Today is a big day for our kitchen, because we are getting measurements done for our new quartz counter tops. This day has been a long time coming, because we have wanted new counter tops since we looked at the house. We currently have tile counters, which I don’t recommend to anyone. They are high maintenance, especially if the grout cracks, and they are extremely hard to clean.
It’s clear that the people who built our house put a lot of time and effort into this kitchen, but it just doesn’t work for us. The counters have trim all around the perimeter which make them impossible to clean. People laugh at me when I say I run a vacuum around the counters every so often, but it really is the only way to clean under the trim where the grout runs. So, going forward we knew we didn’t want tile and we wanted something a bit fancier than laminate.
We went to a local store that recommended solid surface counters. Solid surface counters can be designed to be seamless, even in a kitchen like ours. You can also have the sink integrated without seams. They are about 1/3 polymer and 2/3 minerals. They can be repaired easily by sanding and polishing. In theory, this would be a great option for us. It did, however have two downfalls. First, it is not heat resistant. Second, the color I liked was in the highest price range and ended up being more expensive than quartz or granite. Our kitchen is kind of dark and we are keeping the cabinets the cherry color, so we really need a light colored counter top.
We threw the idea of granite around. I like the idea of a 100% natural stone counter with good durability. The price ranges quite a bit, but we could find something we liked for a good price. However, granite needs to be sealed so that it doesn’t stain and it shows seams more than quartz or solid surface. Since we have several seams, this was a worry of mine.
While there are other options we considered, including concrete and recycled material counter tops, we really settled on quartz. Quartz is about 10% binders and 90% stone (or stone-like materials). It is easier to hide seams, is very durable, and does not need to be sealed. As another big advantage, it came in a color I loved for a price I was willing to pay!
We ordered our quartz from Home Depot. The measurements are getting done today and it should be 2-3 weeks until we install them. We have a lot of work ahead of us, because we need to remove all of the tile counters ourselves. Home Depot does have the option of having it done by them, but it was over $1000. We are really looking forward to our new counters, as well as a new cooktop and sink. I will update as soon as demo starts, but in the meantime you can keep up on our Facebook page and Instagram (@scottfamilyhomestead). Thanks for reading and following along with our next adventure!
