Quartz countertops?

[A790]

Any experiences with quartz countertops? Were they expensive? Good/bad compared to other options?

Looking at getting quartz for my kitchen counters/island and three bathroom vanities.

Thanks

[E46..sTyLez]

In my experience quartz is usually parallel pricing to granite. I prefer the look of granite though. Quartz is much more plain/standard looking, no crazy designs etc cause they are man made, as opposed to straight out of the ground like granite.

Quartz is super hard rock though, very durable. Pretty much zero maintenance. You don't have to seal it like granite.

That's my 2 cents

[phreezee]

I upgraded this year. I like the uniformity, hardness, and maintenance free qualities in quartz. Price is roughly the same or within a few dollars per sq-ft.

Granite can be all right if you can pick your slab, otherwise you might get some natural ferrous swirls that look like a big rust stain.

You can save a lot of money if you do your own plumbing also. Most places I called didn't include plumbing or even the sinks in their quotes, so make sure you ask.

[LOLzilla]

I just recently went through this and yes, they are expensive*. I got a lot of quotes sitting at the house if you'd like some details. It was for a humble 10x10 kitchen with island. The quartz selected was CeaserStone Calcutta Nuvo. Prices ranged from $5,500 - $7,500. The markup on this stuff must be massive as I found some of the sales people to be just a pushy as used cars sales.

*If you are willing to try a Chinese manufacture of Quartz the price drops by 40%. This is the route we'll most likely go. Was quoted $3,000 + tax for Polarstone which is very reasonable in my opinion.

[Mitsu3000gt]

I've had both, I'm indifferent. I prefer the natural look to a nice piece of granite to the uniform man-made quartz (purely subjective), but quartz gives you a bit less to worry about. I've never had a single issue with my granite though so I wouldn't really care what my next home has either way.

Quartz is nonporous and more flexible, but it can also discolor with prolonged sunlight exposure. Granite will show seams more easily. You can stain them both if you are negligent.

[A790]

The property is going to be a rental in 3 years, so maybe quartz isn't a great option? What other types of countertops are there (not laminate, looking to upgrade ).

[XylathaneGTR]

Originally posted by A790
The property is going to be a rental in 3 years, so maybe quartz isn't a great option? What other types of countertops are there (not laminate, looking to upgrade ).

I have quartz in my condo and it's been pretty solid so far.

I don't think you have a lot of options with non-laminate counter tops...you could do a wooden slab or some planks but I would expect more maintenance and less durability out of that. Perhaps a slate stone/tile look on a wooden base?

[killramos]

Originally posted by A790
The property is going to be a rental in 3 years, so maybe quartz isn't a great option? What other types of countertops are there (not laminate, looking to upgrade ).

I think if the choice is quartz vs granite then quartz is better for a rental considering maintenance and hardness. basically its harder for them to fuck up.

Due to the heterogeneous nature of granite in my experience it tends to crack and chip more easily along weak spots near sinks, edges.

If i could do it over i would get quartz. I'm OCD and my granite never seems clean no matter sealing, maintaining etc due to the heterogeneity.

[roopi]

Originally posted by A790
The property is going to be a rental in 3 years, so maybe quartz isn't a great option? What other types of countertops are there (not laminate, looking to upgrade ).

Quartz would be a great option. No maintenance required. What else do you want?

[A790]

Originally posted by killramos


I think if the choice is quartz vs granite then quartz is better for a rental considering maintenance and hardness. basically its harder for them to fuck up.

Due to the heterogeneous nature of granite in my experience it tends to crack and chip more easily along weak spots near sinks, edges.

If i could do it over i would get quartz. I'm OCD and my granite never seems clean no matter sealing, maintaining etc due to the heterogeneity.

Well, I'm open to any option that isn't laminate. We want to install undermount sinks/etc. and want a nice upgrade from the laminate we've had for the last 5 years

[A790]

Originally posted by roopi


Quartz would be a great option. No maintenance required. What else do you want?

Staining/etc. might be a problem? I have no experience with countertops outside of laminate, so I'm really wading into the unknown here.

Any information is certainly appreciated (mad Googlin' happening over here right now lol).

[Mitsu3000gt]

You could always go with a Tile counter top if you wanted to try something different, but personally I'm not a fan of the surface gaps with grout. I'm sure Dave knows more about your options there than I do.

For a rental it's hard to beat stuff like Arborite. Might not be your first choice if you're living there first, but at least it's cheap and durable because there is a 100% chance of future renters not giving a single f*ck about counter top maintenance and care. Our rentals have Arborite, and the renters have even managed to destroy that, but at least it's not going to be anywhere near $5-$10K to replace haha.

[Tik-Tok]

Originally posted by killramos

If i could do it over i would get quartz. I'm OCD and my granite never seems clean no matter sealing, maintaining etc due to the heterogeneity.

That's why we went with a "leather finish" on our granite. It doesn't have that mirror shine, so looks clean all the time. It feels neat too.

[E46..sTyLez]

Originally posted by A790

Staining/etc. might be a problem? I have no experience with countertops outside of laminate, so I'm really wading into the unknown here.

Any information is certainly appreciated (mad Googlin' happening over here right now lol).

Quartz shouldn't stain, you don't even need to seal it. Granite has a higher likelihood of staining. I have heard the sun fading thing before though.
Based on the fact this will be a rental, I would go quartz for sure over granite. I reseal my granite every 6 months, I don't think you want to be doing that in a rental.

[tch7]

Had granite for about 7 years at my parents (kitchen), and 2.5 years with quartz at my place (kitchen & vanities). No maintenance whatsoever for either, and no stains or other issues.

The problem with granite is that it can look dated after a few years, depending on the granite you choose and the patterns/colours in it. It works well for more traditional style homes.
Quartz on the other hand is a bit more timeless, since it's simpler and less in-your-face. Overall it works better with cleaner modern styles.

[Unknown303]

I've had 3 day old coffee cup rings wipe right off my quartz counters. It's amazing how easy it is to keep them clean.

[xrayvsn]

Just put Quartz in my new house. It cost a little more than granite. I got this stuff - SantaMargherita Victoria. I can ask my builder who did the install for you if you want pricing. I am very happy with the look and durability.


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[Sugarphreak]

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[jeffh]

For a rental, check out some textured arborite/laminate(feels like shale, etc). Gives a richer look for little cost than standards laminate. Plus you can update the colour as well. And then update your sink/faucet to something more modern/fancy, but likely will still have to go with a surface mount sink. Check out the lowes, depot, rona for finding the right look.

If this was for the place you are calling home, my vote is quartz.

[tirebob]

Honestly, if this is a rental I wouldn't be spending the real money until I was moving in personally or selling. Even though you could get some good renters, you could still get some shitty ones and they fuck your stuff up. I would rather spend a few hundred now and go a few years and upgrade later than drop a few thousand now and maybe again in a few years...