OT - PSA for those who spent $$$ on Quartz Counters

Gulfcoastguy

Botch said:

Ozzie_Isaac said:

stv8r said:
I'm interested to hear of your issues with Corian?

Could not set hot pots or pans on it, it would discolor.  Couldn't cut on it, it would scratch super easy.  Not that I cut directly on my counters, but occasionally I do with my granite.  The Corian sink was white and easily stained.

I loved the look and the feel of it, but the surface was marred relatively easily.

Hmm, I don't set hot cookware on my Formica, nor cut on it, and it works fine. My "stainless" steel sinks occasionally stain, but a bit of Comet and a green scrub pad and its fine.  
If I upgrade any part of my home, at this point, it'll be the kitchen, but right now I don't see a good reason to do so.  
I remember the Corian era, but can't remember its relative cost.  

One contract that I had was constructing a rest area from the ground up. The architect specified an incredibly complicated L shaped reception desk covered by Corian on all surfaces. Very elaborate Corian moldings on all edges. I hate to think how much of the project cost was wrapped up in that one item. At least I got my name on a bronze plate as the project engineer.

RyanStl

Sounds like a great use of tax money.

PigBeanUs

RyanStl said:

For me the perfect is granite, but the wife disagreed this time.  I should have held my ground on this, but her heart was set on this quartz.  I could have saved $13 a sqr. ft. as well.

Soapstone would be interesting, but that fall in the obscure category for me.  That's the stuff that was in the chemistry class right?

There’s a reason they used in in labs….

I have designed a few kitchens in my time and I always tried to get clients to consider natural materials over synthetic. 

And to appreciate any patina that occurs. Everyone wants their counters to appear instagram perfect (new). Isn’t that precious. 

When we did our kitchen over it came down to a really great colored stone, and simple carrara marble. 

Wife and I went to a few “kitchen design shops” to show her options, because they had some fully mocked up kitchens. But we were buying from the stone yard (trade discount).

The sales people at the counter top place were pushing man made “quartz” over the marble. “The marble will stain” they said. 

Yep

“Etch with acids. “

ok, sure 

“…might even chip or scratch. “

Ok. We’ll think about it. 

Her head was spinning. So i said “let’s get an ice cream and talk it over”

we went to an ice cream parlor that has been in our town since the 1920s. 

Got a couple cones and sat down to talk it over. 

She loved the marble but was worried about the finish not lasting. 

I said “yeah. I can appreciate that. Also. Check out the tables in here. And the soda fountain counter.”

marble. A hundred years old. Daily use. Melted ice cream and little kids abusing it. Coffee spills. Knocked into by metal café chairs…

looked frigging fantastic. Not perfect. Not new. But just pretty dang good for 100 years. 

We got the marble. 

Can you see a ring where she sat her wine glass down and etched the honed finish a trillionth of an inch? Yeah. I guess. 

Does anyone here care? It’s MARBLE. Not some plastic crap with a trademarked name. 

Mattman3969

@PigBeanUs - I would always tell my customers that marble was going to tell a story and used the wine glass reference and would go on to tell them if they wanted the top to look the same in 10yrs as the day we installed marble was not for them. Always tried to set true expectations