Thinking about granite countertops (Bernalillo: how much, Home Depot, bankruptcy)

[nmguy]

I've saved up my pennies and am thinking about installing granite countertops in the kitchen.

Has anyone had a positive experience with granite? Can anybody recommend a company? How much should I expect to pay per square foot?
How long does the process take?

Were you glad you did it?

[berncohomes]

I did my research decided to go with Silestone, it seemed to be a lot more durable than granite.

Right after doing my research I did pick up about 400SF of nice looking Silestone at the Artistic bankruptcy auction last year. I just need to decide which company to use to install it

When you choose a company can you post back and let me know how it worked out for you?

[jiminnm]

We had ceramic tile kitchen countertops replaced with granite 6 years ago. It was done by Rocky Mountain Stone and we were extremely happy with the job. But (always a but), all the folks we dealt with there have moved on so your experience may be different. We also know folks who used LaTierra in Bernalillo and are very happy. We would have used LaTierra but they had just started out and didn't do demos at the time. No way was I going to remove that tile and, for once, I was right. Two guys worked 8 hard hours on it to get it out.

There's more than just cost per foot. It depends on how many cuts, corners, shapes, type of edge, backsplash or no, overhang brace needed or not, thickness chosen, etc. For example, we have an island that took a whole slab and contained a half circle and a cut out for a range top. I know that added $$ to the deal. The type of granite you select also varies in cost.

Bernco, I'm not sure what would be more durable than granite. I've read a lot of bad reviews of silestone.

[Pink Jazz]

FYI, if you are looking for blue granite, remember that blue will usually be more expensive than other colors. Deep reds can be expensive as well.

[MaggieBelize]

I can't speak to installation questions as our granite counters were already in place when we bought our home, but I can say that ours have turned out to be incredibly durable. You can set hot pots on it without worry, and it's great for rolling out breads & pastry. Ours is a dark mottled color, so if I miss a spill it doesn't show (grin).

On the other hand, that dark color seems to darken my whole kitchen, I secretly would love to have something lighter-colored to brighten up my work space a little. And it seems to me that granite countertops are "on the bubble" of their immense popularity, and might look dated someday soon? (It may be just me.)

[Poncho_NM]

I'm a Formica kind of guy (Have even done two of my own)... Some granite counter tops look OK. I know three people who appeared truly delighted when they got their new granite counter tops installed.

I wonder how Lowes and Home Depot compares. I thought I saw $50 per square foot. They have always been competitive and carried good guarantees. I would at least see what they had to offer..


Rich

[RRNM1234]

We picked out our slab from Arizona Tile and hired Mijares Granite and Marble to install. They did great work for us - beautiful install and very professional. They also made sure to cut the granite so we had no seams/joins. Our neighbor hired them after seeing our kitchen and they were also pleased. Good luck!