[Sly Fox]

You younger guys are going to skip right by this thread and I am not the least bit bothered. But my wife & I are going through the agonizing (at least for me) process of taking bids on replacing our kitchen countertops. Our old formica kitchen has been out of date longer than most of our posters have been alive. But I have successfully avoided the investment in updating until now. Its time to pay the piper ... or at least the installers.

I'm looking for legitimate experience feedback from the board on what some of you have installed in your kitchen and what is your suggestion. We are looking primarily at quartz and man-made right now. Silestone is our first choice with Avanza and Corian in the hunt. My experience with granite has not been positive and I don't need the radiation issues that have been all over the news the past week or so.

Thoughts?

[AZjonz]

Funny you mention this as we were at the design studio today picking out countertops for our house we are building.

I would go with the quartz – that’s what we are going with. We picked cherry cabinets which have a more classic look and the quartz was a better fit. The Corian is nice, but if you go with a dark color it will show scratches easier. Also, Corian can’t take a beating like the stone tops. And honestly, I think Corian will look dated sooner – just my opinion. I think the price between Corian and quartz should be pretty close. Look at both styles side-by-sied.

In my current townhouse – I replaced 30 year old wood grain Formica in the kitchen and yellow Formica in the bathrooms with neutral more modern looking Formica. I used Formica as the neighborhood I am in is not a granite top neighborhood and it would have been too much to get a return on it.

[Sly Fox]

That is the direction we are heading. We've looked at the products side by side and we are big fans of Silestone. Unfortunately the product's recent boom in popularity has sent prices up from just a couple of years ago when we briefly considered a renovation.

Our neighborhood is definitely a granite-type neighborhood. But by all indications granite is losing its lustre in the housing market. Quartz is getting the buzz these days. Both of them make you wince when you see the price tag. But you can't put a price on a having a happy wife.

Anybody on here have experience of their own with Silestone, Avanza or Corian?

[SumItUp]

We are in the process of either buying or building a new home. I have looked at more house plans, paint colors, carpets, appliances, etc.... than a man should have to look at in his entire life unless it is his profession. I have researched the radiation concern about granite and do not believe it has merit. We are going to go with granite. We have a lot of Houston folks that work for ConocoPhillips that shuttle back and forth between the two towns. The builders here do not put anything else in new construction unless it is specifically requested by a buyer in a custom home.

I have included a link to some info that I had reviewed concerning granite.



http://www.khou.com/images/0805/truthab ... 080507.pdf

[Sly Fox]

That is the station where I freelance. That story has attracted great deal of national attention.

It is all a matter of preference and that is exactly what I am soliciting. Gracias

[AZjonz]

It's easy spending other people's money.

[ALUmnus]

Sly, I have no personal experience with this product, but I've heard good things about it.

http://www.cambriausa.com/

[HenryGale]

Sly, I have no personal experience with this product, but I've heard good things about it.

http://www.cambriausa.com/

Anything that has Cheryl Tiegs as a spokesperson can't be all bad

[RagingTireFire]

Corian scratches at the drop of ... well, anything.

[BJWilliams]

My parents were agonizing over things like this during the remodel of our house. The kitchen was a major focal point of the renovating process. When it was all over, they had gone with a really nice marble countertop. If money isnt an object during this process Sly I say go for the very best. It will cost a lot but you and your kids (and hopefully grandkids and great grandkids) will be able to appreciate it for a long time.

[SuperJon]

Dude, tile it. It's easy and looks great.

[LUconn]

I bet that money is an object.

[RagingTireFire]

It will cost a lot but you and your kids (and hopefully grandkids and great grandkids) will be able to appreciate it for a long time.

Great-grandkids, huh?

"Come 'ere, sonny, and let ol' Pawpaw tell you about the time me and your great-grandma put in that there countertop. It wasn't easy. It weighed a couple of tons and the kitchen fell down around us on two separate occastions but -- dagblameit!! -- that countertop's still there. I want you to appreciate it, boy. Especially since we haven't paid it off yet and we'll be passing the debt onto you."

[BJWilliams]

hahaha...good one RTF. I dont think Sly and Mrs Sly will be telling stories about countertops to their great grandkids, although itll be nice to have the same counters when youre working on Thanksgiving dinner with the kids and grandkids that they would have when this remodel of theirs is over

[WinthropEagleFan]

We just did new cabinets and countertops in the WinthropEagleFan kitchen, and Mrs. WEF went with Hi-Macs (sp?) for the countertop. I honestly don't know much about it, but it looks good and has held up well so far...

[scuzdriver]

Do whatever works best for resale value. End of story.

[LUconn]

What if he has no desire to sell?

[RubberMallet]

my countertops are so old....they are white with like gold swirls..and there are gold specs in it too....its terrible...

[LUconn]

but they are able to hold large quantities of meat for preparation. Is the gold speckled pork butt your signature?

[Sly Fox]

Oh I have a desire to sell. But now is not the best time to maximize value on the market. The real estate experts we have talked to have said granite & quartz both have generally equal appeal to home buyers here. Updating the house for eventual sale is part of our motivation to do much of the remodeling we are in the midst of right now.