2007-02-09 17:17:00 · 10 answers · asked by TheMagicWand 2 in Home & Garden ➔ Decorating & Remodeling
I am definitely going with granite when we build. It's extremely durable. You can even use it as a cutting board. It's expensive, probably the most you will spend on your counter tops, but well worth it. It is very classy looking. Very rich and elegant. Go with a dark granite. Black marble is nice.
2007-02-09 17:21:17 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
As a builder, all I consider is resale value, which is in accordance with the price range of a particular house. Granite is by far the counter top of choice for most new homes. Yes, it is durable and the look is great. It needs resealing ever 4-5 years. I don't know where Chloe got her price information, but it is no where near 10x the amount -- not even double. Around Texas granite is marginally higher than other solid surfaces like Corian, which runs about $45 - 55 per square foot installed. If you're wanting a good return on your investment and your home is not in the starter home category, then I'd advise going with the granite.
2007-02-09 17:32:37 · answer #2 · answered by Turnhog 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Granite is an awesome choice. The only real drawback is that it will have seams. A good installer can work with you about where those will be located and will make them very smooth and tiny. A good installer will also reinforce the seams with steal rods underneath that helps pull the seam tighter.
The "very porous" myth is spread by the competition. Although Granite is subject to having interesting streaks running through it that may be softer it is heat resistant to very high heat. It is more reasonably priced than the man-made "quartz" tops that are the best you can buy right now. Quartz like Zodiac from DuPont and others is a hybrid of The hardest part of the granite married to the stain resistance of Corian and other acrylic composites. It is the best for your money.
2007-02-09 17:56:52 · answer #3 · answered by Makemeaspark 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Durability - yes
Look - yes
Price - no
They are very expensive so your budget is a big consideration. I did not want to stretch my budget that far as I'm not a big fan of cooking beyond the basics. It's nice to have but it's much much more expensive than a hard surface corian type. About 10X the amount.
2007-02-09 17:22:00 · answer #4 · answered by Chloe 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
granite has a good return when thinking about resale, but you do need to maintain it by resealing it every year or so I believe, so that is a drawback. I have black granite in my condo, and one thing I don't like is that it doesn't always look clean, but streaky and filmy. I would get a lighter granite, like a blush color, and pair it with dark cherry or mahogany cabinets.
2007-02-09 18:40:40 · answer #5 · answered by rclorom 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are a lot of new options out there. Granite has to be polished every 6 months, I believe, so we opted for Corian ourselves. We knew we wouldn't get around to polishing!
2007-02-09 17:20:44 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
They are one of the most expensive, but that corian counter tops are proably the best for your money, looks good, low maintence.
2007-02-09 19:13:27 · answer #7 · answered by 1TON 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
granite is porous and suceptible to stain. not a good choice if you have children. ie juice stains
2007-02-09 17:21:05 · answer #8 · answered by joe c 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
kitchen remodel black granite floor black granite countertop
2016-05-24 21:06:42 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
not if the cabinets aren't great quality.
2007-02-09 18:17:50 · answer #10 · answered by car dude 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋