Marble countertops in the kitchen?

[sk!mom]

we didn't consider quartz so I'm not familiar with the process, but when we did our granite we went with our fabricator/installers to 'slab yards' where we had to hand pick our slabs. we weren't able to consider selecting any unless there were matching slabs on site (no ordering extra, might not match) sufficient to do our job. is this not common elsewhere?

This is what we did. Picked the specific slabs that would be used as well as how we wanted the cuts done.

Marble would be too fragile and take too much upkeep for me.

I didn't care for the uniformity of quartz. I wanted the more natural look of granite with some color variations.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

So what are the negatives about CoriaN?
I worry granite is too rich for my neighborhood - that I won't recoup the cost

The biggest downside of corian is it isn't heat resistant. It can scorch beyond repair rather easily.

Over time, corian requires more frequent cleaning to maintain its look.

It's also not eco friendly. That may or may not be a downside for you.

Note that just like any other countertop, it's all in the install.

 

[bcla]

The biggest downside of corian is it isn't heat resistant. It can scorch beyond repair rather easily.

Over time, corian requires more frequent cleaning to maintain its look.

It's also not eco friendly. That may or may not be a downside for you.

Note that just like any other countertop, it's all in the install.

My parents bought a bathroom cabinet with a built in Corian top/sink. It's in pretty good shape now, but it obviously doesn't get the occasional scalding hot pan placed on it in a panic. And I'm not sure what eco-friendly really means. I consider that something that lasts such that it's a long time between replacement. The natural quartz used in quartz composite as well as granite need to be mined. I'm someone who appreciates natural granite in its original environment. And I've seen quarries and open pit mining. I understand we need these materials and I use them myself. However, it does cause one to think about one's personal impacts on the environment.

The Formica top in my kitchen is odd. It's started warping in the corners from moisture seeping in. And they obviously thought of pots coming right off the stove, since the installer built in two square areas with tile. It just seems so early 70s.

 

[bcla]

I do have a soft spot for a certain type of marble top. It's the grayish marble with dark gray streaks that have been used at Fenton's Creamery in Oakland, California. This is the place mentioned by Russell in Up!

I read that when they were looking to expand to another location (Vacaville, California) the owner had to search a while to find the precise type of marble that had always been used for their tables. They do chip and a lot of them come brand new with noticeable imperfections like ridges that can't be buffed out. However, they didn't want to mess with nostalgia. Even a fairly new table can take on scratches and soak in stains in short order.

They didn't quite get the look exactly. There's only parking on one side of the building.

 

[Tom Mulhern]

I think Granite and quartz will be better options as both are highly durable and last for the long period of time.The Granite is natural stone where as quartz is man made stone.

 

[Miffy]

We have super white quartzite countertops in our kitchen. I also wanted marble, but was advised against it because of all the reasons that other posters have already stated.

The super white quartzite (this is not the same as quartz--quartzite is natural stone, a lot like granite) gives a kind of marblelike look, with the white/gray/veining thing going on, and it wears like granite. Looks beautiful.

Google "super white quartzite" and you'll see lots of images of it. It was about the same price as granite, so it's more expensive than marble.