Granite alternative?

[George K]

D3 just bought a home. The kitchen countertops are some kind of laminate, or formica.

She's considering, when she can afford it, to replace them. Are there any reasonable granite alternatives?

[Jolly]

How much does she want to spend? If it's just for a different look, they make some countertop paints that will last at least a couple of years.

[George K]

She wants durability, and a one-and-done.

But she's also cheap AF.

[Horace]

Granite alternatives are always taken for granite.

[Jolly]

Could also use concrete, quartz, marble or wood.

Had a first cousin who topped an old formula top with parquet oak wood tiles. Anytime it started looking rough, he sanded, refinished it and sealed it.

He kept that countertop for over ten years. At least

[Jolly]

Formula = Formica.

Damn spell check...

[89th]

[89th]

Granite is her best bet if she wants scratch and heat resistant. It's not cheap, but it's also not the most expensive. We'll probably go with Quartz if we ever re-do the kitchen.

[Renauda]

We looked at all options about 12 years ago. Decided on granite for a number of reasons. Have never regretted it. Money well spent.

My cousin and her husband though put in a zinc countertop. Looked great and stood up very well to daily use..

[LuFins Dad]

Ceramic Tile is fine, depending on the quality and the installer. Some of it looks pretty good, too.

[Mik]

We just put in quartz countertops and love them. But again, they are not cheap. If she wants cheap and durable, tile. It's been out long enough I suspect it will be back in style pretty soon. We had 12" square granite tiles that I installed in 2005. They held up great and were MUCH less expensive than solid surfaces. Let me know if she's interested and wants to talk about it.

[Copper]

I always liked the formica.

It had a nice soft feel, the granite is harsh. When you put a plate on it there is a sharp loud noise.

Of course I was never allowed to even discuss this.

[Axtremus]

Formica cannot withstand high heat. May get burn marks.

Wood is too porous, have to keep resealing it. May get burn marks.

Love the aesthetic of quartz, but not confident how well it will withstand acid. (The quartz itself is fine, but lack confidence in other materials mixed in with the quartz to make the countertop slabs.)

Steel / metal may be very sanitary, but may get dens.

Tiles may crack, and the grout may get dirty and hard to maintain.

Just go with granite.

[Horace]

Ax doesn’t take granite for granted.

[Copper]

Rock beats scissors.

[LuFins Dad]

Countertops always hit me as one of the most ridiculously priced fixtures. It’s just a big flat fricving rectangle… there’s no particular skill in making or affixing the damn things. Hanging a cabinet door is a lot more difficult than a countertop, for crying out loud… Even the rolling glides for the drawers..

[Axtremus]

Stones are hard to cut, tricky to make smooth, and heavy to transport. :man-shrugging:

[Wim]

Our kitchen (dating frim 1994)has granite. Still very happy with the choice we then made.
I would strongly advise not choosing marble: too vulnerable ...

[George K]

@Wim said in Granite alternative?:

I would strongly advise not choosing marble: too vulnerable ..

Our foyer floor is marble. It's worn very, very, not well.

[kluurs]

Marble is a no go. She might want to look into demolitions - remaindered granite - if the amount of granite isn't that great. Our neighbor was successful with that strategy. Some of those McMansions have huge expanses of granite - and then they're removed during remodeling - which occurs ever 10 years or so.

A friend of mine went with Soapstone - pretty happy with it - does require a bit of maintenance - but ok with heat and repairable.