Counter-tops: What's next after granite?

Posted by Thomas G. Marshall on August 24, 2009, 6:46 pm

Are you guys seeing alternatives to granite these days as something
"in"? My eyes are starting to gloss over when I see brand new
kitchens put in with this and other stone that just seems somehow
(maybe?) ready for retirement only because it's been done and done and
done.

The reason I ask this is that already in home improvement shows they
are removing Corian to update to stone. And Corian seems to have been
big not even 15 years ago. But somehow stone tops are all starting to
look the same. At least getting there.

Are you guys seeing stainless steel? Or concrete? Something else
starting to get a foothold? I'm updating my kitchen (hopefully) soon.

Or is granite here for a much longer time than I'm pondering?

THANKS!

Posted by mike on August 24, 2009, 7:22 pm

Corian is on the outs partly because it looks too plasticky. It's
also too easy to scratch, despite it's alleged renewability.

Granite has to be sealed, so that has opened up a market for
engineered stone like quartz composites. They don't stain, and many
varieties look very much like natural stone. The more natural it
looks, the less likely it's going to look faddish in the future, in my
opinion.

Stainless is an expensive workhorse that shows scratches. Some
complain that it looks too sterile or industrial. Concrete seems too
prone to cracking to be ready for prime time. It also needs to be
sealed to prevent stains.

Posted by aemeijers on August 24, 2009, 8:16 pm

mike wrote:

> Corian is on the outs partly because it looks too plasticky. It's
> also too easy to scratch, despite it's alleged renewability.
>
> Granite has to be sealed, so that has opened up a market for
> engineered stone like quartz composites. They don't stain, and many
> varieties look very much like natural stone. The more natural it
> looks, the less likely it's going to look faddish in the future, in my
> opinion.
>
> Stainless is an expensive workhorse that shows scratches. Some
> complain that it looks too sterile or industrial. Concrete seems too
> prone to cracking to be ready for prime time. It also needs to be
> sealed to prevent stains.
>

Sunday papers the last couple of months (since the financial implosion)
have been reporting a resurgence in sales of Formica for new
construction and remodels. Cheap compared to about anything else,
reasonably durable (at least compared to the average time between
kitchen remodels for those with excess money), and as long as you avoid
the tacky butcher block patterns, can be attractive enough for a real
working kitchen (versus a never-used and seldom-seen-by-company show-off
room.) And if you do tire of the color, but don't want to change
layouts, and the cabinets are in good shape, it is cheap to change out.

--
aem sends...

Posted by Thomas G. Marshall on August 24, 2009, 8:56 pm

> Corian is on the outs partly because it looks too plasticky. =A0It's
> also too easy to scratch, despite it's alleged renewability.
> Granite has to be sealed, so that has opened up a market =A0for
> engineered stone like quartz composites. =A0They don't stain, and many
> varieties look very much like natural stone. =A0The more natural it
> looks, the less likely it's going to look faddish in the future, in my
> opinion.
> Stainless is an expensive workhorse that shows scratches. =A0Some
> complain that it looks too sterile or industrial. =A0Concrete seems too
> prone to cracking to be ready for prime time. =A0It also needs to be
> sealed to prevent stains.

I have to wonder about things like slate or even blue-stone. I know
of no such installations, but am just thinking out loud. Sorry. ;)

Does the concrete crack from heat applied to it or from curing over
time and drying out? Or something else?

Posted by norminn@earthlink.net on August 24, 2009, 9:31 pm

Thomas G. Marshall wrote:

> Are you guys seeing alternatives to granite these days as something
> "in"? My eyes are starting to gloss over when I see brand new
> kitchens put in with this and other stone that just seems somehow
> (maybe?) ready for retirement only because it's been done and done and
> done.
>
> The reason I ask this is that already in home improvement shows they
> are removing Corian to update to stone. And Corian seems to have been
> big not even 15 years ago. But somehow stone tops are all starting to
> look the same. At least getting there.
>
> Are you guys seeing stainless steel? Or concrete? Something else
> starting to get a foothold? I'm updating my kitchen (hopefully) soon.
>
> Or is granite here for a much longer time than I'm pondering?
>
> THANKS!

Formica forever for me :o)

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