Okay, someone wanted to know so I'm posting this sooner than I wanted. No, it's not my finished bathroom (mon dieu, I wish it were), but check out the Caesarstone countertop:
The current debate over the "best" countertop material currently is a Caesarstone vs. granite debate. It's up for grabs which is really superior, but I decided on Caesarstone for several reasons:Stain repelling ability: Caesarstone is much denser than granite, meaning fewer stains and less upkeep over time. Granite is a porous, natural rock, meaning it needs to be re-sealed every year or it will get dull over time and absorb stains.
Durability: Caesarstone performs better overall in high impact tests, though the highest quality granite probably fares better. Caesarstone also tends to have a better warranty. They are both fairly heat resistant, though you should never put a hot pot directly on either. That's just common sense
Overall appearance: since Caesarstone is tiny bits of quartz stone mixed with resins and other manmade materials, its appearance is much more uniform than that of granite. Of course, some people love the variations in granite. However, my space is too small to show beautiful variations over a large piece of stone. It would just look like my granite was uneven.
Cost: the costs are about the same. Caesarstone is about $60-100 per square foot, installed. Granite is $50-150 depending on the quality of the natural rock.
Green factor: some people deplore the mining of granite, others deplore the manufacturing of Caesarstone. I'm too poor to buy countertops made of recycled glass and concrete (can you believe they are twice to three times as expensive as Caesarstone?), and I don't think cheap countertops are green at all because you have to throw them away in a few years. So I'm going with a relatively green product that uses at least 20% recycled materials in addition to quartz, which is more plentiful than granite. And I hope to not have to replace my countertops for years to come.
*photo courtesy of caesarstoneusa
4 comments:
Wow, I like it! Thank goodness my granite countertop brainwashing didn't work... Caesarstone is very pretty and contemporary and it's got a cleanliness to it...
The contemporary feel probably comes from the sharp corners. I do agree with you that Caesarstone looks cleaner though. I think it's because the particles in it are smaller, so the overall appearance is more even.
It's also easier to get light colored Caesarstone. Usually affordable granite is darker or has big dark chunks in it. Other than that, I think the look and feel are very similar.
I didn't like sealing my granite every year. Also, it always looked greasy after applying. Sounds like the ceasarstone is a better alternative. G
i think my parents have that exact countertop! my mom decided to go with caesarstone after it passed her #1 criteria-- it had to be hard enough to withstand years of cracking open crab with a mullet. so far so good.
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