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I'm going to join the counter tops first crowd. We've done it both ways. It's much easier to make a clean joint where the two surfaces meet when the tile goes over the counter top. Looks more integrated.
As to the quartz vs. granite question. We've had both and think quartz wins hands down. Not only do we prefer the appearance and feel of quartz, there are far more choices in terms of colors, finishes and edge treatments. Quartz is every bit as durable as granite, and requires no maintenance of any sort (though the need to occasionally dress granite is a minimal inconvenience).
Personally I would only choose a granite if I could find one that was not the more common lower level granites. I think those are actually very unappealing.
Exactly. The granite in my house was an upgrade when the house was built but it's now what's standard in many model homes around here, as well as hotels, and remodeled apartment complexes. I hate it for that reason. If you go with granite, choose a higher grade that's not so common.
the granite store I recently shopped at had 6 or 7 levels and then after that, they had exotic and super exotic. Some gorgeous stuff but some of those prices were beyond unbelievable.
In my opinion, granite is most beautiful when you get slabs with individual character. That is why the cheaper options usually have a very consistent pattern and you see them all over the place. In my area, if you can get a level 3 or above you start to see more character and uniqueness within the slabs.
Well my granite choice was black. We have black pearl and absolute black. Not everyone likes lots of swirl and "uniqueness". I frankly gave no thought as to level, or how common it was, I like what I like. any type of counter I purchased was going to be black. Black is timeless and it won't go away.
You need countertops. You DON’T need a backsplash.
I put in soapstone countertops at pretty high expense. It was 3 years before we did the tile backsplash. Some of it was simply other more pressing matters to attend to than a backsplash. But, when we did do it, we did it right - got the tile we wanted since we were able to budget for it.
Definitely countertop first. However, if you are looking to sell in the shorter term, you'll really need the backsplash done.
Both the counters and back splashes at my house are made of the same type of granite. And yes, a properly installed backsplash stops any water spills on the counter from damaging the wall behind the sink.
Not to hijack the OP’s question, but reading all these comments make me a bit concerned about my kitchen renno plans. I love my backsplash, but wanted to replace the corian countertop as it’s faded in a few places & has some scratches. We bought this 25-year-old home about 2 years ago & my husband was able to find some extra tile in the attic, but not a lot. Hmmmmm....
Not to hijack the OP’s question, but reading all these comments make me a bit concerned about my kitchen renno plans. I love my backsplash, but wanted to replace the corian countertop as it’s faded in a few places & has some scratches. We bought this 25-year-old home about 2 years ago & my husband was able to find some extra tile in the attic, but not a lot. Hmmmmm....
You can have Corian easily buffed to look like brand new. If that was the only issue, I surely would not replace it.
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