Countertops-Granite v/s corian v/s Quartz?

I have been reading the questions presented on your site and I am still confused. We are removing tile from countertops and wanting to replace it. I have looked at Granite and wasn't sure that I wanted it because of the special attention it may or may not require. I am looking for something reasonably in price that has the look of granite but very little maintenance/upkeep. When looking at one company, we saw the Ubbatubba and liked it. I wanted to look at the Silestone and went to Home Depot. I was told he was about the same as the granite and depending on the pattern more in price. I saw the Ubbatubba there and was told they have a special treatment on their granite that other granite company's do not have and that I would not have to worry about stain/scratches, etc. Please help, I do not want to worry about keeping counter top clean all of the time. It won't happen. I really did not want formica but now I am wondering if it's the most foolproof. Please advise.

 

Dear Jennie:

Well, for instance Ubatuba, if it is a good-grading slab is no more maintenance than engineered stone (es). Actually, es scratches more easily than most mercantile granite and virtually nobody could ever repair it.

But Ubatuba is only one of the “good guys”. There are many granite and mercantile granites that require the same amount of maintenance as es.

But you see, I hope you don't mind me saying this, but I'm afraid that you're starting with the wrong foot…

I hope you will understand the true spirit of what I'm about to say. It appears to me that like most other inquirers at this stage you seem mostly interested in the type of stone and/or its physical characteristics. It's human nature at work, I reckon! J

How about if I tell you that a certain stone is a good choice and then you get a low-grade slab or a doctored one? Trust me: the human factor is far more important than the stone itself and should be the only true deciding factor!

In an industry that's virtually unregulated, how good and reputable the fabricator who's is going to process the stone you'll end up choosing is far more important than the stone itself. None of the horror stories that get posted in this very site stem from the stone: they all stem from the fabricator. That is why I seldom make final statements about any one particular stone. There may be differences within the same stone (and I'm not talking about looks, here!) from one bundle of slabs and the next. The slabs may have also been either “doctored” (which is bad), or “resined” (which overall is good) by the factory, which would make a big difference. Even more important, what's a good stone in the hands of some “Michelangelo”?! And again: a reputable fabricator will only carry high-grade slabs, not some “special!”

We have available a very comprehensive article on “How to Shop for a Granite Kitchen Countertop” that will give you all the intelligence you need to venture yourself with confidence in the stone industry jungle, and it includes the world renowned “Lemon juice (and oil) test”, which will enable you to determine on your own the suitability of any stone you will consider! It does carry a small price tag, and you can order it by logging on the Educational Literature section at:   http://www.mbstone.com/literature/literature.htm. It's available in pay-per-download format and I consider it a cheap “insurance premium” to pay when there are thousands of $ involved! Not to mention the little and much needed support you'd be giving to the cause, your cause, since every single penny of the cost of the article will be used to support it.

Also, will you please read and e-sign our Statement of Purpose at: http://www.marblecleaning.org/purpose.htm? By spreading the word about this valuable site among your friends & family and the stone trades' people you've been dealing with you will be rendering everybody a valuable service!   

Also, do take advantage of the plethora of FREE Helpful Hints available at: http://www.mbstone.com/HH_promo/helpful_hints.htm. They're on the house!

Thank you.

Ciao and good luck,

Mauri zio Bertoli

 

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