Hello everyone! I recently purchased a home and would like to update the horendous laminate everything kitchen. I have medium oak cabinets and am going with a hardwood floor. I don't really have a large budget but would really love stone countertops... any money saving tips to achieve my dream??? Any and all tips would be much appreciated!
If you want to save money you can go to stone places and buy remnants if they have pieces large enough or if your kitchen isn't that big then that might work.
My kitchen is tiny and I was quoted 3k to have granite slab installed in my kitchen I can afford it but I don't want to invest 3k in countertops so we are going with the quartz or granite tiles which will cost us 300.00 to do as opposed to the 3k
There are some new - really beautiful laminate countertops -- try looking at the honed finish by Formica -- we have the labrador granite and it is beautiful and 1/3 the cost of stone. Check it out.
Ok, so $300- vs $3000-. Yes, there is a difference. 1/2" stone vs. (hopefully) 1.25" stone. If $3k was for a 'turn-key' completed job, but the $300- was 'just' for tile material ... it's not a fair comparison. Does the $300- include the substraight, edge material and setting material? What about labor? Gotta do apple for apple.
As far as laminate and what your guests will like. It's not about your guests. It's about you, your desires, needs and budget. No one else.
Whatever direction you're going ... pay only for what you're invest in. My $0.02, make an educated decision based on facts.
Jerry Hankins, Ckd ______________________ Hankins & Associates, Inc. Kitchens and Baths of Distinction www.i-kb.com
Posts: 291 | Location: Bucks County, PA | Registered: Jan 18, 2008
Originally posted by azstoneconsulting: Remember that you GET what you PAY FOR...
so proceed carefully - a $3000 countertop for $300???
IF it sounds TOO good to be True..It usually is.
Keep looking - maybe you'll find a "deal"
That 300.00 is doing the installation ourselves (we've done it before) I have no clue how much it would be to have someone do it for you. My best friend had granite slabs put in her kitchen and the weight of them ended up causing problems (she had a really old house) we plan on using quartz tiles (which are the same price as the granite tiles) and we plan on putting the tiles very close together to eliminate wide grout lines.
The 300.00 includes all the materials with us doing the labor we didn't have a need to get a quote for labor as we know how to do it ourselves.
As for laminate I looked at some that look like stone and I wasn't prepared to pay what they wanted to install it, no way, it is cheaper for us to do granite or quartz tiles laminate was more expensive then going the stone tiles route.
I am glad you clarified the labor/DIY factor there on the low cost of $300...
The quartz tiles should provide you with many years of great service, as they will really take a beating and still look great..
YES - keep the joints as tight as you can, and THIS IS IMPORTANT..... DEFINATELY check with the manufacturer of the tiles as to what kind of setting material and joint filler will work best (chemically) with the tiles, and what THEY suggest. Don't rely on some big box person that "thinks" they know... Find out from the actual manufacturer or the distributor that is selling you the tile.
(I say this, because many of the Engineered Stone products use a POLYESTER resin matrix to bind the product togerther, and a lot of DIY folks will use epoxy to bond and to grout - which usually will not work real good, as polyesters and epoxies don't normally like to bond to each other...)
Just make sure you are using the right stuff to set and grout with, so you don't have to do the whole thing twice...
Good Luck to You
kevin
Kevin M. Padden Fabricator, Trainer & Consultant to the Natural Stone Industry
Thanks for that info Kevin, we had read a while back about using the epoxy some people liked it better but weren't sure if we should go that route or not! Good tips for us to keep in mind from you!
I DIY'd our countertops with 14" porcelain tile (Empire green by Crossville) and we LOVE it. The grout lines are few and miniscule and level with the tile surface, so crumbs don't get stuck in cracks. I had never even seen a wet saw before, let alone installed a tile, but it turned out well. Be sure to use rectified tile (baked first, then cut so all tiles are exactly the same size and shape). Porcelain is impervious to stains, hot pans right off the stove, and sharp knives and comes in a variety of colors and patterns. It does not look cheap, but costs a lot less than slabs or even granite tile.
meems, I don't know what your budget is, but after pricing Corian and other brands of this type I found that the beautiful look of real granite can be cheaper than the synthetic acrylic products. Visit big granite warehouses where you can view each slab. I've gotten pricing that is $1000 LESS than Corian or HiMacs, and $600 LESS than Staron. Care may still be an issue (as in which one is easier and less problematic ), but pricing may not be. Also, some places run promos on certain granites. A kitchen designer I've been working with has a lovely granite available for $40 sq ft. If this is still too high, as others suggested a granite tile might do the trick.
), but pricing may not be. Also, some places run promos on certain granites. A kitchen designer I've been working with has a lovely granite available for $40 sq ft. If this is still too high, as others suggested a granite tile might do the trick.
