Granite counter tops?

[bigndn]

We're getting a quote for granite counter tops. The guys asks me if we want 3/4" or 1". I said, "I don't know, is there any benefit one way or the other?"

Anyone have any input on granite thickness for countertops?? Thanks

 

[snobdds]

IMHO, the 3/4 inch counter tops look too small, visually speaking. I like the look of 1 inch better. A lot of it is in the bevel that they put on the conors.

No real difference, just the visual appearence...

 

[Woodsman]

Thicker is better and a really ornate/old world-style kitchen should have built up edges ( 1 1/2-2" with shaped edges) to "look right".

Personally, I am not a great fan of granite or marble counter. They are expensive, cold and can be stained, scratched or chipped.

Laminate has come a long way over the years and even though it may never seem as great as stone for those that want to keep up with the Jones, your pocket book will thank you over and over. If you want a different color in a few years it's no big deal.

 

[splitshot]

Laminate has come a long way over the years and even though it may never seem as great as stone for those that want to keep up with the Jones, your pocket book will thank you over and over. If you want a different color in a few years it's no big deal.

^^^This..

.02 from the cheep dude in AZ.

 

[WarDamnEagle]

Thicker is better and a really ornate/old world-style kitchen should have built up edges ( 1 1/2-2" with shaped edges) to "look right".

Personally, I am not a great fan of granite or marble counter. They are expensive, cold and can be stained, scratched or chipped.

Laminate has come a long way over the years and even though it may never seem as great as stone for those that want to keep up with the Jones, your pocket book will thank you over and over. If you want a different color in a few years it's no big deal.

Marble can be stained. Granite not so much. I love granite. You can pull stuff straight out of the oven and sit it down without burning down the house. Chipped? Please; laminate is so much softer.

Anyway, normally granite comes in 2cm or 3cm which translates to a bit over 3/4" or 1 1/4". There is no question that the 3 cm looks better. No other choice.

 

[45Kevin]

We put stone in our kitchen. We went with a 1" thick slab. It looks nice.

I can take a pot from the stove top or oven and just put it down anywhere. I like that.

The thing I don't like is that if a glass tips over, or if as I pull something from the cupboards above it and it falls...kiss it goodbye.

My wife puts some type of sealer or oil on it once or twice a year to keep it from staining.

It seems to be a significant factor for resale.

 

[-Spike-]

Thickness depends on the cabinets. If they are level and the tops don't require shimming (rare), you can use the thick granite. If the tops need to be shimmed, you should use the thinner granite and have the edge laminated to double thickness to hide the shims. You actually end up with a thicker edge that way. You should never use the thin stuff without laminating the edge.

 

[Woodsman]

Marble can be stained. Granite not so much. I love granite. You can pull stuff straight out of the oven and sit it down without burning down the house. Chipped? Please; laminate is so much softer.

You are definitely right about the hot items although most people I know still set the pots and pans down on something so they don't get dragged across the polished surface.

While marble is softer and much easier to stain, granite isn't difficult to stain either although this varies by the variety of granite and the finish. Some granite can actually be stained by a simple puddle of water. They are both natural porous materials and most varieties need to be sealed regularly. For well-sealed counters, what may appear to be a stain in the stone is often "caught" by the sealer. Sometimes you can remove the stain by using a "poultice" of powdered cleaning agents and sometimes with liquid solvents. Sometimes you just have to live with it.

In the cases I've seen during my days of custom woodworking and cabinet making, the more rigid materials such as stone and quartz are chipped easier because they have no "give". If you are lucky, you will have a chunk which can be reglued with stone epoxy. A properly made laminate counter with self-edge or wood edge may dent but not break off if you, for example, hit it with a new appliance while moving it into place. The exception is a poorly made laminate top such as what you get at most home centers which often has loose spots in the laminate or on the edge that can be caught and pulled off resulting in a chip.

Several years back I was responsible for installing about a half semi load of granite tops for the Longaberger Basket Company's retail space. They were all honed finish which is not the best for avoiding stains and I warned them about resealing every year but after the first year they just kind of didn't want to deal with it (or pay for it) so you can guess the rest. Also did a condo for the president of a well known Indiana diesel engine manufacturer back in 07-08 Beautiful black polar Russian granite. Still looks good but some scratches are apparent and even more visible due to the dark color. Of course, he can afford to replace granite tops as though they were made of cardboard if he wishes.

Anyway, got off an a tangent there. It's all personal preference when it comes down to it.

 

[Michael Hanson]

We have 1 1/2. It looks great. MIke

 

[-Spike-]

We have 1 1/2. It looks great. MIke

You have laminated 3/4". Hard to see the seam, huh?

 

[bigndn]

Thanks for all the information, guys! I've learned a lot!

 

[titanpat57]

There's also some great real wood bamboo tops out there...got some great samples the other day. Certainly not maintenance free...but hey...friggin wood man!

Also name brands like Silstone and all that...but why buy synthetic when you can have the real thing for a couple of bucks more.

Just put the 1" granite in the new bathroom...loved it!!

 

[Woodsman]

There's also some great real wood bamboo tops out there...got some great samples the other day. Certainly not maintenance free...but hey...friggin wood man!

Also name brands like Silstone and all that...but why buy synthetic when you can have the real thing for a couple of bucks more.

Just put the 1" granite in the new bathroom...loved it!!

Yeah, the bamboo is some pretty cool stuff. I've done some work with the Teragren product but haven't been able to convince anyone to drop the coin on a bamboo kitchen.

I did a library job in Maryland a couple of years ago and Zodiac Copper Cunset was spec'd for the circulation desks. I had it fab'd in Cincinnati and hauled it out there with the millwork. Worked great but it doesn't have the natural character/variety that granite does. Of course, in some cases like this they wanted the long term wearability of stone and weren't concerned about "character".

One of the two desks. Hartford County, MD

 

[sparkplug]

I had bamboo floors in my house. I find bamboo to be too soft. I would think counter tops would get dings unless coated with epoxy or something similar.

 

[Woodsman]

I had bamboo floors in my house. I find bamboo to be too soft. I would think counter tops would get dings unless coated with epoxy or something similar.

I've heard that before and you do bring up a good point. Like any other type of top, the bamboo will require some care to prevent "premature aging".

But, man oh man, does that bamboo parquet look cool or what ?

Teragren® | Ecosmart Bamboo Worktops

 

[sparkplug]

Bamboo is really beautiful stuff. I also love the fact that it has minimal environmental impact when harvesting/growing.


When we installed the bamboo floors, we were told that they were very hard. Apparently not hard enough for kids with toys. Once they are dented, it's a bitch to get all of the dirt out of the depressions. Blond floors with little black spots everywhere really sucks. They are now sitting in a landfill somewhere.

 

[MoJ]

I like the Silestone (quartz) products better than granite or anything else for that matter. Looks and feels like granite but without any need to seal etc. True 1.25" slab.

http://www.silestoneusa.com/

To me the 3/4" granite looks too thin, even with the edges built up. If you do go with 3/4" and built edges consider that they often still leave undermount sink openings and backspashes at 3/4.

 

[BattleWagon]

concrete

 

[Ebag333]

There's also some great real wood bamboo tops out there...got some great samples the other day. Certainly not maintenance free...but hey...friggin wood man!

I like the Silestone (quartz) products better than granite or anything else for that matter. Looks and feels like granite but without any need to seal etc. True 1.25" slab.

concrete

If ya'll are gonna throw out other options, I'll toss out soapstone. Did my counter out of remnant pieces (our kitchen counter was far too small for a whole or even half a slab), and it turned out fantastic, even though I was the one who did it (just need a few wood working tools)! I see all the flaws in it of course, but everyone who's seen it has commented on how well it turned out (and most importantly, the loves it).

It's pretty maintenance free, needs mineral oil periodically but we don't even have to do that too often anymore as the stone naturally darkens with time. The only big concern with soapstone is that it's fairly soft, so you can scratch it. I've found that 99% of scratches are practically invisible if the soapstone is oiled however. And it's impervious to anything else (heat, staining, etc).


Silestone is cool stuff, we considered that but it was a bit more expensive than we wanted to spend and it didn't fit our house (we're trying to keep it matching historical home designs as much as possible). That was high up on our list for counters.


I really like concrete, but it's a pain to work with and it's incredibly heavy. Plus the quotes I got were outrageous (higher than anything else, by far).

 

[AJP]

Have granite at home, butcherblock (real as opposed to Laminate) at the farm and just had installed "Wilsonart" solid surface (similar to Corian) at the cottage.

The memory of discussions regarding counter tops with my wife now gives me a headache; anyway they are all nice and we have been happy with the granite (as we had installed) and butcherblock (installed by previous owner). Apparently the solid acrylic stuff (Corian and Wilsonart) are able to be repaired vs replaced.

The only problem with granite is the extra care/caution your better half will insist on for the first year(s) till the novelty wears off - then its game on. Our experience with granite has been very positive so far. I did spend some time reinforcing the cabinets before the granite was installed. May have been unnecessary but gave me a little piece of mind.

Do select the correct edge bevel both for appearance/impact/and also to ensure that liquid spills don't run around a bull nose and on to the cabinet door edges below. ... a problem I have occasionally.

I think we ended up with 2cm and per Spike's note was "laminated" at the edge (I guess I could measure the thickness at the under mount sink )




(BTW - I am a little too tough on counters to enjoy laminates -- my sister has laminate counters - they look great .. have been very durable .... but you know they are laminate. ) "FORMICA" = "FORMERLY known as MICARTA"