Ironwood Builders There a many variables that affect this discussion! It would take quite a while to get them all out. I'll give you the downsides to a few materials and hopefully get you started on some further research. Coriander and its like are plastic. It can scorch and burn, cut and mar. It can be refinished in place to fix many of these problems. "Quartz" a very popular man made material made of mineral chips and plastic. Similar to cultured marble from the 70's with a higher mineral content (by weight, not volume). It will scorch if a very hot pan is set on it. It is not repairable. Granite is hard and will break glasses. Recently someone posted to me that it is porous. All natural stone requires sealer and needs regular maintenance. Tile has grout lines that collect grunge and require maintenance (sealer again). Soapstone and slate...more sealer and maintenance. Concrete, more sealer and maintenance. Wood...great look...bad with sinks and water. Maintenance is a given when compared to the other choices.
Debi McCann For me always granite, I have it. It's durable, heat resistant and always beautiful ! I have 5 grandchildren and survive everything. Every 4 months I wipe it with a
sealer at night next morning good to go. A lot of broken glasses &bowls on ceramic floors.
lewis + smith We have put in most of the available countertop materials. granite, marble, paperstone, corian, zodiac, slatescape, wood, concrete, Caeserstone, and a few others. Out of all of them, the only one I actually recommend to clients is the Caeserstone. It machines nicely, wears well and there are a number of colors that look good.
Norm Walters Construction Inc. Absolute Black and Black Galaxy do not need to be sealed, in fact they won't accept sealer because they are so dense. Here is a link to black granites, probably more than you ever wanted to know. http://stone-network.com/absolute_black_granite.html
Norm Walters Construction Inc. Caeserstone is quartz. Quartz does burn if a hot pot is left on it as stated with any quartz product care and cleaning instructions. There are differences in how hot a pot gets, boiling water = 212 degrees, oil used for frying =350 degrees.
What's Inside Design Ltd. Like Ironwood said, there are MANY factors to consider!!!
My personal preference is not necessarily the popular one......
But, after much of my own research and experience, I prefer quartz!
The materials I choose have to be beautiful, but I am still a function first kind of person!
For this reason, I appreciate the durability, non-pourous and maintenance-free qualities of quartz!
Because it is non-porous, quartz is considered a sanitary material and is approved for commercial kitchens. (granite is not)
A big factor for me!
Also, do your research on the MOHS scale.
This scale measures the hardness of stones and therefore will determine how easily your new counter surface will scratch.
I hope this was helpful,
Have fun!!!
Caroline
P.S. I would never put a hot pot on any surface!!! Just not good practice!
diyher very helpful information, as I too want to eventually replace our kitchen countertops. How different is Caeserstone from Silstone? or are they just 2 brand names of the same basic product?
DIAspoton so if caesarstone is the most functional but i prefer the look of a natural stone with all of it's irregularities, what's the answer? can the apperance of quartz be altered? black granite can be honed to look like soapstone. so what cool things can be done with quartz?
lewis + smith You can hone the quartz, but it will void any warranty. If you prefer the look of natural stone, you should go that route. There are plenty of tasteful granites out there. And plenty of awful ones too. I would avoid materials that are trying too hard to look like something they are not though.
G.Elizabeth Designs Have you considered copper, which is beautiful and anti bacterial? Or stainless steel, It isn't always about stone, but if you are stuck on stone there are also man made glass stone products and thick glass overlays that are lovely and functional. Let's face it, they all have their pros and cons.
feeny Caroline,
You can definitely put a hot pot down on soapstone. That's why it is used in chemistry labs. It has other drawbacks, such as maintenance to keep an even finish, but heat resistance is one of its many virtues.
Addition Building & Design, Inc. Granite is the most durable product for kitchens. If my clients do not like the look of Granite, I recommend Ceasarstone. We tried Corian on projects when it first came out- it came with a touch up kit. Corian absorbs and must be buffed and sanded continuosly.
Norm Walters Construction Inc. I am a Corian (solid surface) fabricator. Corian doesn't absorb anything, it is non porous that is why it comes with a NSF 51 (National Sanitary Foundation) rating for use in food service areas. Quartz also has an NSF rating, granite does not.
Solid surface, the generic name for Corian type products is fine if light colors are used because no matter what color you use the scratches show white. The scratches will show clear if a polyester solid surface is used, Corian is an acyrlic solid surface. Avonite has both both acylic and polyester solid surface.
I have used solid surface on shower seats because it stays at room temperature. Stone and tile is normally 10 degrees colder than room temperature.
The only solid surface I fabricate now is for bathroom countertops as I think it is a good fit for bathrooms, doubt you will scratch it with a hair brush or a toothbrush.
G.Elizabeth Designs I love Corian and have used it often, I'm not stuck on any one product and appreciate your comparisons and knowledge, it's tough as a designer because as I said before there are pros and cons to materials and that is why designers appreciate the knowledge of fabricators and installers.
I'm sure you can put hot pots on certain surfaces!
However, as a former culinary arts teacher, (for safety reasons) I taught my students otherwise.
I simply think it's good practice to protect all surfaces...better safe than sorry!
Caroline :)
Judy M Sometimes the choice made is influenced by backsplash decision. The granite one chooses might be too busy with the desired backsplash, that's when a solid surface quartz might be a good option.
This is why the decisions are often difficult to make. Each selection individually might be the best decision, the question is when each choice is all together in place, do they all make sense together.
Norm Walters Construction Inc. Solid surface refers to Corian type products. The problem is when Dupont invented Corain, (originally invented for NASA), they thought the product would never be duplicated. After Dupont's patent ran out many other companies created their own solid surface material. LG makes Hi-Macs, Samsung makes Staron, Livingstone is also a manufacturer, along with Avonite, Meganite, Wilsonart and countless others. The thing they all have in common is their generic name Solid Surface, which is so generic many other surfaces that are hard, or "solid" get referred to as solid surface when it fact the only material that should be called Solid Surface is composed of ATH (aluminum tri hydrate) fillers mixed with either an acrylic or polyester resin, sometimes a combination of each. The material normally comes in 1/2" sheets that can be heated and thermoformed to many shapes. For a kitchen countertop strips are cut and glued to the main 1/2" sheet to form a 1-1/2" edge using matching epoxy type adhesives, when routed and sanded no seams from the joints are consipicuous. Sinks made out of the same material are glued on, routed, and sanded to give a "seamless" appearance.
Liz how easy on the pocket are all these options? we are building a house and I love the idea of a Corian shower seat! and in the bathroom. But we are doing this on a budget, so which give you the most for your money? Which would you choose for a (smaller) kitchen? I'm leaning towards a counter with a smaller, more even pattern, not the big swirls (if that makes sense).
Norm Walters Construction Inc. Liz, quartz has a very consistent pattern although it is more expensive than entry level granites. Corian is about the same price as granite now as granite has gone down in price and Corian uses an acrylic resin which is a petroleum product, no need to explain that one.
If you want a Corian seat in the shower I would also have the countertop in the bathroom the same color, they can also do the curb of the shower with the same material.
lewis + smith In any building project you have to pick your battles. When it comes to materials you touch and interact with, I try and persuade clients to spend more there, and conserve somewhere else. Corian does nothing for me so I steer clients away from it.
G.Elizabeth Designs Design can be objective or subjective, that's whats so great about diversity of product, I tend to steer my clients to what I like too, but I also consider their desires and have found myself won over with some things that 'do nothing for me' but I like that you have such a strong opinion.
Norm Walters Construction Inc. One more comment about quartz, it is not as glossy as granite if that is what you are looking for. Also, they way to tell the difference between quartz and granite is bend down and look across the countertop, it's quartz if you see what appears to be a matrix of 1/4" pieces side by side (best way I can decribe it).
sealer at night next morning good to go. A lot of broken glasses &bowls on ceramic floors.
My personal preference is not necessarily the popular one......
But, after much of my own research and experience, I prefer quartz!
The materials I choose have to be beautiful, but I am still a function first kind of person!
For this reason, I appreciate the durability, non-pourous and maintenance-free qualities of quartz!
Because it is non-porous, quartz is considered a sanitary material and is approved for commercial kitchens. (granite is not)
A big factor for me!
Also, do your research on the MOHS scale.
This scale measures the hardness of stones and therefore will determine how easily your new counter surface will scratch.
I hope this was helpful,
Have fun!!!
Caroline
P.S. I would never put a hot pot on any surface!!! Just not good practice!
You can definitely put a hot pot down on soapstone. That's why it is used in chemistry labs. It has other drawbacks, such as maintenance to keep an even finish, but heat resistance is one of its many virtues.
http://www.houzz.com/pro/refreshgenemcdonald/refresh-interiors-designcom-inc
Solid surface, the generic name for Corian type products is fine if light colors are used because no matter what color you use the scratches show white. The scratches will show clear if a polyester solid surface is used, Corian is an acyrlic solid surface. Avonite has both both acylic and polyester solid surface.
I have used solid surface on shower seats because it stays at room temperature. Stone and tile is normally 10 degrees colder than room temperature.
The only solid surface I fabricate now is for bathroom countertops as I think it is a good fit for bathrooms, doubt you will scratch it with a hair brush or a toothbrush.
I'm sure you can put hot pots on certain surfaces!
However, as a former culinary arts teacher, (for safety reasons) I taught my students otherwise.
I simply think it's good practice to protect all surfaces...better safe than sorry!
Caroline :)
This is why the decisions are often difficult to make. Each selection individually might be the best decision, the question is when each choice is all together in place, do they all make sense together.
Cheers,
Robert Korstanje, Richland, Mi.
If you want a Corian seat in the shower I would also have the countertop in the bathroom the same color, they can also do the curb of the shower with the same material.