Advice please - granite, quartz or similar countertops
 

Do you have a granite, quartz or similar type countertop with a shiny finish?

I currently have formica with a matte finish. I wipe it down many times during the day. Always with a damp cloth, never with paper towels. Sometimes the cloth is simply wet and sometimes I spray cleaner before I wipe down. I allow it to air dry.

I have realized that when I clean certain shiny items in my home (dishwasher front panel for one), I have to dry the surface or I'll get odd marks where the water dried naturally. Is it the same with shiny countertops?

I'll be in the market for new countertops soon and this is important. Thanks!

I put butcher block counter tops in my kitchen. The realtor said it only granite sells homes if we decided to sell. So sorry to disappoint the future buyers. LOL I guess I'm the only one that does not like the look of granite. Every house I go into has granite and most are speckled with so much blobs of color it looks cluttered. I do like the cement counter tops. And I saw a home with sealed brick countertops. Amazing and the owner did it himself.

I have black granite in my kitchen. Nice and shiny. You do have to dry the granite after cleaning. If I ever redo this kitchen, I will still go with granite but, I would do a much lighter color.

quartz is so much easier to work with, and I think it will see a house.
I think to many people go with the crowd without thinking of it's possibilities.
quartz has less upkeep, and is stronger and sturdier than granite. it's the bandwagon now adays.
Do your own research on the countertops before deciding. a quick trip to Home Depot will help
with this. I'm so tired of these people on the home shows wanting granite and stainless.
I want white cabinets, it think it opened up the kitchen more,than say these darker choices.
It's like avocado green and harvest gold was 30-40 years ago.

Do you have to dry your quartz counter Lynnie?

I had quartz counter tops for about five years and loved them--did not deter the sale of the house last summer. Never had to dry them after wiping with wet cloths,,no polishing, no scratches from sharp knives, no one could ever detect where it was seamed. Many patterns to choose from and some look just like the granite one. Our new senior condo came with formica countertop and I'll live with it but sure not as nice as the quartz.

Is quartz not shiny, is that why you don't need to dry it? I have zero info at this point. The project is a ways off.

I will be updating my kitchen soon, (we still have formica). I will be following this thread.

Doing a kitchen remodel is intimidating to me. I have no idea where to even start. :eek:

If there is an Ikea near you, go check out their Kitchen Design section. There is a good assortment of countertops and they also give options for the same look at a different price.

Almost all the granite I have seen is mottled, so unless there was a sunbeam on it, you would not notice streaks.

When I finally get my dream kitchen it will have different countertops in different areas.

We just redid our kitchen and put in granite because plan to sell in the next year or two. Quartz was more expensive and we'd have chosen it if we were staying. No, I don't have to wipe them dry. They always look great with anormal damp, soapy cloth wipedown. If you need to get something crusty off, or want a cleaner clean, You have to use a mild, non-abrasive cleaner occasionally (like Bon Ami) . Granite needs to be resealed every 5-6 months. (My hubby is handy so not a biggie for us.)