Granite counters vs. laminate - Help

[lcmlc]

This is in the category of being "burdened by blessinge." Compared to the difficulties we had last year in health issues and house damage, this is a matter that is not a major problem and we are deciding between two nice things. Both of us are now doing well physically, just very tired. As many of you know, Abba and I have been living in a a

Comments

[vettecat]

Personally I don't like granite counters, but I have no idea what the "average" person thinks. Related question: Have you updated the "look" of the kitchen as a whole? If the rest of the kitchen is modernized then it may make sense to get the fancy counters to match. If not then anyone who moves in (if they care, and have money) may want to get shiny new appliances, etc., and then they very well may want to replace the counters anyway.

[lcmlc]

Thanks for your help. The kitchen will look quite new, and though the appliances are about 3 - 5 years old they are all white and in good condition. We'll need a new stove-top grill - in black - as the grey is impossible to get to a "new" look. But the cabinets, floor, and paint job are brand new from the ice dam repair

[lcmlc]

Thank you. I hope you get a job. Even if you couldn't buy my house. What kind of job are you looking for? It's really nice to hear our house is attractive to someone.

[mercurysparkle]

I'm also in this camp. I am not much of a natural stone person - as said earlier, hard to keep clean. I do, however, like the other solid surface materials. My parents have had Corian for 20 years (and a stainless steel sink) and it's held up well, easy to clean and comes in a variety of basic colors. If you're only dealing with a small amount of counter space, a neutral Corian or Silestone seems reasonable. The "in" thing lately seems to be light cabinets and darker counters. Sometimes the vendors will let you take home a larger sample piece to test out. From experience, surfaces with a good pattern or texture hide scratches best.

[lcmlc]

Thanks so much. I really appreciate your comments and will check out how much Corian would add to our costs. Regarding the darker counters, I want to be sure the counters are clean, and the apartment where we are renting has faux granite grey/black/pink laminate. I can't tell where there has been a spill that has dried unless I run my hand over it - even ketchup. I'll see if I can find something with a subtle pattern to hide any scratches. But we've hit the wall re: time, and I really do want to make a decision today. We're probably going to a store nearby that is reputed to have a large selection displaying countertops. Your commenets are very helpful, and I thank you so much for taking the time to reply.