in Austin]

I'd pick Silestone over corian, and it has advantages over granite too. Depending on how cheapo the were in construction, you might need to reinforce the cabinets to hold up a heavier product though.

If you get burnished concrete it can look warm and beautiful if done correctly - and the concrete with glass in it looks unbelieveably cool. Depending on the amount of light and relative size of the space, soapstone can really be special to look at too. (Or could make your kitchen look like a high school science lab if done wrong)

If you are primarily concerned with resale value, I'd say granite first, then silestone, then everything else. For durability, I'd put Silestone ahead of granite. I'd stay away from any tile. Tile=grout=stains.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

http://www.granitetransformations.com/index2.html

They install these over your current countertops. I think they said the average cost was $4k


$4K to cover your current tops???

What is granite going for in Tejas? I've got a lot of counter-space and did my whole kitchen in 1 1/2" granite for around $7K.

[2Blonde]

$4K to cover your current tops???

What is granite going for in Tejas? I've got a lot of counter-space and did my whole kitchen in 1 1/2" granite for around $7K.

Seriously, Chopper is right. My new house has solid granite counter tops in the kitchen it required 2 slabs. I think it was around 88 square feet surface area with an island and a bar. I used a level II granite and paid about $5K


http://img477.imageshack.us/img477/3848/granitecounters2vj7.jpg
http://img477.imageshack.us/img477/8121/granitecounters3gq2.jpg These are a couple of pics during construction shortly before we moved in. Sorry about all the clutter, Sequ I just didn't have time to clean for you. :lol

[2Blonde]

Oh yeah, I love the granite.

[Nbadan]

Those are beautiful granite counter tops and nice tile work too by the way 2Blonde

[Shelly]

$4K to cover your current tops???

What is granite going for in Tejas? I've got a lot of counter-space and did my whole kitchen in 1 1/2" granite for around $7K.


That's what their website said. I just watched the video that was featured on Good Morning America. Ithink the cost is cheaper because they aren't ripping out your old countertops. They install over your existing ones. I don't know anyone who's personally had this done.

I have lovely mauve formica countertops, but since they are in good shape and I don't plan on being in this house for more than a few more years, they're staying!

[ObiwanGinobili]

:wow damn i love your new place 2Blonde! everyone else is noticing the granite and tile work....... I'm loving the light fixture :lol

[Melmart1]

Damn, thats one beautiful kitchen, 2Blonde. Congrats!

[KEDA]

Ill post pix of the countertop here, we have a black granite.

[Shelly]

2Blonde, I see that your kitchen has the most important feature of them all...a wine rack!!! :toast

Amongst all your clutter, I do have to comment on your furniture. I love what you did with the lawn chair! :lol

[2Blonde]

2Blonde, I see that your kitchen has the most important feature of them all...a wine rack!!! :toast

Amongst all your clutter, I do have to comment on your furniture. I love what you did with the lawn chair! :lol
Oh yes I must have the wine rack. What self-respecting texan wouldn't have cheap wine to drink while sitting on their lawn chairs in the house. :lol

Seriously, I brought the lawn chair over to have something to sit on because I was out here for hours on end toward the end of the construction process.

[Shelly]

Oh yes I must have the wine rack. What self-respecting texan wouldn't have cheap wine to drink while sitting on their lawn chairs in the house. :lol

Seriously, I brought the lawn chair over to have something to sit on because I was out here for hours on end toward the end of the construction process.

:lol who needs a front porch, right?

[MoSpur]

I know a guy who does marble, granite, and silestone at a very good price. We hired him to do our tub, vanities, and countertops. I don't want to quote you a price because its his work, but I know you can get more than a kitchen countertop for $4-5K.

[mrsmaalox]

http://www.granitetransformations.com/index2.html

They install these over your current countertops. I think they said the average cost was $4k
My neighbor just had these done and it looks great. Totally fooled me that it was not a solid granite slab. Her kitchen took about 20 linear feet (her kitchen is choppy, so it was several small sections) and was just under 3k. Included a nice sink, and NO demolition; job was done in less than 2hours!