Is Granite as great as they say?

[River Wood]

If you have granite counter tops...do feel that they are as wonderful as they are advertised to be? Are they worth it? It would be nice to find something a bit less expensive that works well. Sturdy, non staining etc.

 

[Bess Kelly]

There are other products that will hold up as well, look similar, etc. Not sure of costs. One is actually made from lightweight concrete which is molded to size, polished finish, various colorings/patterns. Durability supposed to be excellent.

 

[user 488]

I remodeled my whole kitchen about 3 years ago. Went out and picked the slabs of granite and had it installed as counter tops and back splashes. I have large area of counter space so 144 square feet of it. It is no trouble at all except for once a year I use a sealer on it. That is another no big deal as you just spray it on and wipe it off. If you are going to spend the money on a solid surface, I personally would go the extra mile. The kitchen and bathrooms the most important rooms when it comes to resale value so I put granite and travertine bowl sinks in the bathrooms as well. If your kitchen is not that large you can find remnants for CHEAP! I don't know anyone that is unhappy with granite.

On the other hand there are other very nice alternatives. I just didn't want to go for say Silestone and then wish I would of had granite. It's really boils down to what you really like........but your question was "Is granite really as good as they say?" and I say yes.

 

[Pepipony]

If you dont want a solid slab, you can go with large tiles and butt them so there is hardly any seam. Or if you have it done, they use a different sealer and its nearly invisible. Just know that the tile wouldnt be as thick, so if you pound out meat, you will need a thicker board.

 

[Magic]

I LOVE our granite countertops. We had laminate in our other house, and it was nice enough, but granite just looks so much more, I don't know, solid. So pretty (and SO many colors and designs to choose from!). Ours was definitely worth it.

 

[SilverDollar]

We are almost finished completely remodeling our house and put granite in the kitchen. I love it! Our old counters were laminate, and at our other house we had tile with grout--I loathe grout. The granite is so easy to maintain and I don't worry about hot pans or scratches or anything. Well worth it!

We put Silestone in our powder room--it was a remnant and the right color, so it worked out well for us. I cheaped out and bought a "stainless steel" soap dispenser at Target and it's left a rust ring on the countertop!

Our tile contractor said he can get it off no problem. I sure hope so! I was SO mad! In our master bathroom we put marble and it's wearing well also, and in our guest bath we are installing Brazilian slate. I am a fan of the natural stone but the Silestone is working out well, too.

If you really like the color and pattern, I don't know that it matters what surface you go with--man-made or natural stone. There's a really cool recycled countertop but it was VERY expensive.

 

[River Wood]

Thanks for all of the responses.

 

[SampleMM]

I have granite throughout my house and it really is nice but I wish I hadn't put it in my kitchen. I have a big center island with a commercial size stainless steel sink in it. After a few years of use, you can see where the water has splashed around the faucet. It is a stain that I can't get out, no matter how hard I try. It had been sealed properly by the installers and I also seal it often throughout the year. I just think it's an area where too much water can be left sitting. Now, in my bathrooms it is similar but much less obvious.

Good luck on whatever you decide.

 

[kaykay]

There are some draw backs to granite. It does show every little spot so you are constantly wiping them. Granite tiles do crack but the good thing is if its a tile you can just replace one tile. (my family runs a kitchen and bath remodeling company) Also some studies are showing Granite isnt very sanitary and can hold some bacteria. This is why sealing is important especially in kitchens.

I know an up coming new counter is the glass countertops. Getting more popular as they cannot hold bacteria and are easier to maintain.

And Corian is always a great choice. Pretty pricey too but people love it as you can buff out scratches etc and its much easier to maintain.

 

[Pepipony]

A while back I saw a show ( cant recall if it was a remodeling show or news) where they showed that some Granite, mostly the deep brown to red tones, had 'some' radioactivity to them. I DO NOT know if this is truly fact or not, so if its a worry, research it. Being a rock hound, I can see where this may be true, but I do still have doubts.

Marble would be better than granite. Marble is more compressed and the quartz crystals have been basically pressed out. I think its the presence of that Quartz that can hold bacteria in its fractures.

 

[Marty]

Hi Miss Connie.

Ok this is what my family does every day for a living.

My take on granite for counter tops is simply personal preference. It is a very pretty and beautiful way to modernize and upgrade. It is sturdy and under normal circumstances it would take a huge hard blow with a sledge hammer to crack it. The boys used to run their hot wheels back and forth on my sample slabs and I'd have a fit but they would never get a scratch. I'm a klutz and I haven't managed to crack one piece now in 14 years. Water spots? Well, put it this way, to keep my samples looking perfect and shiny in my show room I go to great lengths to keep them polished up, rub, rub, rub all the time. They must be sealed and the sealer used does make a difference. Some are better than others. If money is no object, I would select granite.

Brainstorming: On the flip side, would I buy it for my house? Heck no. I'm cheap and on a very tight budget especially since the economy is what it is right now. So my alternative to that, and also what many of my customers do to achieve that same look, is to go for ceramic tile. You can select a gorgeous ceramic tile that looks just like granite for a fraction of the price. Its easier to maintain and I have it on my countertop also and haven't busted a piece of it yet either. The selections are out of this world.

My advice to you would be to shop, shop, shop. The stores will encourage you to purchase granite of course to make more money.

These are pictures of our tile show room: (We also sell carpet and hardwood which is in another room)

and here's some pictures of the tiled floor samples

 

[River Wood]

Nice show room Marty!

I do really like the looks of tile. Do you have to worry about the grout staining? I tend to......uh...spill things.

 

[Marty]

Con, there are no bigger slobs than me and my men fok. We spill things daily all over the counter. My counter top is taupe with light sand grout, no stains at all.

The kind of tile I have is kind of rustic and stoney looking which goes with my very informal house. Something like granite would not match the type of country mountain home I have and would be very out of place in my kitchen. If you have a more formal home, then granite or a classy looking tile might go with it very well so keep in mind the type of home you have and your decor throughout the house. Same with marble. We had a spare piece and Hus stuck it in my kitchen windowsill for some dumb reason and it looks so stupid sitting there like it certainly doen't belong.

My counter top and backsplash

 

[kaykay]

I forgot all about ceramic tile and I do like the look of that.

just for fun heres some glass countertops. this site shows the really modern ones but I have seen them done to look more traditional. Kinda fun!

glass countertops

 

[wildoak]

When we built a couple of years ago, we went with Silestone everywhere. I looked at some beautiful granite but ultimately liked the fact that Silestone doesn't have to be sealed and doesn't hold bacteria like some of the granite. It looks very similar and has performed as it should. We used a tile splash in the kitchen with some glass tiles in it - love those.

Jan

 

[River Wood]

Boy I must live in a jar.....some of these products I have never heard of

LOL