Counter Top Materials (floor, granite, paint, ceramic)

[johngolf]

My counter tops (8 years old) are Formica and while not unhappy with them, I want to consider other options. I am especially interested in material with rounded edges. Please offer suggestions and opinions on various materials and maybe a cost guesstimate.

Thanks

[K'ledgeBldr]

There's natural; and there's man-made. Both have the option of "rounded edges".

Cost? There's free; and there's "no way I can afford that!" There's probably one or two that would fall somewhere in between.

[MSchemist80]

Quartz seems to be hot.

[MrRational]

Originally Posted by johngolf

My counter tops (8 years old) are Formica and while not unhappy with them, I want to consider other options.

Wait out the 15 years or so it'll take before they need replacing.
See what's popular then.

[ansible90]

I did quartz in my last house. It was very pretty but don't drop a glass on it... shatters in a million pieces. I had the same problem with the ceramic floor I put in that kitchen.

I had looked at granite and didn't choose it for 2 reasons: didn't see any patterns I liked and found out you have to periodically wipe some special "polish" on it to seal it. You don't have to do that with quartz. The only thing to avoid with quartz is bleach.

I did like the way they mounted the sink under the countertop. Made it easy to wipe the counter -- straight into the sink.

I was warned against Corian because it is softer than Formica. It will get nicks and dings and scratches if you aren't super careful whenever you put something down on it.

All 3 of these materials can be made with rounded edges. In fact, there are choices for the profile of the edges.

As to cost, I think maybe $2000+ but that was some years ago. Before you go shopping, draw a picture of the outline/shape of your counter and write down the measurements for each side/end. The salespeople should be able to give you an estimate from that.

Added: my current house has Formica with rounded edges. Should be a lot cheaper than quartz or granite.

[Rickcin]

Originally Posted by johngolf

My counter tops (8 years old) are Formica and while not unhappy with them, I want to consider other options. I am especially interested in material with rounded edges. Please offer suggestions and opinions on various materials and maybe a cost guesstimate.

Thanks

I’ve lived in houses with several different counter top materials and the one I would prefer by far is granite.

[Threestep2]

We have had granite in the last three houses and a total of five kitchens from galley to dual islands to currently 8x6 island and respective bathrooms. Granite ranging from cheap Ubatuba to crazy fancies it took hours walking through a warehouse to find the perfect piece. Patio dining table and bar have been with us 15 and ten years and are in use 300 days per year. Never did anything but soapy water.

Rounded edges? The sky is the limit. Crud likes to settle in fancy edges. I like a plain bull nose or quarter round.

[20yrsinBranson]

Originally Posted by johngolf

My counter tops (8 years old) are Formica and while not unhappy with them, I want to consider other options. I am especially interested in material with rounded edges. Please offer suggestions and opinions on various materials and maybe a cost guesstimate.

Thanks

I've always wanted concrete counter tops. But I am not one to change for the sake of change and my cheap ones are still in reasonably good condition so I will probably never switch.

[hotzcatz]

Starting over, I'd be tempted to put in Formica with a wood bullnose at the front edge, although the wood would need periodic maintenance, no doubt. It's hard to beat Formica for being dish friendly. It can be pretty durable, too, although after sixty seven years, ours look a little worn in spots.

It's also getting hard to find the chrome trim these days and I haven't seen any Formica patterns that I liked so we still have our old Formica counters. They're bright yellow with an odd pattern, sort of as if someone had taken one of those resin bowling balls that are all iridescent and skinned the bugger and made it into a counter top. A bright yellow one, at that. Yeah, well hey, the counters here were made in the early fifties, what can you expect? But Formica is very user friendly as far as dishes not being broken on the counters.

How about stainless steel? That's a very durable surface and doesn't break the dishes. Get a commercial grade steel top and set it on some wood cabinets? Painted wood cabinets, perhaps?

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by ansible90

I was warned against Corian because it is softer than Formica. It will get nicks and dings and scratches if you aren't super careful whenever you put something down on it.

I have white Corian in my kitchen from a spring 2010 remodel. It still looks brand new. You have to bleach the sink occasionally but that's it for maintenance. Use a cutting board. That's the only way you're going to scratch it in daily use and you can sand the scratches out.



If I were ever going to sell, I'd use quartz. I have an upcoming kitchen remodel in my vacation home and there's no way I'd use Corian even though it's what I personally prefer.