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Similarly you can look at kitchens in the high end homes from back before the widespread adoption of electricity, you will see LOTS of natural soapstone, and extravagant use of marble and granite. The shift away from those natural product explored after WWII, but for traditional "kitchen outfitters" they never really disappeared and the more cost effective quarrying / shipping techniques of recent decades is unlikely to see discerning buyers turn away from these quality options...
Sure. After WW II, laminate countertops were near-universal because of cost. We're more affluent now.
We remodeled a kitchen and bathroom 3 years ago. Researched countertop materials until we were both sick of them and finally decided on Cosentino Eco for the kitchen and granite for the bathroom cabinet. Eco is made from recycled materials and comes in fairly neutral colors. The one we picked (Luna) is sort of cream-colored, with tan, reddish and dark brown flecks. It also has sparkly bits which looks really interesting when the lights are on. After 3 years, no stains, no chips, no damage of any kind, the countertops look as new as the day they were installed.
The granite in the bathroom, on the other hand, has been a pain. We have hard water and there are constant water stains/mineral deposits, even with cleaning it frequently. It also started pitting after a couple of years and is way too much hassle to maintain. I can't imagine having several granite kitchen counters to deal with.
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.
Mine was like that. For all practical purposes, it was maintenance free. Never had a stain of any kind. In 13 years I re-sealed it once or twice to make it shinier (using a product from Home Depot), but that only took about 3 minutes IIRC and probably wasn't necessary. What an easy-care counter.
I am remodeling my kitchen and attempting to decide between quartz and granite. My plan is to sell my house in probably three to five years so resale value is a definite consideration.
I really like some of the quartz I have seen but granite is definitely the most popular in the area where I live. I am concerned about having issues when I do eventually list my home for sale as everyone expects granite in homes in my area.
Formica, baby! If not Formica, wood butcher block. Sure it'll get scratched and stained, that's what a butcher block surface is supposed to do.
Not a fan of granite, quartz (quartz/resin composite?), tile, or stainless steel countertops. Soapstone seems interesting but it seems to only come in greyish-blackish shades. Not sure how I feel about Corian. Linoleum has much to offer as a countertop material, but I think you have to put a metal edging.
But as for other little scratches, they're strange - they go away after a few days - don't ask me how.
Soapstone feels extremely velvety due to the talc content. People who walk into our kitchen invariably gasp and say "I LOVE your counter tops" and then start feeling of them. It's common to notice that they tend to stand around and just caress those counter tops - a lot like we did for months after they were installed!
I think it's answered in your next paragraph.... they get caressed out.
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