damn son, my shit wasn't that old when i bought it. map props for having the OLD shit.

2/16/2009 1:49:50 AM

Quote :

"You gotta remember that Noen is an elitist know-it-all, and once he establishes an opinion based on what someone else has told him, he can never see it another way. He should really consider changing his name to I.K.E. I think what's in those pictures looks damn good."

Look, dipshit. I developed, designed, fabricated and installed concrete countertops. I've seen and worked with damn near every kind of solid surface out there. Have you?

And if you would have paid fucking attention, I've pointed out no less than FIVE alternatives that look damn good as well, on a sliding monetary scale. So roll back in your cave, trollboy

Solinari: yeah man, it looks ugly to me. Your picture illustrates everything I dislike about tiled countertops. You have to edge-band them with wood, or a different composite, which looks cheap and doesn't fit the style of granite (maybe if you used aluminum flashing, that could be an interesting effect). You also end up with weird end pieces (your photo illustrates that as well), and it's really hard to get a good backsplash tile to go with it (again, your picture shows what not to do).

It definitely comes down to personal taste, but to me, having large, relatively seamless slabs is a huge aesthetic draw for countertops.

Quote :

"What about recycled glass? "

Terrazo can be done with epoxy/resins, as well as with cultured marble and concrete. We did a monsterous white concrete + clear recycled glass (all locally sourced) for a local Architect's house. One of the slabs was 900+ lbs

2/16/2009 3:25:48 AM

Quote :

"my last house had granite countertops and i had a guy come in every 3-6-12 mos to reseal it. they looked SWEET, but it didn't seem worth it."

Sealing granite countertops does not need to be done by a professional. Just apply a liberal coat with a cloth, and what is not absorbed by the stone will form a waxy coat on the surface, which you just buff off with a clean cloth. Hydrex impregnating sealer is a good one, and depending on the type of stone, it doesn't need to be done more than twice a year.

Darker granites are, in general, more dense / less porous and require less frequent sealing. Some granites may never need to be sealed.....a stone called 'Absolute Black' for example, which is fairly common in bars at high end restaurants will likely not absorb the sealer throughout it's life, due to the makeup of the stone.

Granite tile countertops will certainly be much cheaper, but you have to deal with cleaning the grout regularly.

2/16/2009 9:22:02 AM

I never knew that countertops could be such a politically charged discussion. Wow...

[Edited on February 16, 2009 at 1:39 PM. Reason : I guess some people will argue about anything, lol]

2/16/2009 1:38:45 PM

I second Meld, if you go with concrete.

2/16/2009 1:43:16 PM