Does it HAVE to be granite?

[JerseyMamaBear]

If you were looking for a home, would you expect granite counter tops? Does the kitchen REALLY sell the house?

I would not expect granite and with all of the up keep involved I would not love it either. And yes, a kitchen, done well, very much is a selling point for the house. When we bought our house everything in the house was redone except the kitchen. And while we love the house and the deal couldent have been any better, we hate our kitchen and will be remodeling it this January.

 

[ksjayhawkfan]

I would not expect granite and with all of the up keep involved I would not love it either. And yes, a kitchen, done well, very much is a selling point for the house. When we bought our house everything in the house was redone except the kitchen. And while we love the house and the deal couldent have been any better, we hate our kitchen and will be remodeling it this January.

We just got though with a major kitchen remodel. We also were going to go with granite. We decided not to because we didnt want to go overboard in case we needed to sell. And in our neighborhood, granite wouldnt have paid off. We chose Corian and I love it. Its easy to clean, we havent had any issue with stains and it looks fantastic. I have some pictures if you are interested

 

[dizneechic]

Another vote for Silestone. We built our house 3.5 years ago and while the builder wanted to do granite we switched it over to Silestone. There is no upkeep to it and it looks beautiful, always. What we did discover when pricing out our options was it came in different grades (as does granite) so if your concerned about keeping it more affordable while still having the "look" you could always opt for a different grade than one of the top of the line ones. The grade didn't necessarily mean cheaper quality, it had more to do with colors that were easier to produce (in the case of manufactured quartz) and supply/demand of certain colors.

 

[Disney Doll]

We did a semi-redo of the kitchen a couple of years ago, put in granite. I like it. I am not sure what all the "upkeep" is that people keep talking about. I have done nothing to it in the 2 years I have had it and it still looks like the day it was put in. The granite guy did say "once in a while" reseal it, but that consists of spraying something on and wiping it around. Not exactly what I consider "labor intensive" in upkeep since I tend to wipe my counters a few times per day anyhow.

I also thought that Silestone looked nice, but it actually priced out more expensive than granite in our kitchen. For the overall size of our house, we have a big kitchen with A LOT of counter space.

 

[clh2]

Wow - I had never seen the recycled-glass counters before. Those are gorgeous!

 

[shortbun]

Lots of you have asked what kind of house we live in. It's an urban neighborhood. Our home is an Arts and Crafts style 3 bedroom 2.5bath home with living/dining/family and unattached 2 car garage, no driveway(alley) and gorgeous wood floors and oak woodwork throughout. it should sell for $225K or better but the kitchen and one of the bathrooms totally need upgrading. The house has lots of little extras-arches, a real ice box complete with racks from when it was built, decorative leaded glass doors on cupboards either side of the fireplace, stained glass in three windows, a clawfoot tub in the upstairs bath, two large walk in closets in the master, a laundry chute that's done completely in oak, brand new roof/furnace with a/c/new gutters/it will be newly painted and it has a huge full front porch. I'm going to miss my house but it's time to move into a ranch, my knees are going fast.

eta: funny the little things your brain lets you do in the middle of the night. I had chute spelled 'shoot' and just noticed it as I read this post quoted by someone else. Funny. Just chute me!

 

[MrsPete]

Lots of you have asked what kind of house we live in. It's an urban neighborhood. Our home is an Arts and Crafts style 3 bedroom 2.5bath home with living/dining/family and unattached 2 car garage, no driveway(alley) and gorgeous wood floors and oak woodwork throughout. it should sell for $225K or better but the kitchen and one of the bathrooms totally need upgrading. The house has lots of little extras-arches, a real ice box complete with racks from when it was built, decorative leaded glass doors on cupboards either side of the fireplace, stained glass in three windows, a clawfoot tub in the upstairs bath, two large walk in closets in the master, a laundry shoot that's done completely in oak, brand new roof/furnace with a/c/new gutters/it will be newly painted and it has a huge full front porch. I'm going to miss my house but it's time to move into a ranch, my knees are going fast.

I think you need to go with either granite or quartz. It will fit in with the rest of your house. Not doing it will make your all-important kitchen, that make-or-break item, that room into which you're putting so much effort, into a liability instead of an asset.

Without having seen your kitchen, I'd suggest that you go with a neutral, medium brown or a black. Personally, I'd prefer a color -- the nicest granite I've ever seen was a beautiful cobalt blue with colored specs -- but whatever color you might choose could potentially turn off a buyer.

 

[jrmasm]

I think you need to go with either granite or quartz. It will fit in with the rest of your house. Not doing it will make your all-important kitchen, that make-or-break item, that room into which you're putting so much effort, into a liability instead of an asset.

Without having seen your kitchen, I'd suggest that you go with a neutral, medium brown or a black. Personally, I'd prefer a color -- the nicest granite I've ever seen was a beautiful cobalt blue with colored specs -- but whatever color you might choose could potentially turn off a buyer.

I agree. I'd actually suggest a medium brown as it is less likely to show dust and smudges like black.

 

[jrmasm]

no maintenance like Granite and no medical issues or concerns like granite...which can be very serious with young children in homes, just google it...

I am stunned that people still believe this.

And for the millionenth time, there are many granites that require NO SEALING. For those that do require sealing, it no more complicated than wiping down your counters. Doesn't everyone already do that regardless of the surface they have??

 

[shortbun]

Our appliances are all stainless and we were thinking of putting a very pale blue/gray on the walls with the granite being cream an gray to pick up the blue and stainless. The cabinets will be Mission Style with a darker finish(cherry) and the floors are the original oak which has been refinished. We may actually paint the walls white when we see the cabinets in their space and how they look with the floors. We're adding cabinets in a build around the fridge-broom closet and china cabinets above as well as some new drawer space beside the built in stove.

I know it needs to be a high end finish for the counter tops. I'm going out to look at the recycled glass today. This has been an interesting process. I have renovation stress.

 

[jrmasm]

I was just looking at the recycled glass website. Per their care and maintenance section, this surface needs to be sealed.

I don't think that's big deal but for those that reject granite for this reason, this surface is not for you.

 

[MrsPete]

I was at Lowe's today looking at appliances, and I walked through the cabinetry area. The recycled glass countertops are BEAUTIFUL. They have a little glittery-shine to them. The sample countertop I saw was a dark cream /pale tan with colored flecks. I probably wouldn't choose that particular shade, but I loved the look.

If I were choosing countertops for myself, I would definitely go with this. Well, maybe. Not being in the market myself, I didn't pay any attention to the price.

 

[ColoradoMom!!]

Please post what color granite or Silestone or whatever you put in - pic's would be great too!

We are facing the same decision.

 

[clarabelle]

Ask to take home some samples of the things you like. Practice sitting a glass down on it. Spill some stuff on it and then see how it cleans.
Get to know it

I have Baltic Brown Granite -and I have never sealed it.
I think the granites that need sealing the most are the lighter more porous ones.

 

[crabbygal902]

I haven't read all of the posts about this topic, so please forgive me if the conversation has taken a turn away from the original question.

I think that granite is bo-ring! I would much rather buy a house with concrete, recycled glass, or some eco-friendly surface. I also really like the recycled aluminum and I think it looks sleek.

We have granite in our bathroom and I hate it because it is so hard to keep it looking good. Granted, it is solid black and that was a bad choice on my part.

I have a feeling that since granite is so hot right now, it will soon be as out of fashion as harvest gold appliances from the 70's.

 

[LKHomemail]

I haven't read all of the posts about this topic, so please forgive me if the conversation has taken a turn away from the original question.

I think that granite is bo-ring! I would much rather buy a house with concrete, recycled glass, or some eco-friendly surface. I also really like the recycled aluminum and I think it looks sleek.

We have granite in our bathroom and I hate it because it is so hard to keep it looking good. Granted, it is solid black and that was a bad choice on my part.

I have a feeling that since granite is so hot right now, it will soon be as out of fashion as harvest gold appliances from the 70's.

AGREED!

I do think that the OP must consider when s/he will sell this home. If it's soon , in the next couple of years, I'd say granite is okay . If 5 years or more, I'd say go with something that looks good that is eco-freindly. Make a decision that will appeal and be sellable to your buyer. You buy houses to make money as they are an investment. Consider this is an investment and make a good solid business decision.

 

[buzz5985]

YUP,. kitchen sell houses and YUP, everyone seems to love granite. I actually went with SILESTONE, which is Quartz, same look, a tad less BUT, no maintenance like Granite and no medical issues or concerns like granite...which can be very serious with young children in homes, just google it...
So, Me...I'd pass on granite...many people know about the granites issues

From the EPA on Granite - What advice does the EPA have about radon for consumers who have granite countertops?

EPA believes the principal source of radon in homes is from the soil in contact with basement floors and walls. To reduce the radon risk you should first test the air in your home to determine the radon level. There are many do-it-yourself radon test kits available through retail outlets and on-line, starting at about $25. While natural rocks such as granite may emit radiation and radon gas, the levels attributable to such sources are not typically high. At this time EPA believes that the existing data is insufficient to conclude that the types of granite commonly used in countertops are significantly increasing indoor radon levels.


More importantly - radon and drinking water -


From the EPA - A report released September 15, 1998, by the National Academy of Sciences is the most comprehensive accumulation of scientific data on the public health risks of radon in drinking water. The report was required by the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). The NAS report (BEIR VI) issued earlier this year confirmed that radon is a serious public health threat. This report goes on to refine the risks of radon in drinking water and confirms that there are drinking water related cancer deaths, primarily due to lung cancer. The report, in general, confirms earlier EPA scientific conclusions and analyses for drinking water, and presents no major changes to EPA's 1994 risk assessment.

 

[buzz5985]

YUP,. kitchen sell houses and YUP, everyone seems to love granite. I actually went with SILESTONE, which is Quartz, same look, a tad less BUT, no maintenance like Granite and no medical issues or concerns like granite...which can be very serious with young children in homes, just google it...
So, Me...I'd pass on granite...many people know about the granites issues

Hate to point this out to you - but quartz is a rock, granite is a rock. They come from the earth. The same issues with radon would be evident in the quartz as well as the granite.

From theh EPA website -


EPA believes the principal source of radon in homes is from the soil in contact with basement floors and walls.

At this time EPA believes that the existing data is insufficient to conclude that the types of granite commonly used in countertops are significantly increasing indoor radon levels

More importantly on the EPA website -

This report goes on to refine the risks of radon in drinking water and confirms that there are drinking water related cancer deaths, primarily due to lung cancer. The report, in general, confirms earlier EPA scientific conclusions and analyses for drinking water.

 

[DawnM]

UGH! We are facing this very dilema.

We would really prefer to just put in granite tiles. DH can do it himself, and we are fine with tiles.

But it won't sell well on the East Coast. West Coast was fine with tiles, even the 700K homes had tile, but here.....noone wants it. All I hear is "all that grout cleaning!" Well, we had tile on all of our countertops in CA and never had a problem, ever, even with older homes and older grount. But if that is the mentality here we can't go with that if we plan to sell our home. (we found people here to prefer crappy laminate over tile....I hate laminate!)

So.....we need to decide. I personally prefer granite over silestone. It is a personal preference. We are very natural folks....we don't paint our oak wood trim, we leave wood as wood, etc.....We have already replaced all of our appliances with stainless (they really were all on their last legs and we got a great deal if we bought 3 at once from Sears.)



Dawn

 

[rflorek]

I personally dislike granite. Would actually prefer a house with either the recycled glass or concrete.

I agree. The recycled glass has some much color variation,a nd I find it much prettier (and environmentally friendly), IMO.