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I too agree that soapstone is NOT AT ALL POROUS. I gave it VERY serious consideration for my current kitchen and talked with some home owners that had it. Downside is mostly just that it WILL scratch / abrade and over time that will show wear. I went with granite, mostly because it it more widely appreciated.
I know several folks that like their quartz countertops. It is a man made product and to my eye, even the products that boast of "hand laid out veining" still looks like a robot / factory made slab NOT something found in nature. In my experience, it is often VERY costly, to the point of it being "overpriced" in terms of value down the road. Not saying that for folks that want that sort of man made product should not get for themselves, just that the majority of buyer place a higher value on natural stone. There are come light colored options that have a look that in small areas is similar to marble, but larger areas look less convincing.
I'm another fan of granite. I bought an older home with granite countertops years ago, and after 13 years of hard wear they looked just as good as new. So, my "vote" is for granite.
In the home that I bought and moved into last summer, the countertops are not granite and in fact are some kind of synthetic like formica or something. I have no idea. Anyway, it is sure better quality than such countertops were half a century ago. These countertops are OK for now and look great, but I imagine that eventually they may get stains or scratches or cuts. If/when that happens, I'll replace them with granite.
We had the same problem when picking our countertop. I LOVE the carrera marble look, but really do a lot in the kitchen so I need something really strong that doesn't etch or mar. I ended up getting a white quartzite (not manmade quartz - very different), and have been so happy. Everyone thinks it is carrera marble, but it is really tough. I got it in the bathroom too and it doesn't stain with water, and we have lemon juice, blood, etc. on the countertop and I can even use bleach wipes on it and it doesn't show a thing. It looks amazing.
In terms of the soapstone and granite. I had granite in 2 apartments before, and it was great. Really sturdy and remained looking nice for the years I was in those apartments. However, we spent almost a year looking for light colored granite and could never find any that came close to looking like carrera. We were in a rental before this with soapstone and all the edges in the kitchen and master bath chipped over time, and began tearing holes in our shirts. There were also gouges in the countertop over time. Our friends in town also had the same problem with their soapstone countertop in their kitchen, and after 3 years had it replaced with granite.
Here is a pic below - sorry it isn't great. But you can get an idea. If you do go with quartzite you may have to go to a couple of suppliers as it isn't really popular in the states, and people will try to correct you and say "You mean quartz", and you have to say, "No, quartzite, the natural rock".
We have Silestone, a quartz product for the last 8 years. We love it. Absolutely no maintenance, no wear and tear and looks just as good as the first day it was installed.
Silestone.
Correct. By far the best overall.
Hot pans will burn the butcher block.
Granite is not maintenance free. But if you want bragging rights then get granite.
I have old fashioned Formica. 15 years and still looks new.
Not a bad thing, just realize that often the scientific names are less important than the "marketing". As long as the stuff that are calling 'quartzite' passes a test for etching / water spotting it should be fine for use in a kitchen.
Some granite *is* maintenance free. Some kinds are non porous and do not need to be sealed. Not ever. Although considering that sealing is not a big job, I wouldn't consider it to be much of a maintenance job.
True! Comes down to surface uniformity / mineral state...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gabbythecat
Some granite *is* maintenance free. Some kinds are non porous and do not need to be sealed. Not ever. Although considering that sealing is not a big job, I wouldn't consider it to be much of a maintenance job.
The higher the percentage of un-intruded SiO2 the more impervious the slab -- certain mineral inclusions are such that no sealing is needed. Mafic vs. Felsic
Not a bad thing, just realize that often the scientific names are less important than the "marketing". As long as the stuff that are calling 'quartzite' passes a test for etching / water spotting it should be fine for use in a kitchen.
Yes - it was definitely a convoluted process, but we are very happy with the end product. The marketing side of it was the issue, but once we found a knowledgeable guy to work with (we actually went through the warehouse rather than the showroom because they actually knew what they were talking about), it went smoothly. We've been super happy.
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True! Comes down to surface uniformity / mineral state...
