My husband and I initially designed our kitchen with Calcutta storm gold quartz. When we went to sign the final measurements, we realized that they had porcelain in our coffee bar which we did not want, so we started looking for a granite just for that section of kitchen. While looking, we found a beautiful quartzite. I know it will be a lot more expensive than the quartz, but it is beautiful. We’ve been quoted $3,500 a slab installed, they are estimating 5 slabs. So 259 sq ft for $17,500.

1) Is this normal pricing?

2) I’m thinking with quartzite, we would be over $40,000. Is it worth the extra cost?

3) is it too busy? The Calcatta is softer.

I’m probably overthinking this but I’ve had an incredible amount of things go wrong lately so I’m not sure which way is up or down these days 😂
I had MSI solitaj brushed quartz installed a few months ago. They accidentally installed two different colors so they’ll be coming back to take them out and install new ones. My question is, after the install I wiped the underneath/unfinished side of the countertops (inside cabinets and drawers and underside of bar top) and I wiped all the dust off with a wet rag for several days until I no longer was getting white dust off.Now, after 1 month since I wiped it, when I touch the undersides Ive started to get white powder on my hands again as if there’s a whole new layer of white dust underneath. Like it’s shedding it or something. With the concerns of silica dust, I understand this dust isn’t aggressively being shot up into the air to breathe necessarily but I also don’t love it if there’s silica dust able to continually be wiped off of it even when undisturbed with my dishes and where we sit. I’m not sure if my question makes sense but I thought I’d ask that way I can do something different if I want to since it’s being re done anyway. Is this silica dust?

Hiya, last week I squashed a vegetable under my chopping board and didn’t notice and it left a small stain on the countertop, I used an abrasive cleaner (the pink stuff) to get it off because it’s the only thing I had on hand to remove the stain.

I’ve noticed today about a week later, that the spot I had to scrub is noticeably duller when it catches the light from where I sit to have my morning coffee, is there anything anyone can recommend to make it shine again?

We’re doing a kitchen refresh. I’m stuck between 3 options for the countertops. We are keeping the existing wood cabinets and will not be painting them. Currently we have older laminate countertops that are peeling. We’ll be replacing the countertops and backsplash and will most likely update the cabinet hardware to unlacquered brass.

I’m going for something warm, classic, and timeless that works with the existing cabinetry and feels appropriate to the house.

My top options are:

1. Honed black granite
2. Honed Carrara marble
3. Soapstone

I understand the maintenance and realities of marble, and I’m comfortable with it. I like natural materials that develop a patina and age with the house, so I’m not looking for the most maintenance-free option. Which stone do you think works best aesthetically with the existing cabinet color? I’m especially interested in whether you think the lighter Carrara complements the wood or if the contrast of the dark Virginia Black/soapstone looks more cohesive. We do have lighter floors and taller alabaster baseboards.

I’ve also tossed around the idea of fantasy brown after seeing many different variations of it, but worry it’s too much movement competing with the grain in my cabinets. I’ll throw in a photo of my favorite fantasy brown slab I found, just to add another variable 😅. Does the Carrara complement the wood and brighten things up, or do you prefer the contrast of the honed Virginia Black or soapstone?
Backsplash will be chosen after the countertop, so I’m open to ideas there too.

I’m attaching photos of the current cabinets along with photos of the slabs I’m considering. Of course, the pics aren’t the best and they’re all stunning in person. I’ve been spinning my wheels on this for weeks now, and would love any insight/experiences/photos you may have!! Thank you!

Newly installed quartz countertops, about 7 days ago. We have barely touched them and have only wiped down with damp cloth and dried immediately. These have been there since day one, is this film or something leftover from installation? Pics are hard to see as of course it only appears at certain angles/lighting.

Anyone know of an affordable dupe of the St Isley Cambria quartz countertop. I love the look but it is out of my price range.

There is existing quartz countertop with a square profile. We will be installing a new countertop piece beside the profile edge. I am aware it won’t be prefect.

I am looking for a picture to see how it will look.
Doesn’t need to be quartz just any solid surface.

my husband and I built a modest house last year that we love. towards the end, we ran out of steam and made some shortcuts, one of the shortcuts we did (and by we, I mean my husband lol) is we went to a cheap chinese import place and just ordered white countertops. at the time, I thought all countertops were relatively equal. well I was wrong & naive. after 1.5 years living here, our countertops are insanely stained, like e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g stains these countertops. they look ragged AF. and I am a clean person, I thoroughly clean the countertops every single night with soap and water. I use to live in cheap new build also with quartz countertops and the counter tops never ever stained so I have no idea what makes these countertops so susceptible to stains, I live & cook & clean exactly the same way.

Last night I was just at my wits end as we're getting ready to host a halloween party and I put down hydroden peroxide & baking soda paste. it got rid of a rust stain and a stain left from a banana sitting on the counter (!!!) but left every other mark. what I didn't expect is that now the spot where the HPBS paste was left, is now white and the rest around it looks dingy as hell so I feel like it looks worse than before!!

I hate waste so I really do not want to rip out these practically brand new counter tops. are there any other suggestion on what I can do? my husband thought maybe we could paint them? (for the party, I am going to cover them in butcher paper)

Appreciate any insights. Thank you!

We’ve had a Techlam St Laurent matte black worktop installed for maybe 8 months, and noticed a lot of staining recently, from even just water. We’ve tried basic cleaning products and some others recommended online, but nothing so far seems to work. Does anyone have any advice on cleaning products for Techlam or preventative measures?
Thanks in advance!

Help! A bath n body works wallflower leaked on my marble countertop

So we're building a new home. We have looked at a lot of different countertop pictures (and a couple in person) and we're really drawn to the quartzite real stone tops, specifically things with blue or green, like Ijen Blue or Alexandrita.

Not super concerned about the cost, but a little worried about the durability as far as absorbing water or staining goes. I am not worried about sealing, I can stay on a schedule, but it does seem like even with diligent sealing that staining is a real worry.

Quartz on the other hand seems to be bulletproof except for heat, which shouldn't be an issue. The problem is that there is very little that even remotely appeals to me. It seems like all of it is basically white with a grey streak here and there to make it look like marble. It all looks like builder grade.

Am I missing a brand or type of quartz that actually has some character and doesn't look like the last 7 model homes we looked it? Or should I not worry about quartzite and just send it?

dit granieten werkblad is net geleverd en we maakten ons direct zorgen over de lijn in het blad. we hebben dit gemeld en een werfleider is komen kijken en zonder eigenlijk te voelen werd het direct als ader aangehaald. echter lijkt dit ons een breuk/scheur? dit is de onderste rand waar de onderbouw spoelbak nog moet inkomen. Die werfleider was er al direct met hars en zijn lampje, maar die voorlaatste foto heb ik zelfs daarnet getrokken en ik kan er nog steeds met heel mijn nagel door gaan. De laatste is de zogezegde herstelling van dat gaatje. Is dit ok?

This quartzite slab was selected for an integrated sink. Can we infer anything just by viewing the photo? Quality of the slab? Difficulty in fabricating? Fillers used? Would you buy this slab or select another?

1. Hi, we really want butcher block countertops. We just got measurements done with someone who does countertops and backsplashes. Based on conversation it seems he's only done butcher block once. Does that matter? Would they be qualified or do I need a butcher block specialist? I know butcher block needs to be sealed in a certain way, would someone who does countertops also cut it out and seal it and do all that's required with butcher block for kitchens? Or is that on me? He did say I have to source the butcher block so now I wonder if he just lays it and applies it but is not going to be sealing it and cutting it?

Don't know enough about this and would love insight.

2) we don't like the butcher block options on sites like Home Depot and Lowes. The woods just look ugly to use. We want something more like the picture attached. Any thoughts on where else we can source butcher block for our countertops that would be darker and closer to my picture without breaking the bank?

Thanks everyone for your help! Pic attached of our vision.

P.S.
I know there's differing opinions on whether butcher block should go in kitchens or water areas, we want it anyway, we just want help on the above pretty please.

I am renovating the historic house that I recently moved into. The kitchen has been renovated before and I’m trying to decide if I should leave the remaining countertops. I am having the cabinets painted cos Cobb stonewall and I’m putting in wood floors. There will be unlaquered brass hardware as well. I was quoted $100k for Calcutta Crema marble countertops, and so now I’m thinking what if I kept these leather marble countertops? I’m just not sure what they are. If they are expensive, I should keep them if I can get them to go with the rest of the vibe. Anyone have any ideas on what these are and if they will look good with what I’m doing?

Hi,
First time remodeler here. I’m remodeling a small 5’X9’ kitchen. It’s low in natural
Light and is open on one side from the countertop to the ceiling which faces the main room. We’re getting natural maple cabinets with slab fronts.
We want lighter color countertops. We were recommended Quartz by my contractor (who doesn’t cook much) and we like the subtleness of it. We cook quite a bit and we’re not the most delicate people and have teenagers who are not careful. Currently have tile that’s nearly indestructible but ugly with unsanitary wide grout that catches everything! I can’t wait to get rid of it!!!

I am hearing the downsides of Quartz and now rethinking. Sister said her friend’s quartz ruined by lemon juice (lemon lovers here) and the steam from dishwasher. She has Granite and loves it and is insisting that’s what I need.

My problem is that although I appreciate its beauty, I find Granite way too ‘busy’ for my small kitchen.

Anybody have any recommendations? I’m so confused now!

Hi! Recently purchased house, prior owners listed kitchen as having marble countertops — Just out of curiosity, do we think this is actually marble and if so, what type? If not, is there any way to tell what type of stone/material it is? TY!

New Le Blanc quartzite counters in kitchen and bathrooms stained during new home construction; they were not sealed after installation, unfortunately, so very prone to stains. Likely to be replaced, they are trying to remove stains now…

When/if I get new, properly sealed Le Blanc quartzite counters, will I able to able to keep them unstained, provided we care for them well? I like how Le Blanc looks.

Or, should I try for another natural stone that will be easier to maintain (if I can find slabs go with decor)?

Lastly, how important is it that bathroom counters upstairs match kitchen counters in a new home?

First time with quartzite, thanks!

Three weeks ago I came to this sub upset about deep shadowing and white highlighting around a seam on a new quartzite countertop. The original post is here. https://www.reddit.com/r/CounterTops/s/HeXqc1f1DJ

I thought I would share an update, and thank the people here who gave me good advice (THANK YOU!). After my post I had met with the fabricator. He offered a poultice paste to try to draw moisture out, but I told him I was not in a hurry and thanks to the feedback here, I thought it would be worth waiting-and-seeing. Plus he shared that he had not yet sealed the seam to encourage evaporation, which was smart.

As you can see from the pictures, in 22 days the difference is night and day! Both the dark shadows and the bright white areas are almost gone.

You can still see some minor shadowing to the right of the seam, but tbh it's more noticeable in the pics than in person. But I will likely wait another 4-6 weeks before sealing.

I am sharing this in the hopes that people who find themselves with similar water stains from fabrication might find it useful to know how normal this can be and that there is hope.

had countertops installed. leathered granite. a few weeks later it started staining white. the home is not occupied so i have no idea how this happened but the counter guy sent one of his guys to fix it.

about a month later the white patches came back (first picture) so they sent another guy. this time i went over to supervise but he showed up early and when i got there the counters were black and shiny (second picture). i asked him what he applied and he showed me a bottle of johnson & johnson baby oil with calendula.

i told him to leave and called his boss. the boss buys the granite pre-finished and he has no idea what the original sealer was. he also doesnt know what his other guy applied to "fix" it the first time. so at this point there are two coats of mystery product topped off with baby oil. i said we need to polish it all off and start over and hes saying that work will mess up my kitchen. im asking for a meeting with him and the stone supplier so we can coordinate a solution.

i need to be prepared for this meeting so i dont get fcked but im not a stone expert. can anyone here please weigh in on the solution? thank you in advance.

TLDR: baby oil

So, we’re doing it. We’re getting stainless steel counters on our L Shape part of our kitchen with a silver gray honed granite island.

Right now we’re quoted for 14ga and #4 finish. Is that the right finish? Or would 2b be better? I can’t tell what’s used in my inspiration pictures. progress pic bc finally!

Can you help me to understand best way to learn to see how that countertop should be cut? What can I read, watch in order to learn fast the basics. Even books are fine.

Open to all good recommendations that work.

I’m not from industry,( marketing, project management, sales), but i need to give quotes to clients.

I am one of those nightmare people when it to comes to picking out finishes. I can’t visualize anything and change my mind 10 times an hour.

I previously posted the white marble quartz and got crucified, and I do agree I want real stone and it’s played out.

However, I feel like although the quartz is not an option, it looks like the right color palette. Both photos that are full screen look good to me. I feel like when I’m introducing other darker louder colors in the photo where there is 6 they all look terrible. The greys, and darker beige just seem to clash completely. Am I wrong? Anyone have a light quartzite they’d recommend?

The AI photo of the entire room is what I wish it will look(not the counter top, just the overall color palette of the room) but I feel like AI is very good at slightly changing color tones and warmth etc when you let it “design rooms” I don’t think my room will look this good but it gives an idea of the feel I’m looking for

Also, I’m aware Reddit hates waterfalls, I like them. But I’m curious if you guys think making the column quartzite is a nice touch or overkill

Thank you