Countertops - Quartz vs Granite

[Zee09]

Anyone ready for a laugh?

My parents- say no more- in their 90 in California did a complete house rebuild a little while back

They chose Formica.

Nice home otherwise in an exclusive hill neighborhood

It was NOT a cost saving issue

SMH!

View attachment 224339

Doesn't bother me.
Many years ago my folks put in granite and ripped out formica. The formica was better.

Got a neighbor that hasn't got a $$ to his name but will badmouth you if you don't have $50k + designer cabinets.
I told him a bigger garage and the top grade roofing is a better place to spend the money.
Once you get to a certain price on cabinets it's all smoke and mirrors.

 

[Kantaro]

Got a neighbor that hasn't got a $$ to his name but will badmouth you if you don't have $50k + designer cabinets.

Ridiculous. Ironically I actually like our Ikea cabinets more than the custom all-wood cabinets we designed for our bathrooms. The Ikea system is all Blum and just sold by Ikea - highly customizable and very well thought out layouts, excellent low profile hardware and very durable finish on the doors. Sure, the boxes are MDF but so were the 40 year old cabinets I demolished and those were completely fine. It's been nearly 10 years and the Ikea set up has shown no wear. The only downside is you have to work with what's available in their catalogue, but it is so vast that you can make it work given enough time and effort.

 

[thastinger]

Quartz, have 2 teenagers in the house and they have abused those quartz countertops for years. They still look just as good as day 1 and don't have a single stain.

 

[GON]

Ridiculous. Ironically I actually like our Ikea cabinets more than the custom all-wood cabinets we designed for our bathrooms. The Ikea system is all Blum and just sold by Ikea - highly customizable and very well thought out layouts, excellent low profile hardware and very durable finish on the doors. Sure, the boxes are MDF but so were the 40 year old cabinets I demolished and those were completely fine. It's been nearly 10 years and the Ikea set up has shown no wear. The only downside is you have to work with what's available in their catalogue, but it is so vast that you can make it work given enough time and effort.

I also like Ikea kitchen cabinets. Yes, they are MDF, but the cabinets are thicker than many other cabinets.

When I build Ikea cabinets, I modify the assembly instructions. Two key things, I glue all the seams. Ikea doesn't promote this as assemblers make mistakes, and the gluing prevents fixing assembly errors. Another this I do is saturate the cabinet bottoms where they rest on the floor with glue over two days. The glue gets sucked up into the MDF. This later prevent water that might be standing on the kitchen floor from being absorbed into the cabinet.

 

[Kantaro]

Another this I do is saturate the cabinet bottoms where they rest on the floor with glue over two days. The glue gets sucked up into the MDF. This later prevent water that might be standing on the kitchen floor from being absorbed into the cabinet.

That is quite clever. Our boxes are set on metal legs and the toe kicks are plastic, but the gables do touch the floor. Maybe I can run a small bead of kitchen/bath silicone around them?

I do use a shoe tray or something similar under the sinks to catch any leaks.

 

[Cropduster172]

Ridiculous. Ironically I actually like our Ikea cabinets more than the custom all-wood cabinets we designed for our bathrooms. The Ikea system is all Blum and just sold by Ikea - highly customizable and very well thought out layouts, excellent low profile hardware and very durable finish on the doors. Sure, the boxes are MDF but so were the 40 year old cabinets I demolished and those were completely fine. It's been nearly 10 years and the Ikea set up has shown no wear. The only downside is you have to work with what's available in their catalogue, but it is so vast that you can make it work given enough time and effort.

The rail cleat system for hanging IKEA wall cabinets is brilliant.
Most big box kitchen cabinets are plywood boxes with real wood doors anddrawers though. IKEA uses solid wood on almost none of their furniture products and when they do, it's almost always pine.
I know a bit about IKEA.

 

[gfh77665]

Quartz is easier to keep clean.. Granite may show stains.

Granite has natural coloring that quartz can never rival.

 

[gfh77665]

Granite requires a special cleaning and sealing twice per year. Many people don't perform this, and it becomes very noticeable.

My wife would say granite is a sign of a aged kitchen or a cheap kitchen. If you are never going to sell, go with what you like. If you might sell the home in the future, without a doubt quartz for the win.

Thats incorrect.

Stain-Proof Permanent Marble and Granite Sealer

Stain-Proof Sealer: advanced granite sealer using cutting-edge nano technology for superior, longer-lasting protection when sealing granite countertops, marble, travertine and all natural stone.

store.countertopspecialty.com

Granite by far has colors that quartz can never replicate. Granite has colors and movement that "pop" that will never age.

 

[Pablo]

Gee don’t let your feelings try to influence others

Quartz looks better. Period. But that is my opinion.

All the rest we have beat to death.

 

[mr_boring]

Gee don’t let your feelings try to influence others

Quartz looks better. Period. But that is my opinion.

All the rest we have beat to death.

It's all subjective, as I have grown to learn since I first posted this. Get what you like. Realistically, either option will outlive me, and probably the neighborhood to boot.

I have had to force myself to stop looking at different options because every single time I go online I find one that makes me say "OH MY GOD I WISH I HAD CHOSEN THAT ONE INSTEAD" - which was me when I saw some really pretty blue granite slabs a couple of days ago.

And blue wouldn't have even gone with a single darn thing I own, but I sure said to myself "OH MY GOD I WISH I HAD CHOSEN THAT ONE INSTEAD AAANNNDDDD I SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN IT LEATHERED!"

I'd be tearing out the whole kitchen ova heah to make that work.....

 

[GON]

It's all subjective, as I have grown to learn since I first posted this. Get what you like. Realistically, either option will outlive me, and probably the neighborhood to boot.

I have had to force myself to stop looking at different options because every single time I go online I find one that makes me say "OH MY GOD I WISH I HAD CHOSEN THAT ONE INSTEAD" - which was me when I saw some really pretty blue granite slabs a couple of days ago.

And blue wouldn't have even gone with a single darn thing I own, but I sure said to myself "OH MY GOD I WISH I HAD CHOSEN THAT ONE INSTEAD AAANNNDDDD I SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN IT LEATHERED!"

I'd be tearing out the whole kitchen ova heah to make that work.....

View attachment 224566

Yes---- of course buy what you like.
Of note, if you plan on selling the home, based on current market trends, quartz is reportedly much more a "want" countertop when compared to granite.

 

[vavavroom]

Granite has natural coloring that quartz can never rival.

If you like the look of granite better and if that trumps other considerations there's no reason to not go for granite.

 

[CKN]

Put in what you like---don't try to guess what the trend will be like a few years down the road......if a house is priced right-it will sell no matter what the counter tops are.

 

[gfh77665]

If you like the look of granite better and if that trumps other considerations there's no reason to not go for granite.

I put granite is all my rental properties, and have never regretted it once. I get tons of compliments.

 

[vavavroom]

I put granite is all my rental properties, and have never regretted it once. I get tons of compliments.

It's certainly a great material. I hear Formica is making a comeback.

 

[NormanBuntz]

Many posters here criticize granite for being prone to staining. Not if you have it sealed and keep up with some simple clean and polish products. I've had granite for 21 years, my wife cooks and uses the kitchen much more than the average bear, and we've never had a stain. You leave a pint of red sauce, olive oil or even motor oil on any stone surface overnight, you're just asking for trouble.

 

[CKN]

Many posters here criticize granite for being prone to staining. Not if you have it sealed and keep up with some simple clean and polish products. I've had granite for 21 years, my wife cooks and uses the kitchen much more than the average bear, and we've never had a stain. You leave a pint of red sauce, olive oil or even motor oil on any stone surface overnight, you're just asking for trouble.

Granite is not prone to staining if you seal it once a year-it only takes sealing it ONCE A YEAR. And a bottle of the sealer lasts for years. But yet-Quartz will melt with a pan from the stove.

 

[Pablo]

Granite is not prone to staining if you seal it once a year-it only takes sealing it ONCE A YEAR. And a bottle of the sealer lasts for years. But yet-Quartz will melt with a pan from the stove.

If said pan is over 300°F it could damage it. Melt is a little dramatic. Why the word choice? I ask because it’s basically the same as what the other people are doing

 

[CKN]

If said pan is over 300°F it could damage it. Melt is a little dramatic. Why the word choice? I ask because it’s basically the same as what the other people are doing

You are right. The word s/b" damage". And everything I have read says the temperature for "damage" is 150 degrees. Whatever it is-it equates to a hot pan just coming off the stove. Something I place on our granite counter tops all the time. I took a loaf of bread right out of the oven just yesterday-sat it on the counter top to cool. The oven was 350 degrees.

 

[PandaBear]

When it comes to granite in this thread, I can't help but think of the three monkeys.....

Granite countertops are like avocado-colored kitchen appliances. Very popular and fashionable--- at one time......

View attachment 223311

Everything in fashion can and will be out of fashion. This is why I only look at engineering and ease of maintenance perspective of a product.