Calling all those with granite countertops...

[Laila619]

Do you love or hate your granite? Any regrets going with granite? Do you find it to be pretty low-maintenance and durable? I'm trying to decide if I should go with granite or some other material (engineered quartz, etc.) for my kitchen remodel, so I'd love to hear your experiences with granite. Also, I'd like to know if you seal it and how often. Thank you!!

 

[Enerchi]

I only have a granite island, not the full kitchen, as we have a LOT of counter tops and laminate was far more affordable in our case. It was installed 13 years ago and I spray clean it with a cleaner specific to granite. I have not resealed it. Apparently that should be done on a yearly basis. If you want to avoid that, quartz/silestone/Zodiaq are other options that have a similar 'sparkly stone' look, but are composite and are lower maintenance.

I think there was a thread on this recently...

 

[missy]

I think it depends on the specific granite regarding the sealing issue. Although all types of granite are porous some are denser than others. We have a very dense black granite and have not had to reseal it ever (had it since 2003 I think). It is very low maintenance and easy to clean.

 

[lulu]

I've had granite for seven years. Never resealed it and clean it with whatever is at hand. It's very low maintenance.

 

[hlmr]

We've had our granite countertop for approximately three years now. No resealing done to date, and it doesn't seem like it will be needed anytime soon. I love it! It is so easy to clean, so elegant to look at, and so convenient if you need to put a pot or bowl that is still pretty hot down quickly. I highly recommend it!!

 

[rainwood]

Every countertop material has its pros and cons. I just put granite into a kitchen for a vacation house, and am really happy with my choice. Keep in mind that granite covers a large range of stone and granites won't all perform the same because they can be very, very different in the way they were created in nature. I picked one that has a really uniform surface, doesn't have any movement or crystals so is known for being almost bullet proof. I picked a different type of granite for a bathroom that had a lot of movement and sparkle so is more delicate. It's beautiful but I'd never put in a kitchen because I don't want to worry about it.

I chose granite over quartz because I wanted a countertop that I can put a hot pan on and not worry about it. I'm used to tile which is really heat resistant so that feature is really important to me. Not every granite can take that much heat, but the one I picked can. I also decided against quartz because I just don't like the look of it, but that's just personal preference. I never considered laminate because it's heat sensitive and I'd scorch it in no time. I like tile but it has the grout issue so no one picks it anymore. There are other types of countertop surfaces such as poured concrete and stainless but I wasn't going for that look so never seriously considered them.

As for sealing granite, there are two types of sealer. There's the kind that the fabricator will do as standard which lasts a year or so depending on how much the counters are used, and there's the super long lasting sealer that costs extra but will last for 5-10 years or longer. We opted for the super sealer.

 

[JewelFreak]

I put in quartz & ab-so-lutely LOOOOVE it! Researched every possible material first. Quartz doesn't need sealing ever, does not stain, and BEST of all, you can take a hot pot off the stove & put it right onto the counter. Does not scratch, great for kitchens. No worry about its chipping or cracking. Cost is the same as granite. Quartz is attractive, though it doesn't have the random patterns of granite -- but to me, that's a small sacrifice compared to the advantages -- it does come in a million colors & patterns and either matte or polished. I thank myself for being brainy for once, every time I cook something!

--- Laurie

 

[Catmom]

love my granite! very low maintenance and easy to clean. we had it sealed when it was originally put in but since it's dark we really didn't need to do that and haven't since.

edited to say that we have corian countertops in our house in fl and i absolutely hate them. they stain like nobodies business and we are looking to replace them with granite or quartz as soon as we can.

 

[starshine]

I've had granite for seven years. Never resealed it and clean it with whatever is at hand. It's very low maintenance.

This has been my experience, too. We have had ours for 8 years and it looks great! We have Baltic Brown.

 

[Skippy123]

I love mine and have had them 6 years (I think). They are super durable. I think the only con is price and make sure you love the slab because the cost makes it hard to change. At first I was nervous about ours since they were a bit wild but now I love them

 

[Laila619]

Thanks for sharing your experiences, everyone! It sounds like the dark colors are much more durable than the lighter ones, and don't need sealing nearly as often. The problem is I have dark cherry cabinets, so I think I have to go with a light color granite. Quartz is beautiful but it's waaay more expensive in my area than granite.

Rainwood, you mentioned your slab doesn't have a lot of crystals, so it's very durable. How would one know if a certain granite color has a lot of crystals or not?

 

[NewEnglandLady]

When we bought our house it had granite (installed ~10 years ago). When we re-do our kitchen, I'll use soapstone instead.

There are two things I don't love about our granite:
1. As rainwood pointed out, some granites are more delicate. Ours seems to be more delicate because it has several chips in the edges. The edges are rounded, which in theory would help with the chipping, but apparently not in our case. I wouldn't mind the chips so much if granite developed a natural patina (like soapstone), but the granite has a high polish.

2. I find granite to be trendy. I don't usually mind trendy, but our house is about 250 years old and it just looks really out of place in our kitchen. I don't think that's the case in most homes, so it's a more uniqe problem.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

We have a granite that is multicolor...cream, browns, black..looks like granite! It shows NOTHING! You don't need a darker color, Laila, as long as you get one that is not a solid color. I have been told that solid dark ones show a LOT more of everything. We have had ours for over two years, and I don't see any need to reseal for several years.

I really don't see granite as trendy. I really, really like having a natural rock surface in my kitchen!

 

[mimi123]

Hi Laila, we have Giallo Ornamental granite in our kitchen. It is a beige color with dark flecks which would look great with your dark cabs. It takes any amount of heat direct from the stove or oven (it was installed in Winter and they used a blow torch on it to heat the edges before butting two pcs together, so any amt of heat is not an issue). I have sealed it once so far, I like the idea of a shiny and protected surface and will probably do it next year, it's very easy and not a big deal. I love it and the fact that it is a natural piece of stone.

 

[canuk-gal]

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/kitchen-countertop-suggestions.177220/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/kitchen-countertop-suggestions.177220/[/URL]

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/how-much-was-your-granite-or-quartz-sq-ft.141455/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/how-much-was-your-granite-or-quartz-sq-ft.141455/[/URL]

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/do-you-need-a-cutting-board-with-granite-countertops.98848/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/do-you-need-a-cutting-board-with-granite-countertops.98848/[/URL]

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/quartz-countertops-vs-granite.82153/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/quartz-countertops-vs-granite.82153/[/URL]

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/granite-transformations-your-opinions-of-this-product.134616/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/granite-transformations-your-opinions-of-this-product.134616/[/URL]

 

[Tuckins1]

We have granite and I just love it! No trouble at all and looks great!!

 

[rainwood]

Thanks for sharing your experiences, everyone! It sounds like the dark colors are much more durable than the lighter ones, and don't need sealing nearly as often. The problem is I have dark cherry cabinets, so I think I have to go with a light color granite. Quartz is beautiful but it's waaay more expensive in my area than granite.

Rainwood, you mentioned your slab doesn't have a lot of crystals, so it's very durable. How would one know if a certain granite color has a lot of crystals or not?

What you're looking for is whether the granite has a lot of different looking types of components, different textures, big chunks of what looks like crystals, lots of movement, lots of color changes. That makes them really pretty but MIGHT make them more prone to fissures and cracking and chipping. The best thing to do is to ask the people at the stone yard about the characteristics of the ones you like. They will know far more than I ever will. If they don't know the answer, go to a different yard.

I'm not an expert on quartz, but the countertops are crushed or powedered quartz stone combined with an acrylic resin. It's the resin that would concern me, not the quartz itself. I think Caesarstone says not to put anything hotter than 300 degrees directly on the counter. For most people, it's probably not an issue, but I want to be able to put a very hot wok on the counter without a trivet, and chose a granite that was well-suited to that. I even have the same granite for a buffet in the dining room, and they gave it a flamed or leathered surface by taking a blow torch to it and heating it up to something like 800 degrees or more. That's how I know mine is bulletproof. But all granite is not the same and there are probably many granites that would be just as susceptible to high heat as the quartz composites.

 

[imitcan]

I have a mid-tone, earthy coloured, splotchy, granite in my kitchen. Have had it for 6 years and never looked back. We were sealing it once a year in the first 2 or 3 years but have since got lazy and maybe sealed it every 2 years after those early years. It is pretty tough as it sees a lot of use. I am a home cook and baker but also help out with catering some special occasions for friends and family from time to time. So my countertops are not just for show, although they still look brand new and perfect. I love granite because it looks so organic and I never tire of looking at it. Engineered stone is too uniform for me and it lacks that natural quality I was looking for when choosing details for my kitchen. Hope this helps. Good luck with your reno.

 

[tuffyluvr]

we have neutral pinkish/brown/tan/grey/multicolored granite and it's super low maintenance. it doesn't show anything--I actually have to get really close when I'm cleaning to see if there are crumbs, coffee stains, etc, I use regular cleaner on it and we have never sealed in in the 3-4 years we've lived here. It was in the home when we moved in, and the people that owned our house before us installed the coutertops around 2004, i think. Not sure how they cared for them, but there isn't a scratch or chip anywhere and I cook a ton, and am very rough on the kitchen. I love the look tile in the kitchen--I'd love to re-do the kitchen in all white subway tiles, paint the cabinets white and bright red walls...I'm a sucker for a red and white kitchen, but there is definitely something to be said for ease of care of granite, and not having to scrub food stains and mildew out of grout!

 

[kenny]

You could just buy something cheaper and take it for granite.

 

[JewelFreak]

Quartz counters are 97% stone, 3% resin (now they put anti-bacterial stuff in it too). Mine are Silestone. You can put anything hot on them -- the only caveat is a slow cooker, something that is hot over 6 ot 8 hrs, might make a mark so they recommend setting those on a hotpad or trivet. Otherwise -- I take pans straight from the oven & put them on the countertop with no problem. Or off the flame.

Laila, have you gotten quotes from several installers & brands of quartz? Everywhere I've read about, it is the same price as granite. There are several makers: Silestone, Caesarstone, Zodiaq, forget the rest. I put quartz in the master bath too -- great for its non-staining characteristic.

I think the fashion for granite is beginning to fade. On TV I've heard house buyers say (this is real, lol!) "Granite is so common now, they even put it in low-end kitchens, so I want something else."

NEL -- I'd LOVE soapstone counters! I hope in my next, forever house, I can do them. Muchos pesos, though.

--- Laurie

 

[ForteKitty]

You could just buy something cheaper and take it for granite.

I had a friend who used to say that. We thought she just had a pronunciation problem, until we saw it in an email. Oy.

 

[Laila619]

Laila, have you gotten quotes from several installers & brands of quartz? Everywhere I've read about, it is the same price as granite. There are several makers: Silestone, Caesarstone, Zodiaq, forget the rest. I put quartz in the master bath too -- great for its non-staining characteristic.

Hi JewelFreak,

Yes, and it's crazy...the granites we've been looking at are around $33 - $39 per square foot. The cheapest quartz products are $55 + per square foot (and those are just the basic colors!). If you want a fancier quartz, they've given me quotes of $65 + per sq ft. There must be a lot of fabricators in my area so the price of granite is kept down due to the competition. I love some of the Silestone and Cambria colors, but they are very pricey unfortunately.

I will admit quartz is also appealing because of the whole radon/granite scare--no worry with quartz.

 

[Laila619]

Hi Laila, we have Giallo Ornamental granite in our kitchen. It is a beige color with dark flecks which would look great with your dark cabs. It takes any amount of heat direct from the stove or oven (it was installed in Winter and they used a blow torch on it to heat the edges before butting two pcs together, so any amt of heat is not an issue). I have sealed it once so far, I like the idea of a shiny and protected surface and will probably do it next year, it's very easy and not a big deal. I love it and the fact that it is a natural piece of stone.

Love Ornamental! That's one on our list for sure.

 

[missy]

Quartz counters are 97% stone, 3% resin (now they put anti-bacterial stuff in it too). Mine are Silestone. You can put anything hot on them -- the only caveat is a slow cooker, something that is hot over 6 ot 8 hrs, might make a mark so they recommend setting those on a hotpad or trivet. Otherwise -- I take pans straight from the oven & put them on the countertop with no problem. Or off the flame.

Laila, have you gotten quotes from several installers & brands of quartz? Everywhere I've read about, it is the same price as granite. There are several makers: Silestone, Caesarstone, Zodiaq, forget the rest. I put quartz in the master bath too -- great for its non-staining characteristic.

I think the fashion for granite is beginning to fade. On TV I've heard house buyers say (this is real, lol!) "Granite is so common now, they even put it in low-end kitchens, so I want something else."

NEL -- I'd LOVE soapstone counters! I hope in my next, forever house, I can do them. Muchos pesos, though.

--- Laurie

LOL I saw that same house show. So funny.

Drool for soapstone!! My dh would love to redo our beach kitchen with soapstone but we are most likely going to replace the granite with silestone when we redo the kitchen there. I hate the granite that we have there though it looks like new and never sealed. It's a beigey marbley looking granite and I hate that it is really hard to tell if it is clean. The design hides everything which is bad in my book. I like to know that it is clean. Also, when we first moved here that summer was an ant problem in our area and it freaked me out that it was hard to see them on the granite!!!! Gross!!! So while we haven't had any ant problem this past spring/summer I still hate not being able to see if the granite is clean. I cannot wait till we redo the kitchen with silestone (since soapstone is too expensive for us). I love that you can put hot pots on it just like granite and I love the clean look of it.

 

[rainwood]

Missy - I feel the same way as you about crumbs. I hate putting something on the counter and hearing the crunch of crumbs underneath! We put a gray/black mottled granite in our beach house that looks a lot like soapstone but isn't as soft and doesn't need to be oiled. It's honed so doesn't show fingerprints but does show crumbs which is exactly the combination I wanted. I paired it with white cabinets for that classic beach house look.

Jewel Freak - I'm glad to hear you don't have heat problems with your quartz. I know several people who did and I would have been scared to death to test it out. Countertops are so expensive!

And for whoever mentioned the radon scare, it isn't a real issue. Go to radon.com or other sites and they will tell you that radon in countertops is not the problem. It's the radon in the soil that would be a problem. Anything you put into your house as part of a remodel is going to emit something other than fresh air. A little radon from some granites, a little off-gassing from the resin in quartz, a little off-gassing from the adhesives to secure either of those in place. What matters is whether there is a significant amount of emissions. We focused more on choosing formaldehyde-free cabinet boxes, using a low VOC paint, and having pre-finished hardwood floors so that they would have cured for awhile before coming on site. Some of that stuff can off-gas for years.

 

[missy]

Ooh rainwood, that sounds lovely. I like that combination. It sounds like your granite looks like slate? And you can see the crumbs/dirt and not the fingerprints- awesome!
I want to redo our cabinets at the beach with white cabinets also. What kind of cabinets do you have at your beach house? Right now we have maple and I am trying to think what is the best option for white cabinets.

 

[soocool]

My kitchen granite countertops are almost 10 years old. I went with a more expensive one and have never had to reseal. I also extended my countertops so I had more counter space which I love. If you do get granite make sure that you get an undermount sink, that way you can brush crumbs, etc directly into the sink. Also, if you have a long or curved counter around your sink that may require 2 pieces put together find out how the will do it. My one countertop is L shaped and they made it so the 2 tops met in the middle of the sink so no one can ever tell there is a seam.

My bathrooms also all have granite vanity tops, but the place I went to charged around $400 per vanity top if you picked from leftover slabs. That included the backsplash on 2 sides. This was for a 42" vanity top and I paid $250 for a smaller one for the powder room.

 

[rainwood]

Missy -

I think maple is a good choice for cabinetry. That's not what we chose, but only for budget reasons.

The granite we bought is kind of hard to explain so I attached a photo (at least I hope I did). I'd never seen anything like it. It wasn't love at first sight because I thought I wanted something warm and gold to remind me of wood countertops, but I couldn't find anything like that that didn't have the crumb issue. I also wanted honed and not everything looks good honed or can be honed. So I decided on these and I'm glad I did. The multi-color is forgiving, but the dark color really grounds the kitchen with all its white walls and cabinets. And now that it's installed I really like our choice.

 

[missy]

Missy -

I think maple is a good choice for cabinetry. That's not what we chose, but only for budget reasons.

The granite we bought is kind of hard to explain so I attached a photo (at least I hope I did). I'd never seen anything like it. It wasn't love at first sight because I thought I wanted something warm and gold to remind me of wood countertops, but I couldn't find anything like that that didn't have the crumb issue. I also wanted honed and not everything looks good honed or can be honed. So I decided on these and I'm glad I did. The multi-color is forgiving, but the dark color really grounds the kitchen with all its white walls and cabinets. And now that it's installed I really like our choice.

Really gorgeous rainwood- I love your granite! Thank you for the pic!