Granite/Quartz kitchen countertops.. Experience?

[Cub_Cadet_GT]

Thank fellas.
Joe, thanks for the Atlas recommendation. I'll have them quote it.
RWE, I did stop at Home Depot today to see what they have. Pricing was very reasonable... most granite was under $68 a sq ft installed. Quartz was a buck or three cheaper. Biggest issue with them is that I can't see the granite slab. I'll still get them to quote it.

I would never let HD or Lowes do granite installation. I have installed granite in 3 homes now and I would find a reputable local installer who has inventory in stock so that you can go pick your slab. There can be tremendous variability between batches as far as patterns and colors. 

My wife is EXTREMEMLY picky about which slabs we got and went as far as doing a layout with the fabricator so that certain pieces went in specific locations. Trust me you don't want to be in the middle of that, or explaining why her kitchen doesn't look like the 3" square sample you brought home. 


Quartz is a fine material but in my opinion it is very plain and the styles they have that try to look like real granite fail at that. You cannot beat the beaty of real stone in  my opinion.


Edit to add:

Don't do the granite backsplash. Do a tile backsplash that comes down on top of the granite after it is installed. Looks MUCH better, and you don't lose 3cm of depth, and is cheaper.

[KC]

We have granite, and probably the least expensive stuff the builder could use.  People talk about granite staining, but I don't see it.  My mother in law makes a coffee mess pretty much every morning that doesn't get cleaned up 'til we get home in the evening.  We hit it with a cleaner/polish a couple times a year, but haven't ever used a sealer.  It does seem to chip easily around the undermount sink where the edge isn't bull nosed.  Given a choice between granite and quartz, I'd go with whichever was cheaper.

[jteneyck]

Don't do the granite backsplash. Do a tile backsplash that comes down on top of the granite after it is installed. Looks MUCH better, and you don't lose 3cm of depth, and is cheaper.

Well that's your opinion.  I love my granite backslashes.  It looks MUCH better to me and my wife compared to tile.  No issues with having to clean grout either, which is a losing battle over time with tile in the kitchen.  

For those who didn't know this, mineral spirits does an amazing job of removing kitchen grease from granite.  I don't know why I never figured it out until a couple of years ago, but now that I have it's easy peasy to remove grease spatter off the backsplash behind the cooktop.  And from the vent hood, too.   

John

[packerguy®]

 I'm seeing $100 to $200 a sq. ft. for quartz and about 25% more for Granite. 

I know youre out east...but that is silly high compared to here.

My mom paid ~$60sq installed for granite 3-4 years ago.

I have granite as well. Was in the house when we purchased it. IMHO it depends on what your looking for.....Quartz is more consistent of a pattern, granite is more natural.

[Snipe Hunter]

I know youre out east...but that is silly high compared to here.

My mom paid ~$60sq installed for granite 3-4 years ago.

I have granite as well. Was in the house when we purchased it. IMHO it depends on what your looking for.....Quartz is more consistent of a pattern, granite is more natural.

These were budgetary numbers I found online. I've since seen numbers now for acceptable materials well under $100. Pretty sure we can get something nice in the 60-70 range. Still more than I want to pay but it will have to happen.

[Ohio Mike]

I paid $50 per square foot (installed) for granite from Home Depot in 2011.

The price was so low because:

1:  My wife really liked one of their least expensive colors (whew!)

2:  We liked the least expensive edge profile which was "free"

3:  We opened a Home Depot credit card account to get an additional 10% off (we paid it off a month later with no penalty).

Home Depot contracted a medium/large countertop company 20 miles away to do my install.  The measurements were flawless - everything they cut at their shop fit perfectly because that was done by regular employees.

The installation ....... not so much.  The countertop company contracted out my install to a self-employed installer.  He arrived at my door and told me he had 6 years experience with other companies but this was the first install with this one.

* He and his helper were in a Ryder rental van.

* They had absolutely no PPE - no respirators or safety  glasses while grinding and drilling the granite.

* Their tools were of poor quality.  The shop vac kept coming apart blowing dust everywhere.

* His "assistant" was totally inexperienced and it was obvious.  I heard the installer tell him he'd show him how to mix epoxy today.  Uh oh!


In the end, I'd give them a C+ on my installation.  If I had not politely insisted they redo the cobbled-together sink support the grade would have been a D.  Fortunately I waited to have the new floor installed until after the Granite was complete.  Otherwise all that granite dust would have been on my new floor!  

I know other folks have had good luck letting Home Depot contract out their job.  It seems like a gamble to me.

[JosephP]

A friend bought granite through Lowe's and they were able to go to the distributor and pick out their slab.  Might be a Lowe's vs. HD thing...or more likely a regional thing - depending on who the contractor is and if they are willing to accommodate.

I've never contracted through a big box for anything.  If you don't know anybody in town and can't find any good recommendations, i guess that is not a bad way to go.  You at least have somebody you can talk to if things don't go well.  Have know people that got a bad job both in and out of big box stores.  Those seemed to get resolved better when bought through the store.  Bad contractors tend to not answer their phones.

I've always thought the better well-established contractors are probably busy enough that they don't need to share their profits with Lowe's or HD.  I could see a new company working through them...or a company that just doesn't want to deal with people - they just want to do the work and leave.  No bidding, no spending 20 hours with Mrs Summers as she picks out just the right slab of granite then changes her mind to granite, no invoicing, no late payments, etc...  But it all comes at a cost.  Big boxes need to be among the cheapest, so it starts down there and then they are going to keep a piece of the action (I don't know what %???).

[museumguy]

We sell both at work. We use 1 of 3 local vendors (1 of which is actually near you). After I install the cabinets, usually the same day or the next, they come out, laser measure your cabinets and 1 week later, or less, they come back and install the tops. All of the companies do an outstanding job.

[R12C]

This thread is interesting because of its timing.  My wife and I installed concrete countertops about five years ago.  We have a seven foot, two tiered island and we had a nice ogee profile on the edges of both the top and bottom counter.  The island was the center eyepiece of the kitchen.  We are now looking to replace the countertops on the island.  The ogee profile chipped all to heck and looks like crap.  Wife wants something that is indestructible but not shiny.  

We looked at granite....too much upkeep, going out of style, can easily stain since it's a rock and all rock is porous and needs sealing in order to remain stain free and hygenic.  I know most people don't seal their granite but then it's never going to be really clean.  Looked at quartz and still are.  Has a longer warranty than granite and is basically indestructible.  It's not porous so it cannot stain and doesn't need sealing.  I was told by the counter people that if we put granite or quartz on with an ogee profile, it all will chip.  So we're going with a simple round over.  We're also considering glass and recycled glass.  Maintenance free, nonporous, can add lights on the edge for effect and glass is the new up and coming trend.  The last thing we looked at was sintered stone countertop.  They take minerals and put them under extremely high pressure and temperature to form a countertop.  It's nonporous so it's hygienic, stain resistant and easy to clean.  It's also wear, scratch and heat resistant along with UV resistant.  It's also much lighter than quartz or granite but its also only about 3/4" thick.  Comes in natural colors from white, tans, reds, grays and black and is available marbled, veined or solid color.  And it's not shiny.  

We still haven't decided and the wife wanted a counter bought and installed before Thanksgiving.  I don't think that's going to happen unless she's looking at 2019.  We want to look more carefully into the glass countertop option.  I'd like to find someone who can make a custom piece for us.

[Snipe Hunter]

Pretty sure we've settled on Quartz, just more options with quartz. I looked at the glass. Have to tell you, I don't find it at all attractive. It reminds me of the material used to make those long trough latrines in the men's room at the older ballparks. I hope it's a short lived fad. I don't really care what's "in" but since we don't seem to stay long, I do like something somewhat timeless. Light colored wood cabinets and the house has poor natural lighting (in the woods) so We'll do a lighter colored cabinet, floor and countertops.

This is close to what it will look like. The appliances won't be black and the soffit won't be dark and the floor registers will be under the cabinets, not in front of them.