kitchen countertop (laminate, installation, cost, sq ft)

[fisher33]

Originally Posted by Viralmd

All those tiles on the countertops are a cook's nightmare. A pain to work on and more of a pain to clean and keep looking nice.

Give me a solid surface (NOT marble!) any day. Marble chips, cracks and stains. I cook a LOT and I prefer corian or granite or one of the other manmade solid surfaces.

That's what I thought! I'm not even a cook, but knowing how messy I am w/ food (crumbs, meat, etc.) - I don't want anything wet on those countertops. I could just imagine everything soaking in.

I know marble is not a prefered choice for some (maybe most), but it's so darn beautiful! I have some homework to do but know that even though I think these tiles are pretty, they may be way too impractical. I just don't understand why they would put those on there.... guess they were cheap. I know there's a white granite that's some people use in place of marble, but I don't like it.

Thanks so much for the advice!

[fisher33]

Originally Posted by tamcim72

I think they look very nice and give the room a little something extra, not your typical granite. They are much nicer than average tile counters, but would require some preventative sealing to maintain new look.

I like them too and thought they were different and pretty, but how much sealing? I just don't think I will be happy constantly scrubbing and scrubbing the grout lines and then wondering if there's crud on the tiles. I like to KNOW it's clean! haha

Thank you for your input! I think they're nice looking as well.

[fisher33]

Originally Posted by summers19

We bought a house two months ago that has small tiles as the counter top and backsplash in the kitchen. It's horrible to clean. I actually don't see how tiles can be very sanitary for a kitchen. They are not the smooth marble type. They have ridges and pits all through them. I can't just make a clean sweep with a paper towel because of all the grooves the grout lines make. It's pretty gross and cumbersome to me. I've had to clean the grout lines with a toothbrush and bleach/water mixture. I've had to scrub and scrub and it still feels 'dirty'.
We can't wait to tear out the tile and have a nice, smooth, non-bumpy countertop. Maybe Corian? I like the smoothness of this. As soon as we win the lottery we'll make the change!

I'm glad you wrote since you have real life experience. You said what I was afraid of - they're horrible and that's what I thought the minute I saw these when we went to see the house. I noticed the ridges and the porousness (sp?) of the tiles and just was baffled as to why they would choose that. I like the look better than that of the smooth ceramic tile kitchen countertops, but these look even worse to keep clean.

I hope you get your new countertop soon! Thanks again!

[fisher33]

do we think the bathroom tiles are a little better and will be able to be maintained fairly easy enough or should i also consider something else for them?

how much do you all think it cost them to put in these tiles? i'm keeping this in mind if we make an offer! haha

[NCyank]

If you want to keep and use the counters rather than replace them, I think all you are going to need is a good stone sealer. I like Stonetech sealer/enhancer personally. It will make the tile and grout so that nothing will absorb into it, so easier to clean and keep sanitary. Anything acidic will etch the counters so you want to be careful with any tomato or citrus products. Also be careful of some cleaners.

We installed large travertine tiles in our kitchen as a temporary re-do (had to get rid of the blue tile but won't be remodeling kitchen for another couple of years) and it is holding up well, but it doesn't have any pits and has very small grout lines.

[fisher33]

thank you ncyank - will the sealer make the tiles shiny and laquered looking? i don't know if i want that. large travertine tiles seem A LOT better than these porous little tiles.

what kind of countertop do you all think would look best with the tile floors and the white cabinets? i think carrara might be too white, so i'm researching some options. it's hard to find kitchen photos w/ neutral floors and white cabinets. usually something is dark and i don't really want dark countertops. white kitchens are beautiful with wood floors.

[fisher33]

here's an all white kitchen (http://farmhousemodern.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/resl03_kitchen_cooksden.jpg - broken link), but not sure what that would look like in that house. here's one that looks kind of nice: http://www.limestonefloortiles.co.uk..._lifestyle.jpg.

attached is another, minus all the blue tiles, which are pretty but too beachy for this house.

[NCyank]

Originally Posted by fisher33

thank you ncyank - will the sealer make the tiles shiny and laquered looking? i don't know if i want that. large travertine tiles seem A LOT better than these porous little tiles.

what kind of countertop do you all think would look best with the tile floors and the white cabinets? i think carrara might be too white, so i'm researching some options. it's hard to find kitchen photos w/ neutral floors and white cabinets. usually something is dark and i don't really want dark countertops. white kitchens are beautiful with wood floors.

The sealer I mentioned will give the tiles a 'wet' look as it is intended to enhance the colors in the stone, it will not be shiny like lacquer though. You can wipe the tile with a damp cloth to get a good idea of what it will look like sealed. They also have a sealer that is not an enhancer and will leave your stone looking like it does now.

I like the monochromatic look of similar floor and counters, but I can see where contrast is nice given the white cabinets. We have unstained oak floors (just poly) and the travertine counters but finished the island with a darker wood top (just as in your picture) and that is enough contrast for me. If I want more interest I can paint the walls or even paint the island another color, but I like the foundations to be more neutral.

[fisher33]

I like the look too. I'll have to research what I would replace the tile with if we did decide to replace it. Something similar, not dark, but not white either I don't think. There are only a million options out there, I'm sure we'll find something! haha

Thanks for the info on the sealer, I think that would have to be a must do, if they haven't already and even if they have.

[jimboburnsy]

Don't discount soapstone countertops. Those are great. They do not stain, do not burn, do not absorb anything. They will scratch, but scratches are easily buffed out with 120 grit sandpaper and a mineral oil treatment restores the original look. Great stuff.