Granite vs Formica

Leahh

Tue, Oct 22 2013, 2:03 pm

what are the pros and cons of each? Has anyone had both? which would you recommend and why?

FranticFrummie

Tue, Oct 22 2013, 2:26 pm

How much is your house worth? If you have a lower middle class house, formica is probably the way to go.

If your house has a high resale value, or is in an upscale neighborhood, then I would only use granite.

Granite will greatly increase the resale value, formica will not. Granite is gorgeous, can be kashered for Pesach, and comes in many colors. It will also cost you an arm and a leg.

Formica can be installed quickly and easily, comes in a million and one colors, and can be installed over the existing formica, so you don't have to replace the whole countertop. It's a great quick fix if you just want to update the colors in your kitchen and you're on a tight budget.

Formica can get scratched easily, and you can't repair it. Granite is very tough, and any problems can be sanded out and resealed.

A third option is Corian. Also insanely expensive, but beautiful and highly prized in remodeled kitchens. Worth looking into if you want to add resale value.

Hope that helps!

(retired interior designer) Very Happy

mommyofnineka

Tue, Oct 22 2013, 2:36 pm

The first kitchen we did we used granite. It was very expensive. In the end, I don't think it was worth it because we don't kasher our counters for Pesach, we cover them. On the plus, you can put boiling hot pots and pans directly on them and cut on them with a knife.
In our second house, we used formica because it was so much cheaper. We had a lot of problems with water damage - even just from drying dishes on them! The company came back and replaced them 3 times within the first year.
In our most recent kitchen, we put in Caesarstone (which is also much cheaper than granite and comes in tons of colors). It is definitely more durable from the formica and so far I like it. The biggest downside is that I can't put hot pots directly on it or it will supposedly melt.

Leahh

Tue, Oct 22 2013, 2:45 pm

Thank you
Its for a new kitchen, not just upgrading.
I forgot about caesarstone. anyone else with experience with it?

saw50st8

Tue, Oct 22 2013, 2:59 pm

Low end granite is not much more than formica. Formica has gotten kind of pricey!

tizunabi

Tue, Oct 22 2013, 3:03 pm

we have caesastone and it looks nice but I much prefer the granite we had at our old place.
I hate not being able to put things down on it directly...

aleza

Tue, Oct 22 2013, 4:15 pm

Can you put hot things down on Corian?

doctorima

Tue, Oct 22 2013, 4:55 pm

If you can afford it, granite is definitely the way to go!

red sea

Tue, Oct 22 2013, 5:50 pm

Caeserstone can cost more than granite.

Cons of granite - you cant put hot glass down directly on it. If you drop a plate or bowl it can break.

Pros - easy to clean up, can use undermount sink, looks good, increases value of home by at least how much you paid for it.

Formica - a good custom ordered over solid wood piece is not the same as ready made or pressed wood under it - those do much worse for water damage.

Pros - can take a lot of abuse except for water especially in not solid light colors.

Cons - doesn't have the look of stone. Water.

You can't use a knife directly on either material, one kills the knife the other kills the counter.

FYI- each granite is very different in cost. There are the least expensive colors and the price can go way high for others

srbmom

Tue, Oct 22 2013, 5:54 pm

also look into quartz

Leahh

Wed, Oct 23 2013, 5:37 pm

Thanks everyone