i'm somewhere between 8-16 months from redoing the entire kitchen. i don't
necessarily need to "break the bank" and go high end on everything, but i
don't want formica countertops. the time frame on doing the kitchen over
isn't a pressing situation where it has to be done ASAP but we've been in
the house 14yrs and it's still origional, early '60's but w/ new appliances
6 yrs ago. i'm looking for the best bang for my $$ on countertops and i
like the smooth look and feel of Corian and similar tops but looking for the
best of both worlds....good price, long life and durability to usage. is
waiting on newer products advisable??? or are the products ouit there now
the best to offer??

thanks for any tips and advice,

mike.........

Wilsonart do a product called SSV (in Ireland) - it is a 3mm solid
surface (Corian type) product and it can be bonded onto mdf,
particleboard or other stable substrates. It gives you the look and
feel of Corian but at a much reduced price. Very good range of colours
- have used it myself and it is exactly like the real thing - you use
built up edges to give the look of inch and 1/2 material. Check it out
on their web page to see what you think.

Good Luck

JerseyMike wrote:
i'm somewhere between 8-16 months from redoing the entire kitchen. i don't
necessarily need to "break the bank" and go high end on everything, but i
don't want formica countertops. the time frame on doing the kitchen over
isn't a pressing situation where it has to be done ASAP but we've been in
the house 14yrs and it's still origional, early '60's but w/ new appliances
6 yrs ago. i'm looking for the best bang for my $$ on countertops and i
like the smooth look and feel of Corian and similar tops but looking for the
best of both worlds....good price, long life and durability to usage. is
waiting on newer products advisable??? or are the products ouit there now
the best to offer??

thanks for any tips and advice,

mike.........

"JerseyMike" wrote in message
...
i'm somewhere between 8-16 months from redoing the entire kitchen. i
don't
necessarily need to "break the bank" and go high end on everything, but i
don't want formica countertops. the time frame on doing the kitchen over
isn't a pressing situation where it has to be done ASAP but we've been in
the house 14yrs and it's still origional, early '60's but w/ new
appliances
6 yrs ago. i'm looking for the best bang for my $$ on countertops and i
like the smooth look and feel of Corian and similar tops but looking for
the
best of both worlds....good price, long life and durability to usage. is
waiting on newer products advisable??? or are the products ouit there now
the best to offer??

thanks for any tips and advice,

mike.........

Shop around and go granite. Do it once, do it right. Corian is too soft,
and knives cut it easily no matter what naysayers say.

Go the extra and get granite. You'll be glad you did.


Steve

Except my wife hates seams in the countertop.



"Steve B" wrote in message
...

"JerseyMike" wrote in message
...
i'm somewhere between 8-16 months from redoing the entire kitchen. i
don't
necessarily need to "break the bank" and go high end on everything, but i
don't want formica countertops. the time frame on doing the kitchen
over
isn't a pressing situation where it has to be done ASAP but we've been in
the house 14yrs and it's still origional, early '60's but w/ new
appliances
6 yrs ago. i'm looking for the best bang for my $$ on countertops and
i
like the smooth look and feel of Corian and similar tops but looking for
the
best of both worlds....good price, long life and durability to usage.
is
waiting on newer products advisable??? or are the products ouit there now
the best to offer??

thanks for any tips and advice,

mike.........

Shop around and go granite. Do it once, do it right. Corian is too soft,
and knives cut it easily no matter what naysayers say.

Go the extra and get granite. You'll be glad you did.


Steve

Try

http://www.granite-transformations.co.uk/


On Jan 19, 9:26 pm, "JerseyMike" wrote:
i'm somewhere between 8-16 months from redoing the entire kitchen. i don't
necessarily need to "break the bank" and go high end on everything, but i
don't want formica countertops. the time frame on doing the kitchen over
isn't a pressing situation where it has to be done ASAP but we've been in
the house 14yrs and it's still origional, early '60's but w/ new appliances
6 yrs ago. i'm looking for the best bang for my $$ on countertops and i
like the smooth look and feel of Corian and similar tops but looking for the
best of both worlds....good price, long life and durability to usage. is
waiting on newer products advisable??? or are the products ouit there now
the best to offer??

thanks for any tips and advice,

mike.........

Steve B wrote:

Shop around and go granite. Do it once, do it right. Corian is too soft,
and knives cut it easily no matter what naysayers say.

Go the extra and get granite. You'll be glad you did.

Granite has its own downsides. It needs to be sealed so it doesn't
stain, and it can crack with sudden heat.

The synthetic quarz-based stuff doesn't need to be sealed, but whether
that's much of a factor depends on the person in question.

Chris

"Steve B" wrote in message
...

"JerseyMike" wrote in message
...
i'm somewhere between 8-16 months from redoing the entire kitchen. i
don't
necessarily need to "break the bank" and go high end on everything, but
i
don't want formica countertops. the time frame on doing the kitchen
over
isn't a pressing situation where it has to be done ASAP but we've been
in
the house 14yrs and it's still origional, early '60's but w/ new
appliances
6 yrs ago. i'm looking for the best bang for my $$ on countertops and
i
like the smooth look and feel of Corian and similar tops but looking for
the
best of both worlds....good price, long life and durability to usage.
is
waiting on newer products advisable??? or are the products ouit there
now
the best to offer??

thanks for any tips and advice,

mike.........

Shop around and go granite. Do it once, do it right. Corian is too soft,
and knives cut it easily no matter what naysayers say.

Go the extra and get granite. You'll be glad you did.


Steve



i've heard that and small cut marks can be fine sanded out w/ no noticable
distortions. am i misinformed?? my mind is NOT set on Corian i'm just
using it as an example of the type of surface i'm looking for.

mike............

"Art" writes:

Except my wife hates seams in the countertop.

Are you certain yet you'll have seams though? Before assuming,
rough sketch up your kitchen and fax it in to a granite fabricator
asking if it'll be possible for that layout to be done from a single
piece of granite without any seam joints.

FWIW, my granite countertops have 0 seams. They were 43 square feet
total. Longest piece of my counter was 105" (25" deep through most of
it, but a J shape at the end/corner that goes out to 36"). The other
pieces were a 47x26" island, a 13x25 and a 40x25 in there, and the 4"
backledge all around all from one hunk of granite with no seams.

Best Regards,
--
Todd H.
http://toddh.net/

Chris Friesen writes:

Steve B wrote:

Shop around and go granite. Do it once, do it right. Corian is too
soft, and knives cut it easily no matter what naysayers say.
Go the extra and get granite. You'll be glad you did.

Granite has its own downsides. It needs to be sealed so it doesn't
stain,

LOL--I love how folks bring this up (important though it is), but it's
listed as a downside, as though it's so hard to spray sealer down and
run a rag over it once every few months.

The reality is that it's as easy as dusting a wood table, and takes
about 45 seconds for the whole kitchen.

GRanite, pardon the pun rocks. Can't imagine having a synthetic
material in my kitchen instead, especially when really nice looking
granite can be had for 55/sf installed with haul away, edges, sink
cutout, etc included.

Best regards,
--
Todd H.
http://toddh.net/

Main Man wrote:
Try

http://www.granite-transformations.co.uk/


On Jan 19, 9:26 pm, "JerseyMike" wrote:
i'm somewhere between 8-16 months from redoing the entire kitchen. i don't
necessarily need to "break the bank" and go high end on everything, but i
don't want formica countertops. the time frame on doing the kitchen over
isn't a pressing situation where it has to be done ASAP but we've been in
the house 14yrs and it's still origional, early '60's but w/ new appliances
6 yrs ago. i'm looking for the best bang for my $$ on countertops and i
like the smooth look and feel of Corian and similar tops but looking for the
best of both worlds....good price, long life and durability to usage. is
waiting on newer products advisable??? or are the products ouit there now
the best to offer??

thanks for any tips and advice,

mike.........

Nice looking material. Similar material to Silstone, I think.
I'll look into it for my new kitchen.
TB

Your right Most people that bring up the issue of sealing Granite have there
heads up there ass so far, they don't even know anything about it, spout off
second hand information. Well hears the facts clean the counter tops off do
a really good job the same principal to clean any counter material , Now the
hard part put the sealer on a rag spread around let it dry ( doesn't take
long) Now how often about every seven months to a year, If you seal it to
often it can dull the finish. I've had Granite in my house for three years
not one stain not one problem beyond a doubt the best counter top I've ever
had. Most people that find the faults in Granite are basically to cheap to
buy it.

"JerseyMike" wrote in
:


"Steve B" wrote in message
...

"JerseyMike" wrote in message
...
i'm somewhere between 8-16 months from redoing the entire kitchen.
i don't
necessarily need to "break the bank" and go high end on everything,
but
i
don't want formica countertops. the time frame on doing the
kitchen
over
isn't a pressing situation where it has to be done ASAP but we've
been
in
the house 14yrs and it's still origional, early '60's but w/ new
appliances
6 yrs ago. i'm looking for the best bang for my $$ on
countertops and
i
like the smooth look and feel of Corian and similar tops but
looking for the
best of both worlds....good price, long life and durability to
usage.
is
waiting on newer products advisable??? or are the products ouit
there
now
the best to offer??

thanks for any tips and advice,

mike.........

Shop around and go granite. Do it once, do it right. Corian is too
soft, and knives cut it easily no matter what naysayers say.

Go the extra and get granite. You'll be glad you did.


Steve



i've heard that and small cut marks can be fine sanded out w/ no
noticable distortions. am i misinformed?? my mind is NOT set on
Corian i'm just using it as an example of the type of surface i'm
looking for.

mike............




Concrete is the latest top material.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net

"Todd H." wrote in message ...
Chris Friesen writes:

Steve B wrote:

Shop around and go granite. Do it once, do it right. Corian is too
soft, and knives cut it easily no matter what naysayers say.
Go the extra and get granite. You'll be glad you did.

Granite has its own downsides. It needs to be sealed so it doesn't
stain,

LOL--I love how folks bring this up (important though it is), but it's
listed as a downside, as though it's so hard to spray sealer down and
run a rag over it once every few months.

The reality is that it's as easy as dusting a wood table, and takes
about 45 seconds for the whole kitchen.

GRanite, pardon the pun rocks. Can't imagine having a synthetic
material in my kitchen instead, especially when really nice looking
granite can be had for 55/sf installed with haul away, edges, sink
cutout, etc included.

Best regards,
--
Todd H.
http://toddh.net/

Can you believe the post about how his wife doesn't like seams? What,
Formica comes in endless sheets now with no seams?

Anyhoo, my point .........

Downsides to granite ...............

Yeah, you have to seal it every six to twelves months, amounts to wetting a
rag and wiping down the whole thing. But some people don't like doing that
just like they don't like taking a cleaner once a year and cleaning up all
the Jello and mustard and gravy that builds up.

It stains. Well, you could barf on mine, and with that pattern, you would
have to look for it. ;-) When we got it, I tested it with vinegar and
ketchup and mustard, and all sorts of things, and couldn't get it to
discolor. Now after two years old, we have yet to leave anything on it that
ever left a mark.

Jealousy. People come in and rave and rave about how beautiful it is. I
know they're just jealous. ;-)

Hey, people. Buy what you like. Buy junk and be doing the same job over in
five years, or live with a crappy unhealthy countertop. I would do granite
again in a second, and am looking forward to doing it in a remodel of a
house we just bought in Utah.

If you don't like granite, you've just never had it.

Steve

"Art" wrote in message
link.net...
Except my wife hates seams in the countertop.

What, there's seamless Formica now?

Steve

"JerseyMike" wrote in message
...

"Steve B" wrote in message
...

"JerseyMike" wrote in message
...
i'm somewhere between 8-16 months from redoing the entire kitchen. i
don't
necessarily need to "break the bank" and go high end on everything, but
i
don't want formica countertops. the time frame on doing the kitchen
over
isn't a pressing situation where it has to be done ASAP but we've been
in
the house 14yrs and it's still origional, early '60's but w/ new
appliances
6 yrs ago. i'm looking for the best bang for my $$ on countertops
and
i
like the smooth look and feel of Corian and similar tops but looking
for
the
best of both worlds....good price, long life and durability to usage.
is
waiting on newer products advisable??? or are the products ouit there
now
the best to offer??

thanks for any tips and advice,

mike.........

Shop around and go granite. Do it once, do it right. Corian is too
soft,
and knives cut it easily no matter what naysayers say.

Go the extra and get granite. You'll be glad you did.


Steve



i've heard that and small cut marks can be fine sanded out w/ no noticable
distortions. am i misinformed?? my mind is NOT set on Corian i'm just
using it as an example of the type of surface i'm looking for.

mike............

Point is, don't make any marks in your countertop in the first place.
Whether Corian, granite, or laminates, yes, scratches can be sanded smooth.
But you've seen old countertops where this was done. Dull in spots, and in
some spots worn down to the next layer of color.

I don't cut on my granite that often. I respect it. And why cut on
something you've spent thousands of dollars on? Get a cutting board! But
every once in a while it happens on purpose by accident. I can't find any
scratches in mine, and I know I'd have some by now on Corian or laminate.

Sure, you can sand, but you're just wearing away countertop and making it
dull.

Steve

"Sacramento Dave" writes:

Most people that find the faults in Granite are basically to cheap to
buy it.

I think it's actually worse than that.

Granite is cheaper now (if you deal directly with a fabricator and not
a reseller, or oy...through the big boxes) than the synthetics because
the cost of freakin oil is so high, and of course the marketing and
corporate markup involved in having a material that has a brand
associated with it (and marketing folks inventing problems with
competing natural material to justify the extra cost).

$55/sf is what I paid, total, installed, old stuff removed for mine.
Even included a good quality, deep undermount stainless sink.

Corian and Silestone both are a good 40% more than that most places.
I just don't get the appeal of these, other than the granite being too
hard and capable of breaking dishes easier than synthetic surfaces.

Best Regards,
--
Todd H.
http://toddh.net/

i'm looking for the best bang for my $$ on countertops

For the DIYer you get a lot of bang from granite and concrete countertops.
I've seen 3/4" granite slabs with prefabricated bullnose as low as $5/sf.
Concrete is gorgeous when its done right but need more maintenance - you see
this at very high end custom kitchens. Both are so cheap is you have some
skills and a friend or two to provide the muscles.

"Steve B" wrote in message
...
||
| It stains. Well, you could barf on mine, and with that pattern, you
would
| have to look for it. ;-) When we got it, I tested it with vinegar
and
| ketchup and mustard, and all sorts of things, and couldn't get it to
| discolor. Now after two years old, we have yet to leave anything on
it that
| ever left a mark.
|
|
try tomato sauce
now ...........theres a stain.

when choosing granite
picking the right slab makes all the difference in the world
tiny multi colored granites are the best
the ones with large muti colored spots seem to chip easier.

the "smart ass"

"JerseyMike" wrote in message
...
|
| i've heard that and small cut marks can be fine sanded out w/ no
noticable
| distortions. am i misinformed??


that is correct
corian can always be fixed with no signs of repair
can't do that with granite.

my mind is NOT set on Corian i'm just
| using it as an example of the type of surface i'm looking for.
|
| mike............


the best of both worlds would be
AVONITE
|
|

"Main Man" wrote in message
ps.com...
| Try
|
| http://www.granite-transformations.co.uk/

ITS THE uk
who cares

the only thing that ever came from the uk that was worth watching was
United Kingdom!

" the sagacious dolt" wrote in message
...

"Main Man" wrote in message
ps.com...
| Try
|
| http://www.granite-transformations.co.uk/

ITS THE uk
who cares


We also use this countertop process in the US as well.

"# Fred #" wrote in message
. ..
|
| " the sagacious dolt" wrote in message
| ...
|
| "Main Man" wrote in message
| ps.com...
| | Try
| |
| | http://www.granite-transformations.co.uk/
|
| ITS THE uk
| who cares
|
|
| We also use this countertop process in the US as well.

I have used it in the US
it is crap!
|
|

"Sacramento Dave" wrote in message
. net...
Your right Most people that bring up the issue of sealing Granite have
there
heads up there ass so far, they don't even know anything about it, spout
off
second hand information. Well hears the facts clean the counter tops off
do
a really good job the same principal to clean any counter material , Now
the
hard part put the sealer on a rag spread around let it dry ( doesn't take
long) Now how often about every seven months to a year, If you seal it to
often it can dull the finish. I've had Granite in my house for three years
not one stain not one problem beyond a doubt the best counter top I've
ever
had. Most people that find the faults in Granite are basically to cheap to
buy it.



OK...question how does it stand up to things such as heat or cracking or
chipping?? say a pot or dish or glass or coffee mug was dropped from either
cabinet height or something like that? is it repairable??
excuse the questions please, but i'd rather hear fom people who have this
ytpe of knowledge rather that a salesman or business owner pushing something
for the $$$.

mike......

The only downside to granite is that it's TOO hard. I've broken
glasses , dishes etc by just tapping them. The sealing is a non-issue-
Just spray and wipe!!!. Corian etc are nice in that specific colors
can be had where granite is close.

Todd H. wrote:
"Sacramento Dave" writes:

Most people that find the faults in Granite are basically to cheap to
buy it.

I think it's actually worse than that.

Granite is cheaper now (if you deal directly with a fabricator and not
a reseller, or oy...through the big boxes) than the synthetics because
the cost of freakin oil is so high, and of course the marketing and
corporate markup involved in having a material that has a brand
associated with it (and marketing folks inventing problems with
competing natural material to justify the extra cost).

$55/sf is what I paid, total, installed, old stuff removed for mine.
Even included a good quality, deep undermount stainless sink.

Corian and Silestone both are a good 40% more than that most places.
I just don't get the appeal of these, other than the granite being too
hard and capable of breaking dishes easier than synthetic surfaces.

Best Regards,
--
Todd H.
http://toddh.net/

OK...question how does it stand up to things such as heat or cracking or
chipping?? say a pot or dish or glass or coffee mug was dropped from
either
cabinet height or something like that? is it repairable??
excuse the questions please, but i'd rather hear fom people who have this
ytpe of knowledge rather that a salesman or business owner pushing
something
for the $$$.

mike......



Heat from cookware shouldn't be a problem. Glass or coffee mug dropping on
it shouldn't be a problem either. Dropping a heavy cast iron skillet would
be a different story. You may chip it or even crack it. Surface scratches
you could polish out with diamond pads - messy as the pads require water.
Chips you could color match and fill - I've tried it but very hard to make
it match both in color and texture. If the granite has patterns of color
movement it would take some skill and the repair won't be as strong as the
granite. Cracks you could fill and polish. Don't think the results will be
satisfactory unless you found someone with some high level skill. Acid from
juices will also attack the granite surface - use a sealer.

# Fred # wrote:
OK...question how does it stand up to things such as heat or cracking or
chipping?? say a pot or dish or glass or coffee mug was dropped from
either
cabinet height or something like that? is it repairable??
excuse the questions please, but i'd rather hear fom people who have this
ytpe of knowledge rather that a salesman or business owner pushing
something
for the $$$.

mike......



Heat from cookware shouldn't be a problem. Glass or coffee mug dropping on
it shouldn't be a problem either. Dropping a heavy cast iron skillet would
be a different story. You may chip it or even crack it. Surface scratches
you could polish out with diamond pads - messy as the pads require water.
Chips you could color match and fill - I've tried it but very hard to make
it match both in color and texture. If the granite has patterns of color
movement it would take some skill and the repair won't be as strong as the
granite. Cracks you could fill and polish. Don't think the results will be
satisfactory unless you found someone with some high level skill. Acid from
juices will also attack the granite surface - use a sealer.

I have been putting in ceramic tile counter tops in my rentals for
years. Never have had any problems. I have them in my house and will
never have anything else. You will have grout lines, things break if
dropped on them but they are beautiful, easy to do and cheap.

I'm did a cemet top at my friends house last month, also easy, we
stained the mud prior to pour then randomly scattered a differnt color
on top before polishing. No seams, peice of cake.

Raider Bill wrote:

I have been putting in ceramic tile counter tops in my rentals for
years. Never have had any problems. I have them in my house and will
never have anything else. You will have grout lines, things break if
dropped on them but they are beautiful, easy to do and cheap.


I hate tile counter tops. It looks dated, it sounds unnecessarily "loud"
when dishes laid down on it. You can't use the counter to roll dough out
on. There are just way tooo many reasons I'd never have tile.

I have been putting in ceramic tile counter tops in my rentals for
years. Never have had any problems. I have them in my house and will
never have anything else. You will have grout lines, things break if
dropped on them but they are beautiful, easy to do and cheap.


Ceramic for rentals are ok especially you could really dress it up on the
back splashes. I'm beginning to put 3/4" solid granite sheets on my rentals
as a follow landlord turn me on to it a few years ago. I didn't understand
why she put new oak cabinets and solid granite tops for her rentals until
she told me it only cost her $4,000 installed. That was about three years
ago.

I'm did a cemet top at my friends house last month, also easy, we
stained the mud prior to pour then randomly scattered a differnt color
on top before polishing. No seams, peice of cake.


Concrete countertops are nice!

On Sat, 20 Jan 2007 13:02:25 -0500, Goomba38 wrote:

Raider Bill wrote:

I have been putting in ceramic tile counter tops in my rentals for
years. Never have had any problems. I have them in my house and will
never have anything else. You will have grout lines, things break if
dropped on them but they are beautiful, easy to do and cheap.


I hate tile counter tops. It looks dated, .....

Tile counter tops do look dated, but now that "everybody" has granite, it
won't be long before it (and stainless appliances for that matter) looks
dated, too, because.....once upper management finds that the cubicle
dwellers have them, they will have to find something new and more exclusive
for their kitchens....and everybody's quest for the newest and most
fashionable will start over again.

In article , "JerseyMike" wrote:
i'm somewhere between 8-16 months from redoing the entire kitchen. i don't
necessarily need to "break the bank" and go high end on everything, but i
don't want formica countertops. the time frame on doing the kitchen over
isn't a pressing situation where it has to be done ASAP but we've been in
the house 14yrs and it's still origional, early '60's but w/ new appliances
6 yrs ago. i'm looking for the best bang for my $$ on countertops and i
like the smooth look and feel of Corian and similar tops but looking for the
best of both worlds....good price, long life and durability to usage. is
waiting on newer products advisable??? or are the products ouit there now
the best to offer??

Large (12 inch) granite tiles can be used to create a
really nice countertop -- all the benefits of granite
at much lower cost than custom fabrication from slabs.

In terms of bang for the buck, it's hard to beat, IMO.

Use minimal grout lines and a sandless grout. You will
need to decide how to finish the front edge -- options
include such things as special tiles or a hardwood molding.


--
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
| Malcolm Hoar "The more I practice, the luckier I get". |
| Gary Player. |
| http://www.malch.com/ Shpx gur PQN. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Corian and its clones are seamless.


"Steve B" wrote in message
...

"Art" wrote in message
link.net...
Except my wife hates seams in the countertop.

What, there's seamless Formica now?

Steve

"Steve B" wrote in message
...

"Todd H." wrote in message ...
Chris Friesen writes:

Steve B wrote:

Shop around and go granite. Do it once, do it right. Corian is too
soft, and knives cut it easily no matter what naysayers say.
Go the extra and get granite. You'll be glad you did.

Granite has its own downsides. It needs to be sealed so it doesn't
stain,

LOL--I love how folks bring this up (important though it is), but it's
listed as a downside, as though it's so hard to spray sealer down and
run a rag over it once every few months.

The reality is that it's as easy as dusting a wood table, and takes
about 45 seconds for the whole kitchen.

GRanite, pardon the pun rocks. Can't imagine having a synthetic
material in my kitchen instead, especially when really nice looking
granite can be had for 55/sf installed with haul away, edges, sink
cutout, etc included.

Best regards,
--
Todd H.
http://toddh.net/

Can you believe the post about how his wife doesn't like seams? What,
Formica comes in endless sheets now with no seams?


Corian can be installed with no seams. Granite cannot unless you have the
right layout.

"JerseyMike" wrote in message
...

"Steve B" wrote in message
...

"JerseyMike" wrote in message
...
i'm somewhere between 8-16 months from redoing the entire kitchen. i
don't
necessarily need to "break the bank" and go high end on everything, but
i
don't want formica countertops. the time frame on doing the kitchen
over
isn't a pressing situation where it has to be done ASAP but we've been
in
the house 14yrs and it's still origional, early '60's but w/ new
appliances
6 yrs ago. i'm looking for the best bang for my $$ on countertops
and
i
like the smooth look and feel of Corian and similar tops but looking
for
the
best of both worlds....good price, long life and durability to usage.
is
waiting on newer products advisable??? or are the products ouit there
now
the best to offer??

thanks for any tips and advice,

mike.........

Shop around and go granite. Do it once, do it right. Corian is too
soft,
and knives cut it easily no matter what naysayers say.

Go the extra and get granite. You'll be glad you did.


Steve



i've heard that and small cut marks can be fine sanded out w/ no noticable
distortions. am i misinformed?? my mind is NOT set on Corian i'm just
using it as an example of the type of surface i'm looking for.

mike............



Light colors of corian do not show scratches but dark colors can. Visit
Lowes or Home Depot and bring a key...

"Art" wrote

Corian can be installed with no seams. Granite cannot unless you have the
right layout.


What's the objection to seams? If they're done right, they're hardly
noticeable, and if you get someone who knows what they're doing, you can get
long runs with no seams.

Steve

"Karl S" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 20 Jan 2007 13:02:25 -0500, Goomba38 wrote:

Raider Bill wrote:

I have been putting in ceramic tile counter tops in my rentals for
years. Never have had any problems. I have them in my house and will
never have anything else. You will have grout lines, things break if
dropped on them but they are beautiful, easy to do and cheap.


I hate tile counter tops. It looks dated, .....

Tile counter tops do look dated, but now that "everybody" has granite, it
won't be long before it (and stainless appliances for that matter) looks
dated, too, because.....once upper management finds that the cubicle
dwellers have them, they will have to find something new and more
exclusive
for their kitchens....and everybody's quest for the newest and most
fashionable will start over again.

'fraid you're too right. What's the carbon-footprint of fashion?
--


MichaelB
www.michaelbulatovich.ca

JerseyMike wrote:
i'm somewhere between 8-16 months from redoing the entire kitchen. i don't
necessarily need to "break the bank" and go high end on everything, but i
don't want formica countertops. the time frame on doing the kitchen over
isn't a pressing situation where it has to be done ASAP but we've been in
the house 14yrs and it's still origional, early '60's but w/ new appliances
6 yrs ago. i'm looking for the best bang for my $$ on countertops and i
like the smooth look and feel of Corian and similar tops but looking for the
best of both worlds....good price, long life and durability to usage. is
waiting on newer products advisable??? or are the products ouit there now
the best to offer??

thanks for any tips and advice,

mike.........




Where you have 8 mos to a year and a half why dont you look into
polished concrete. You have plenty of time to even do a mock up in your
basement/garage and run some tests to see if you could do it yourself.
There are plenty of resources on the net and at the bookstore/library
about concrete countertops and with a modest investment in some fairly
basic tools you could have some great countertops AND some tools to put
in the garage when your done.

Just an idea,
Mark

In article , Karl S says...

On Sat, 20 Jan 2007 13:02:25 -0500, Goomba38 wrote:

Raider Bill wrote:

I have been putting in ceramic tile counter tops in my rentals for
years. Never have had any problems. I have them in my house and will
never have anything else. You will have grout lines, things break if
dropped on them but they are beautiful, easy to do and cheap.


I hate tile counter tops. It looks dated, .....

Tile counter tops do look dated, but now that "everybody" has granite, it
won't be long before it (and stainless appliances for that matter) looks
dated, too, because.....once upper management finds that the cubicle
dwellers have them, they will have to find something new and more exclusive
for their kitchens....and everybody's quest for the newest and most
fashionable will start over again.

Hear hear. Unless you're fixing to sell (in which case why invest in granite),
that something looks "dated" is a dumb reason not to do something, if you really
like it otherwise. All this stainless-appliance/cherry cabinetry/dark
granite/wood floor/stainless hardware look in the kitchen is just gonna scream
2000-ought decade in just a few years. And it's gonna be "dated".

I went for granite for several reasons (I just plain love stone, the primary
reason), but tile is fairly practical if the grout is chosen right and is
sealed, and gives certain looks, like country or Spanish/Mexican that others
don't. Disadvantages like chipping, advantages like price and DIY friendly.
Don't pick a light grout. I picked chocolate brown grout in my terra-cotta
colored procelein kitchen floor tile and my beige bathroom floor has dark grey
grout. Seal it, wipe up spills right away for good measure, enjoy it, take a
vacation with what the granite would have cost if you're not really into the
granite.

If you like it, do it, but do what you can afford. Houses are for the living.

Banty

On 20 Jan 2007 14:07:57 -0800, Banty wrote:

Tile counter tops do look dated, but now that "everybody" has granite, it
won't be long before it (and stainless appliances for that matter) looks
dated, too, because.....once upper management finds that the cubicle
dwellers have them, they will have to find something new and more exclusive
for their kitchens....and everybody's quest for the newest and most
fashionable will start over again.

Hear hear. Unless you're fixing to sell (in which case why invest in granite),
that something looks "dated" is a dumb reason not to do something, if you really
like it otherwise. All this stainless-appliance/cherry cabinetry/dark
granite/wood floor/stainless hardware look in the kitchen is just gonna scream
2000-ought decade in just a few years. And it's gonna be "dated".

If you install a granite countertop it should look great and last for
years, if not forever.

But that won't be good enough for some people. I can just picture a woman
on one of those home improvement shows looking at a kitchen in the year
2015: "Granite, how creepy. If I want to look at granite, I'll go to the
cemetery." And: "Stainless steel. How tacky. I don't go into those places,
but people tell me that McDonald's uses it in their kitchens."

the sagacious dolt {Kitchens Etc}wrote:
"# Fred #" wrote in message
| We also use this countertop process in the US as well.

I have used it in the US
it is crap!

Why do you install crap?
Professionals don't install crap.

thetiler

"M&S" wrote in message
link.net...
JerseyMike wrote:
i'm somewhere between 8-16 months from redoing the entire kitchen. i
don't
necessarily need to "break the bank" and go high end on everything, but
i
don't want formica countertops. the time frame on doing the kitchen
over
isn't a pressing situation where it has to be done ASAP but we've been
in
the house 14yrs and it's still origional, early '60's but w/ new
appliances
6 yrs ago. i'm looking for the best bang for my $$ on countertops and
i
like the smooth look and feel of Corian and similar tops but looking for
the
best of both worlds....good price, long life and durability to usage.
is
waiting on newer products advisable??? or are the products ouit there
now
the best to offer??

thanks for any tips and advice,

mike.........




Where you have 8 mos to a year and a half why dont you look into
polished concrete. You have plenty of time to even do a mock up in your
basement/garage and run some tests to see if you could do it yourself.
There are plenty of resources on the net and at the bookstore/library
about concrete countertops and with a modest investment in some fairly
basic tools you could have some great countertops AND some tools to put
in the garage when your done.

Just an idea,
Mark


this is why i posted this topic....i've been away from construction and the
service end of home improvements for a while now and never heard of concrete
counter tops. it could be an option if i liked the results.

mike...........