We’ve been waiting for some proof in writing to support not only the trend we’ve been seeing in new home construction, but also an argument to hold up against clients’ wishes to install granite countertops. Yes, some granite is still good, but better is something like CeasarStone, and Alan Mark, of the Mark Company provides just what we need:
Beyond the green trend, the once “standard” granite countertops have been replaced with CaesarStone. With its stain, scratch and heat-resistant properties, this less expensive quartz-based material offers the perfect combination of form and function. We have also seen oak floors replaced with richer walnut product.
There you have it…if you have something that looks like this, you might swap it with something like this.
Good day.
i thought granite was out in the 90’s?
granite in a kitchen is insane and unsanitary – UNLESS there is a weekly maintenance, something that close to nobody does anyway…
when we’ll see USEFUL kitchen surfaces (countertop, cabinets etc), instead of USELESS beautiful-for-the-picture ones.. people will actually start to cook and enjoy it.
like you really believe anybody would can garden grown tomatoes in THAT kitchen above? there would be tomato stains for 2 years after the canning day.
or teach cookie baking to a bunch or 3yos? or actually cook beyond warming catered items?
or am I the only idiot without a maid and a cook living in my inlaws ?!?
Well, i don’t have a maid nor in-house cook either. And I cook a lot. I chose a dark coloured granite (it’s black with little shiny pearl shell fragments sprinkled in) when I remodeled. I don’t see any oil stains, water stains, etc., at all. It was the best choice of colour as far as granites are concerned.
Problem with light coloured granites is that anything will leave a stain on the surface — even water.
I agree that granites are so 90’s now. Has anybody seen any poured cement counter surfaces? I wonder how that will work, or if it’s a viable surface to use. I might try it in the next remodel :)
anon8mizer,
Yes, I have seen poured granite, in a few houses, and a friend of mine did it in his in-law bathroom and it looks sweet! Saved a ton of dough too. I would recommend you try it in the next remodel. Of course, if you want to be green, you might want to just make it out of straw instead.
Cement counters can be amazing when done well and can look like utter poop when not. If I did them myself the would look like the latter. I tried to make a concrete table once and it looked good… If it were a work bench….. I just threw it in my ‘rustic’ back yard. You need a lot of tooling/grinder as well depending if you do pour in place vs pre-cast which can cost money. Concrete is very hard to maintain though from what I hear. You need to buff it a ton I believe and it can stain pretty well. I just let mine age ‘naturally’. If you want to try it yourself try a small table or something like that. Since ‘green’ is the word these days there are lots of other fabricated options which are cheaper then hiring an artisan with a variety of looks, which is a decent in-between.
Ceasarstone is good, but Silestone is even better. Both are man-made engineered stone quartz products, but Silestone has a much better selection of colors and more stylish designs. I just got done putting in a Silestone surround around my tub in my bathroom & it looks awesome. I used White Zeus and installation via Home Depot was easy & cheap!
we used concrete for my kitchen back in 2000. we still love it. you can do so many things with concrete in terms of choosing the colors or the types of highlights. ours has a little bit of dark spec and light specs to go with the maple hardwood we chose and the dark cabinets. very cool! the aging is making it even more fun. once in awhile you leave a cold drink on it too long and ring will form. the first time was a shock but now we dont care and it just adds more character all the time. we did the same material in our master bath as well.
ps don’t do concrete yourself. the place that did ours is in emeryville and it’s huge. they do lots of work so they aren’t that expensive. it’s not worth trying to replicate that at home. i’ll try and find/look up their number and name if anyone wants it.
I’ve seen a lot of anti-granite sentiment on this site, but never really understood why.
I spent a few minutes on the CaesarStone site, and that stuff pretty much looks like granite, as far as I can tell. I’m sure it’s been discussed, but I couldn’t find a unified thread for why one should not use granite.
Why am I so interested right now? My in-laws are remodeling their house, and are set on granite. Of course, they’re pretty free to do what they want, but if properly informed, I think they can be swayed to make better choices. I read that CaesarStone is actually a more affordable option than granite, but it wouldn’t necessarily be a plus for them; they’re adamantly opposed to being “cheap” with the remodel.
bluenote1,
We’re not totally against ALL granite, just certain looks (like this). There are many different shades of granite that would look much nicer in many homes and we pray developers get away from them. That being said, there are many more alternatives and frankly we’re just plain tired of the whole “Granite countertops, Stainless appliances” and know there are alternatives. As “artdoggie” said above, SileStone is another good alternative, and using CeasarStone is hardly doing it on the cheap. For a good example of using Granite, and CeasarStone in the same development take a look at 1460BroadwaySt.com. They did an excellent job of using non-traditional grains of both Granite and CeasarStone…and 3 of them are in contract.
bluenote,
granite CAN be great. The problem is when the designer (whoever it is, contractor, architect, owner) decides that by “just” choosing some granite, the project “must then” be great.
some great projects have granite. not ALL granite projects are great.
Everything, but in moderation. The right slab of granite, matched with the right cabinets, and it’s a hit. The random slab of granite with whatever cabinets, and it’s a nightmare.
As for quality, there is granite and granite. Granite is a natural POROUS surface that needs sealing, and REGULAR maintenance. So beyond the color and the look, there is a practical aspect to consider.
Then, granite or not granite? I’m personally fedup with kitchens which are clones from one property to another. The black granite over cherry cabinets is sooooooo 2000-2002. all white kitchens are so 2006-2008.
For counter tops, you need to consider the cook’s NEEDS. If you cook a lot in glass in the oven, you need some soft material. like a butcher block. If you cook a lot in cast iron, you need a ceasarstone/silestone and other ultra-chip-resistant surface. if you cook in copper pots, you need a different surface than if you cook in aluminium pots and pans (they both leave marks). example: aluminium and corian are a bad match. cast iron stains stainless steels.
Fruits and veggies leaves marks on MANY natural stones – sometime unremovable marks… while meat juice will damage some other material.
So there is no “one solution fits all”. you need to consider your NEEDS, your regular STAINS and potential DAMAGE and dents, and then, pick the material that will last longer AND please your eyes. A mix of two countertops in the same kitchen can help avoid the visual overload of one only AND address your specific needs.
If after your research, you conclude that granite is the best option, then search granites, and pick the right one.
(last. the notion of “cheap” is highly overrated. and vice versa, many items are overpriced compared to the value and quality. What IS CHEAP is to screw up any material with underpar labor and installation. Like concrete should be done by professional… even if concrete is one of the less expensive material.
On granite, that translate to the quality of the bullnose or of any seam. if and when the bullnose is made of two glued layers, a bad pattern match is for me the CHEAPIEST shortcut of a kitchen – no matter how “expensive” was the bill. Same goes for the crooked plastic plug covers and any of those “details” that screw up the WHOLE project).
i have ceasar stone, ….it seems to leave water marks and others as well. is there something i can do??????
i love the asthetics of my ceasarstone.
silestone put out the study that granite was responsible for dangerous amounts of radiation. what is silestone made of….lets see quartz,,,granite…and potentially toxic bonders and fillers…….bunch of jackass morons …them and all the people who believe in their dog crap products
Honestly. If the granite quarry site has trace elements of uranium, you’d think that it would get shut down. And the mistake not repeated?
those of you who suggested Caesasrstone stains and granite is great if you pick a black colour are truly moronic and I would even go so far as to say Dirty.
Quartz offers a non-pourous option and can be maintained with ease… Caesarstones colour palette is far too sophisticated for the likes of you. So please do stick to your chinese granite in dark colours that doesnt require cleanliness… it suits you.
one more against granite:
http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/granite.asp
Radon is a MAJOR concern in SanFrancisco (due to building traditions in the city), and a major health factor. Radon is (in 2 words) a radioactive gas coming up from the earth. It’s a HEAVY gas that will accumulate over time in any enclosed space directly in contact with the earth.
So radon will be found in in-law units kitchen with Granite countertop (from the granite AND from the soil), and it will dangerously be found in any garden level master suite (as stupidly developed over the last decade by flip-contractors who use any space, including basement, as living space) without the sanitary “crawl space” under the living space.
Remedies: limit the amount of raw earth material inside your house, VENTILATE (a 1500sqft kitchen in a 9000sqft mansion would be fine no matter the amount of granite ;-) ), whenever possible, do not live in a room whose floor is a slab-over-the-soil type.
if you cannot avoid the ground floor living space (such as the Twister playroom on Shrader), it’s important to seal the floor with a super-high-quality coat of [ask your contrator. epoxy is usually ok].And make sure you install an automated ventilation system with heat recovery so you can evacuate the radon on a daily basis.
( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_recovery_ventilation ). ((that means that the standard HVAC system is not appropriate. ))
Quartz is not radioactive. Other minerals in natural granites can have extremely small amounts of radioactive elements contained in their crystal structures. Pure quartz sand used in manmade products is about as safe as it gets – same sand as used in glass, just not melted.
Very interesting post you wrote. Glad I have stumbled upon it. Cheers!
Granite Countertops is way beautifull and unique. Quartz looks like formica countertops. Boring and more expensive than granite.
Granite countertop cant be replaced because of their beautiful colors. Quartz (Caesarstone) is boring and cost more. Granite is less expensive and has beautiful effects when seen at different angles.
Off Course Granite Countertops is way beautifull and unique.And Quartz looks like formica countertops.Quartz may cost more… Probaly starts from $59 and Up. and granite you should find for $39 and up!
Quartz cost way more… Probaly starts from $59 and Up. and granite you should find for $39 and up!In nj jersey you can find for as low as $38…
Quartz cost way more… Probaly starts from $59 and Up. and granite you should find for $39 and up!In nj jersey you can find for as low as $38…
yep