? for those who have granite countertops

[Lisa F]

Really the major difference between engineered quartz products and natural granite is going to be look (and to some degree, price, but that depends on what you choose, some granites are more than some engineered stones, and some engineered stones are more than some granites). If you want a "funky color" that doesn't occur much in nature (like blue.. there ARE some blue natural stone countertops but they are outrageously expensive because they are rare) then you should go with an engineered stone product. If you want something that looks extremely uniform and is light in color, almost looking like limestone (which is a VERY poor choice for a countertop material because it is so porous) then you might want to get the engineered stone equivalent of limestone as a good compromise between durability and look. If you fall in love with a particular engineered stone color, that's a good reason to go with it. Basically it's a matter of personal taste and what "look" you are going for and not that one is better than the other.

 

[trishy]

I have blue pearl granite in my kitchen, dining room, nook and floors as well as two granite side tables and granite on my fireplace. I'm surprised to hear people talk about using soap and water or even regular cleaners on their granite. It is easy to care for - otherwise, there's no way I would have so much of it in my house. We use special cleaners and an "impregnator" sealer every 6 months to keep the glossy look of the granite. It also helps to have it buffed every so often to get rid of any dullness in the stone. It's very tough - no need to use a potholder under a hot pan. Using harsh cleaners will leave a cloudy look to the granite. Using ammonia based cleaners will strip the sealer off the granite - unless it's approx. 1% ammonia. My brother owns a stone business, specializing in granite and marble (which we have in our master bathroom - very pourous, but worth it if you're willing to put the effort into maintaining its beauty) and has seen what happens when it's not cared for properly. The good news is, granite is easy to "revive" in case it's not maintained well. A good installer will hide the seams.

I highly recommend getting the granite - it looks great and is very sturdy.

 

[always dreamin']

Originally posted by kpgclark
There is no sealing! Your installer will (if needed depending on the type of granite) seal it before you get it. Don't worry about it after that.

Now I'm really confused! Why do I always hear you need to seal once or twice a year?

Also...thank you for the offer to view your pictures. I sent you a PM.

 

[kpgclark]

I e-mailed you the pix. I don't know why you are hearing about sealing the stone. That just is not true. Some stones do have to be sealed but I think it is more like every 5 years.

 

[clh2]

So, I am curious. On a square foor basis, what does installed granite cost. I would love to have a granite countertop in my kitchen. Or should I say countertops? Our kitchen is fairly good sized, and I have it in my head that it would probably be about $13 to $15,000! But I don't know where I got that estimate from.

 

[Lisa F]

Home Depot has a nice selectoin of basic granite that is $60/sq ft installed. Sometimes they put some of their granite on sale for $50/sq ft installed. You might even do better if you go directly to a fabricator. Of course if you want a super rare and exotic granite, it will cost more (I saw a blue granite at Expo Design Center that cost over $200/sq ft!), but at $60/sq ft you'd have to have over 215 sq ft of granite to spend $13,000 on granite. That's a HUMONGOUS kitchen. Most medium sized kitchens have 40-50 sq ft of countertop.

 

[clh2]

Our island is ~27 sq ft alone, and that depressed me enough to put the tape measure away. There are 3 other "smaller" surfaces, and then the "big" one that goes from the stove, around a corner, past the sink and dishwasher.

Maybe I could sell this concept to DH as "I'll spend more time in the kitchen actually cooking if the countertop looks better!" Except he knows I can't stand to cook!

Anyways - the floors will be a much higher priority. So, counters will have to go to the back burner again. Unless I can get my piece of the Powerball drawing tonight! (heh - a girl can dream!)

 

[trishy]

The price will vary greatly depending on the color/style of granite you want. Also, a slab of granite is going to cost more installed than the 12x12 tiles of granite. A friend of mine couldn't afford the slab so they bought the tiles for their countertop. It looks very nice. Also you need to take into account what type of backsplash you want - some only go up a few inches, some have a full backsplash. Another thing to take into account is the edging - large, medium, or small 'bullnose' - rounded, geometrical, squared. I would recommend looking at a LOT of pictures of different granite kitchens. You can find Images on google by typing in variations of 'granite counter' 'granite kitchen' 'granite countertop' (under the 'Images' tab).

 

[shamrock30]

We bought a model home, and have kind of a rose/burgundy color granite in our kitchen, and dark green granite counters in the bathrooms. We asked the builder how to care for it, and he just said soap and water. We never even knew it might have to be sealed until a few months ago, and that's because I read it on the net. So far, all of the granite looks the same as it did when we moved in.

 

[amid chaos]

We are putting granite in our new kitchen...I chose an unusual greenish. can't wait to see what it looks like.

 

[kpgclark]

I would suggest that if you get granite that you don't get the unhoned square edge. I think that if you have a very square edge that it can chip. Instead get at least an eased edge so that won't be a problem.

 

[always dreamin']

Originally posted by kpgclark
I would suggest that if you get granite that you don't get the unhoned square edge. I think that if you have a very square edge that it can chip. Instead get at least an eased edge so that won't be a problem.

I'm not sure what unhoned square edge is...is this different than a bullnose? I've only heard about the bullnose. Any suggestions/info on edges would be very helpful.

Thanks!

 

[kpgclark]

I'm saying stay away from the perfectly square edge because I think it can be prone to chipping even though granite is very tough. Don't get me wrong, you'd really have to bang on it but it can happen. Your edge is a matter of personal choice, cost, and what works with your kitchen. I've heard that a demi-bullnose (what I have) is a better choice than a full bullnose because if you spill on the counter the liquid will spill onto the floor rather than your cabinet below the counter.

 

[kpgclark]

Look here for edge options:

http://www.euromarbles.com/products/edges/

 

[always dreamin']

Originally posted by trishy
I would recommend looking at a LOT of pictures of different granite kitchens. You can find Images on google by typing in variations of 'granite counter' 'granite kitchen' 'granite countertop' (under the 'Images' tab).

Wow...thank you for introducing me to google. First time I've visited there and I'm hooked. Have found tons of picures and I'm still in love with granite.

I went to the custom stone place yesterday to get more information and to actually see big slabs vs. small samples. I'm a believer in everything everyone of you said. She also mentioned that you only have to seal every 2-3 years. Wow...was I completely off base when I said 1-2 times a year. Still not real sure why people try to convince me to go with quartz vs. granite. I'm not listening! We are going with granite. Now we are considering going with a full backsplash with the granite. This can make me crazy! All the backsplashes I see (granite, tile) are so beautiful. I'm horrible at making decisions. This is not a cheap decision to make either so I better make sure it's the right one.

One other question regarding the edges. The lady last night told me that the price for a 1/2 bullnose and a bevel edge would be the same. What, in your opinion, is a better edge to go with for a kitchen?

Thanks for all the great help!

 

[RUDisney]

Ooh, do your whole backsplash in granite, too! Now, although ours is quartz, it is wonderful to have both surfaces so smooth and shiny. And, the cleanup is alot easier without grout!

It'll take longer to finish your kitchen if you do the backsplash in granite. They have to install the countertop and then measure for the splash (make a template.) But, it's SO worth the wait!

 

[Mishetta]

I am also going to check out what MrsV98 posted! Granite transformations! Sounds wonderful! We looked into corian because it was a little less expensive than granite (so we're told) & for our 31.5 ft counter top, it would have cost around $6000! So we decided to wait. But we're going to check into this Granite Transformations to see if that would be something we'd like to consider.

 

[Oh Kay!]

Originally posted by always dreamin'
We are putting in Cherry cabinets with the Brazilian Cherry floor and I'm going crazy on what countertop to put with it. We were going to do the Black Star Granite Laminate top with it but we are now thinking this may be too dark with the cabinets and floors.

We have cherry cabinets and granite counter top, and we love the combo. The carpenter finished the wood naturally(not stained), so though it will get darker with age, it doesn't have that burgundy look. We have black/grey granite top and chose white rectangular tiles (called subway tiles around here) for backsplash--we were also worried about getting too dark.

Do you have to match cabinets and floor? We have unstained oak floor and it looks nice--then again we don't have a lot of cabinets at the floor level.

 

[deno2]

Wow, I've had granite counter tops for over 8 years and this is the first I've heard of sealing them. Mine look as good now as they did when we first had them installed. Our granite is black with gold flecks in it. One of the things that I LOVE about granite is the fact that you can cut on it - no cutting board required! I do love the look of granite but I do find it some what of a pain to maintain the look. I dry and polish it with a dry all cotton cloth every time I wipe it down. I just can't stand the look of it if I don't. Good luck with your decision.

deno

 

[Lisa F]

While cutting on granite won't hurt the granite, you'll do a number on your knives! The best thing to cut on is either a wood or plastic cutting board. Good knives are too expensive to ruin on granite.