Granite Countertops or alternatives

[TwingleMum]

We are in the beginning stages of a kitchen redo. I really like the look of granite but I'm not sure of spending all that $$. Do you have granite? Pros/Cons?? Any really good less costly alternatives?? Thanks!

 

[schmitty]

Granite emits radiation. Go for something else.

 

[TwingleMum]

YIKES!!! Where did you find out that???

 

[DeluxePrincess]

I think if it was proven that granite is harmful, they would stop selling it to be placed in homes. Anyways, we went with quartz for our remodel. So far, I am very pleased. Not sure if it emits anything into the air though.

 

[rcraw45425]

According to sources, so does cigarette smoke.

ETA we love our granite

 

[Bluestars]

We have granite and love it. It is beautiful. We also put in a tile backsplash. I do not regret getting granite.

 

[TwingleMum]

Have you had any staining or burn problems??? How do you seal it??? How often??

 

[ChristmasElf]

Granite is the ONLY surface that will count as far as an appraisal goes in adding value to your property.
Spend the money and get granite. You will never regret it.

 

[Jennasis]

Granite tile. MUCH less expensive. MUCH easier to install (can DIY).

 

[mickeyboat]

We love our granite. It is easy to keep clean, it holds up to anything, it looks fantastic.

As far as emitting radiation, don't be alarmed. There have been stories about this happening, but it is my understanding that it happened with exotic granite. If you choose something more local (ours came from Canada), you won't have a problem.

 

[schmitty]

Granite of all types emits it. Some more than others. Why choose granite when there are so many other options that do not? You can still get a beautiful countertop. Granite will only increase value until people stop wanting granite then it will drive down the price. Its a trendy surface thus why it brings up price. 5 years it could hurt your value.

 

[Sammy]

My mom and sister both have granite countertops and while I love the look, I cringe every time a glass or plate hits a little too hard. I'm hoping to re-do my own counters soon, and I'm looking for an alternative to the granite.

 

[golfgal]

Granite emits radiation. Go for something else.

So does the dirt in your back yard. Radiation is a naturally occurring process, it goes on around you all the time. With the granite it is probably one of those things where you have to lay on the granite for 2579 years straight for it to build up to levels that may harm you.

I love granite. It is on my list for our kitchen redo as well. Another option would be Silestone or similar. It looks like granite and has similar properties for heat resistance, etc.

 

[minnie56]

Wow-if Granite emits radiation-I am toast. We have 240 square feet of it!

While it's doing me in tho..I am LOVING it!

 

[Meriweather]

We redid with quartz in this house....love it
And we got grantie in the new house....so far (the little I have been around it ) love it too. Plus it was an incentive when we bought the house and quartz cost

 

[Buckalew11]

I think we are going for granite for our new house but I actually picked out a quartz that I like. We're not quite there yet so we'll see which one we pick.

 

[sunnyday123]

Granite of all types emits it. Some more than others. Why choose granite when there are so many other options that do not? You can still get a beautiful countertop. Granite will only increase value until people stop wanting granite then it will drive down the price. Its a trendy surface thus why it brings up price. 5 years it could hurt your value.

Trust me, granite will NEVER hurt the value of a house, it will only help it. Any direct correlation between granite,cancer, glowing in the dark?? Nope.

You only have to seal it once a year, which is just a buffing, and can cut on it, place things right from the stove/oven on it, and it looks gorgeous. Depending on the size, you may be able to get a leftover piece for 1/2 of what you would normally pay. Stay away from HD & Lowes, they contract out so you'll end up paying more.

 

[pixie921]

We are having our granite template done tomorrow morning and I'm so excited! When we decided to redo our kitchen we thought it would be cheaper to do anything other than granite, but I fell in love with the look of it, and we found it really wasn't that much more expensive than other options.

We went to a showroom/warehouse and picked out our slab. It happened to be the last slab of that particular granite, so they discounted it for us about $600.

Completely installed, it's costing us about $39/sq. foot. My mom is looking at Corian or Staron, and I think it's actually going to cost her a bit more than that.

 

[tinatark]

We have an island. I think when we re-do our countertops, we are going to do granite on the island and stained concrete on the counters, or vice-versa.

I have heard if you want granite but the solid pieces are too big, the squares are a great economical option.

 

[Caradana]

We did ours with Vetrazzo. http://www.vetrazzo.com/products_intro.html

It's environmentally friendly (and gorgeous) recycled glass with granite-like properties. It's very cutting-edge, and if your house is in any way modern or loft-like, your future real estate agent will dance with joy when she finds out you have it. It looks incredible (they have tons of colors), very strong and shiny and dimensional in the light. We love it.