I-Home improvement

[Train Guy]

Have you looked at the solid quartz countertops? They have all the advantages (some enhanced) of granite without any of the maintenance problems. They are pretty much indestructible. Pricing is comparable to or a little cheaper. The only draw back that I see is you can't duplicate some of the granite looks. Granite by the way is quartz with different "impurities" that give it the color.

From what I've seen granite breaks down into two different looks, a "sandstone" type texture, and a polished glass 3D type look. The solid quartz come real close to duplicating the sandstone look. If you carefully pick the color/texture you can get a poor approximation of the glass 3D look. It appears there are 4-5 manufacturers so if you don't see what you like at one, try the others. I would love the glass 3D granite look, but considering solid quartz is harder, stronger, and because of the manufacturing process totally nonporous, I'll just carefully pick the color/texture and settle for solid quartz and good enough when I redo my kitchen in the next few years.

Here's a link to a few manufacturers sites, http://www.scrapbookscrapbook.com/DAC-ART/kitchen-countertops.html Even the Formica guys have come out with a line.

Formica Corporation now offers an exquisite yet durable, high-polish, stain-resistant natural quartz surface, Formica Stone Natural Quartz Surfacing is a new materail for kitchen countertops. It not only offers the elegant look and durability of granite and it's virtually maintenance free. Nonporous so there's nowhere for bacteria to hide. More heat resistant than solid surfacing and high-pressure laminate. Formica Stone never requires sealing, buffing or polishing. Formica Stone contains 93% quartz - the 4th hardest mineral in nature. The high quartz content creates a superior surfacing material with remarkable flexural strength, preventing much of the chipping, cracking and breakage that can be common with other natural stone surfaces. Formica Stone Natural Quartz Surfacing lets you have the look of granite, with exceptional durability. It's not only scratch resistant, but more impact resistant too. Avaliable in12 warm natural stone and rich jewel colors. Formica Stoneis consistent in color and texture from slab to slab. Plus, Formica Stone has a 10-year warranty. Formica Corporation is a huge global company with over 100 years experience designing and manufacturing surface materials. www.formica.com