Barndominium/Shop or "real" House?

[ETD66SS]

So if I go with granite I have to raise my existing kitchen countertop wall 1/2". Maybe I just plan on doing that with a plywood spacer.

How does the granite attach to the wood? Just adheasive?

 

[civilian]

Our laminate has glued on rolled edges to soften the corners. Back sides have flat glued on laminate. (Because we haven't done backsplashes yet and I wanted the back sides sealed.) These countertops were purchased through the local builder and their local contractor/supplier.

On the non standard depth for 2 standard cabinets back to back. What about the back side of the cabinets as an overhang for stools? Or how about shelves for cookbooks, etc? We did a little cubby for them.

Jon

 

[ETD66SS]

Our laminate has glued on rolled edges to soften the corners. Back sides have flat glued on laminate. (Because we haven't done backsplashes yet and I wanted the back sides sealed.) These countertops were purchased through the local builder and their local contractor/supplier.

On the non standard depth for 2 standard cabinets back to back. What about the back side of the cabinets as an overhang for stools? Or how about shelves for cookbooks, etc? We did a little cubby for them. View attachment 3903675View attachment 3903675 Jon

Yeah, I was thinking of just leaving a large overhang there between the cabinets. Shelves might be a pretty good idea.

 

[EddieWalker]

So if I go with granite I have to raise my existing kitchen countertop wall 1/2". Maybe I just plan on doing that with a plywood spacer.

How does the granite attach to the wood? Just adheasive?

Most of the Granite I’ve seen installed is done with Bondo to hold it in places. They will also use a bunch of wood shims because their degree of flat and level is always more than what the cabinets are. I’ve seen a few other adhesives used for small counters that are like Lexel from a caulking gun too

 

[LouNY]

I am not a fan of granite, it is a porous surface that can and likely will stain regardless of the sealers or mineral oil applied. The Quarz or Corian type materials are much more imperious to stains being absorbed.
My Island top and counter tops are Epoxy Pours they are attractive but a long ways from durable.

My Island is a free standing Island made from two cabinets fastened together, and I added a piece of furniture grade plywood to the back side as reinforcement, it has enough overhang on both ends and the backside to be a seating area, it is actually my kitchen table.

The tops are doubled up 5/8" particle board so an 1 1/4" thick.

 

[WM75Guy]

If you want granite, shop different vendors. We have 135 square feet of granite in our kitchen. We built in 2009. So far no issues with stains or cracks, I haven't done anything to it.. At the time we had a choice between contractor granite at $40/sqft or custom granite at $80/sqft. The big difference was you didn't have to buy the full 6'X8' sheet with the contractor colors, it was more neutral so they could a partial sheet for another job. Custom granite we had to buy the full sheet. It took 6 custom sheets for our kitchen. We were still waiting for some appliances and the vent hood to be installed.

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

I am not a fan of granite, it is a porous surface that can and likely will stain regardless of the sealers or mineral oil applied.

This has not been my experience at all. I have had it in my house for a little over a year and a half with no stains whatsoever. My sister has had hers for 15 years with no sealer, other than what was put on it when it was installed and hers looks like the day she got it as well. She also raised 3 kids using that as the main eating and project area for them.

We were warned by every countertop manufacturer that quartz stains more than granite. They all said quartz is a really good, hard surface. But if you are going to actually use a kitchen to cook and get dirty that granite would be a better choice. They said the same thing about quartzite, which is a natural stone that is typically the lighter "granite".

My mom has Corian in her kitchen. It has also held up well but is a little scratched up. It can be re-surfaced though.

 

[LouNY]

Not what I've heard when I was shopping, but I'm not an expert.

 

[WinterDeere]

We have a square mile of granite in our kitchen, all installed 1995, so 30 years old this year. It's as fresh as the day it was installed, and my family do NOT take good care of it at all. I don't understand anyone claiming granite is delicate.

That said, it would not be my first choice, either. We inherited it with the house, and the look is a bit dated. I'd have preferred something more interesting, either soapstone or quartz, but the kitchen is too heavily used right now to even consider redoing it. Maybe when the kids go off to college, it'll get some attention.

 

[ning]

We have granite, installed in 2000. We're very active cooks, and three kids learned to cook well here, including hot cast iron going directly to the counter. Still looks perfect and it's exactly what I'd use if I did another kitchen today (big fan of "uba tuba" granite).