Countertop material

Misippi Egger

My builder was asking yesterday what material do I want for my counter tops. He has seen some tiles made from granite that fit snuggly together without grout. Once sealed they would seem to be easy to maintain and keep clean. Plus he thinks they would be less expensive than whole granite counter pieces (like in my indoor kitchen).

The obvious concerns are heat tolerance and stain resistance (Carnivore and other such spills). :ohmy:

What is your collective experience and suggestions.

Another thought - I plan to have my eggs (Large and small) sitting open on a low shelf (like SNN686's), but with a back wall (Not cut out). The cabinetry will be cypress. Do I need to protect the sides of the counters from the heat (only open in the front)? Will have pavers and green feet under the bases.

Thanks for the eggspert opinions! :woohoo:

vidalia1

I used 12" granite tiles and there are great. I have spilled, dropped and placed hot stuff on it. All I do is wipe it off. I used a dark grout.

http://www.nakedwhiz.com/TableGallery/tables.htm?P98

vidalia1

I used 12" granite tiles and there are great. I have spilled, dropped and placed hot stuff on it. All I do is wipe it off. I used a dark grout.

http://www.nakedwhiz.com/TableGallery/tables.htm?P98

vidalia1

I liked it so much I posted it twice.... :woohoo:

sorry about the double post

Misippi Egger

Thanks, Kim.

Any particular sealer, or standard tile/grout sealer?

vidalia1

standard tile & grout sealer...

depending on the area you are doing the granite tiles were inexpensive at the HD....and came in a lot of colors

Misippi Egger

thanks. Got a HD and a Lowes nearby.

Spring Chicken

I used Corian in the Coop. Got some of it at a garage sale and another piece free. Seems to work okay in spite of what a granite dealer told me - "Corian is not good outside or near heat." Apparently he is wrong.

I've had a bit of a problem splicing pieces in two areas though. It takes a special adhesive which is only available to dealers. I found some on eBay though and may try it.

Personally, I like the concrete countertops. I think they are perfect for a Big Green Egg application whether inside or outside.

Spring "Counterpoint" Chicken
Spring Texas USA

Misippi Egger

Thanks, Leroy.

I've seen several concrete outdoor counters locally and have yet to see one that didn't have a crack in it (or fine air bubbles). Makes me lean more toward tile or granite or Corian.

PS - how 'bout "Enuff, already" on the rain :laugh: - you guys keep sending it east over here to us!

Spring Chicken

Send the rain back. We could use a half day of it.

Spring "Dry Me A River" Chicken

Misippi Egger

They are hurrying to get my porch 'blacked-in' before the rain comes in tonight or tomorrow. Where the new roof ties into the old one is where the rain can get in and cause leaks.

Hoss

Hey clark,I saw the pics of your new playground.Looks great.It is my understanding thst your cook/work/prep area is gonna be over at the end in a smaller spot.I found some pretty large pieces at a local granite dealer that were leftovers from other jobs and they were willing to sell them pretty cheap.That's what I made my tabletop out of and it is 3.5 by 8 feet.Just a thought.

Misippi Egger

Great suggestion, Hoss.

The main counter will house the two eggs and not have a lot of counter top (65 +/- inches wide and fitting a large & small in there with a several inches between the eggs and the counter walls. I will have another counter (with raised bar area) running perpendicular to the egg counter than will provide my main working surface. We haven't measured the actual length yet. No cut-outs, so some left-over pieces might work well.

DHall

Clark,
Corian is a good material IMO but be carefull with setting direct heat on it. I think it is rated up around 400-500 degrees but it can melt slightly at lower temps. One of the advantages of Corian or other solid poured surfaces like Avonite is that when they do scracth (which they will) you can sand them down a bit and they look brand new. We used to have corian in our old house we still have it at our deer camp. We just sanded the ones at the camp down and they look brand new again.

loco_engr

A wise man once told me that there are two kinds of concrete: "Concrete that IS cracked and concrete that IS Going to crack"
That is what I have been told, I could wrong

loco_engr

How thick were the tiles?

Ya only need to answer once :laugh:

loco_engr

Some assembly and polishing required tho :unsure:




Sorry, under the influence of a pain killer . . .
wisdom tooth surgery :(

Misippi Egger

ROFLMAO ! :ohmy: :woohoo: :woohoo:

DHall

Clark,
Corian is a good material IMO but be carefull with setting direct heat on it. I think it is rated up around 400-500 degrees but it can melt slightly at lower temps. One of the advantages of Corian or other solid poured surfaces like Avonite is that when they do scracth (which they will) you can sand them down a bit and they look brand new. We used to have corian in our old house we still have it at our deer camp. We just sanded the ones at the camp down and they look brand new again.

Panhandle Smoker

I am considering the same question. As much as I would like to have granite, I have a lot of oak trees and I would worry about staining. The Wilsonart/Corian is very stain and heat resistant. There are some good advantages to the wilsonart besides the stain resistance. It is a more sanitary surface and scratches can be buffed and polished with simple pads, granite can too but with more specialized tools and equipment. I will be researching more between now and the time of my O/D kitchen project.

http://www.wilsonart.com/solidsurface/commercial/advantages/pros_cons.asp