On Thu, 28 Jan 2016 20:45:17 -0500, krw wrote:

On Thu, 28 Jan 2016 16:16:34 -0500, "dadiOH"
wrote:

Ivan Vegvary wrote:
Finishing daughter's basement rental.
What materials are advised for counter tops that are low maintenance
and good life? This is a rental. Tenants probably young
professionals. Sink in 4'x5' island with seating around. (Stools).
Remaining counter tops are prep areas along the wall.
Thank you!

You haven't gotten a lot of replies so I'll chime in too.

First of all, I pretty much agree with all Robert said about laminate. I
would also like to mention post formed counter tops. Those are the one with
integral back splash and rolled front edge. I have no idea about the
variety available and they are made on particle board but that would suffice
for other than wet areas.

There are two downsides to laminate...
1. There is normally a dak edge. Not terribly important and they used
to make "color through" laminate, don't know if they still do.

2. A hot pot can ruin it in a hurry. After all, it is paper & plastic.

A viable alternative to laminate - IMO - is tile. There are several
reasons...

1. It is pretty much impervious to anything. True, it can be broken but
one has to work at it

2. It is easy to do. Tiles that are 6x6 can work out well for normal
width countertops with minimal cutting. Ditto 12x12 and 4x4.

3. It can be cheaper than laminate. Here's a sampling from a good
supplier...
http://www.southcypress.com/Flooring...n-Bright-Matte

One problem with tile are the edges...they need to be finished in some
manner. The conventional way is with bullnose tiles, for which the
suppliers extract healthy sums. A good - and less expensive - alternative
is Schutler Rondec...
http://www.schluter.com/schluter-us/...ONDEC/p/RONDEC

People have two complaints about tile...

1. It isn't flat. If it isn't flat it wasn't laid correctly. True, the
joints are slightly recessed but what does it matter?

2. The grout gets dirty. Answer is, don't use light grout. And seal
it.
__________________________________

You didn't indicate whether you intend to do the work yourself. If so, and
if you use tile, forget about diamond saws. An inexpensive ($30+-) score
and snap cutter will do a better job, especially on smooth tiles. Diamond
blades ALWAYS chip the edges; so do the score and snap but much less so and
what chipping there is is easily removed with a stone or even wet or dry
paper around a wood block which is also the way one removes the sharp edge.


I disagree 100%. Tile is the *wrong* surface for a kitchen. Even if
you seal it, grout is porous (it won't stay sealed forever) and is a
great breeding ground for bacteria. It would be a big strike against
a rental, IMO.

I much prefer granite over any other surface but understand why a
landlord wouldn't want to spring for it. However, I think it depends
on the unit. If it's an upscale rental, it has to have an upscale
kitchen. Otherwise, I think laminate is best. If necessary it can be
replaced between tenants.

What about the solid tops that are supposedly able to be handled by
normal tools? (although for jointing I think it might require a
special tool to make it seamless)