Vanity countertop question

[Huskie]

Remodeling our main bathroom, going to replace the 48 in. vanity, have that pretty much picked out, easy. We are having some trouble deciding what type of countertop to finish it with. Any suggetions in terms of cost and maintenance?

[pureinsanity]

Engineered stone could be a good option. scratches and stains can be removed pretty easily. Small fragments of natural stone and bonds them together with a plastic polymer. A disadvantage to engineered stone is that it can be damaged by heat. Placing something hot on it is a bad idea.

Look up Zodiaq and Silestone.

Another option that is similar if not the same is Corian.

[reddog]

go to your local stone yards and ask for a remnant piece of granite or quartz. They usually have leftovers that will easily do a vanity that size.

Obviously, an undermount sink (and polished opening) will be more expensive than a drop in, but either one will work for that vanity..

[Walleye Guy]

Quartz based options like Cambria, Silestone and Zodiaq are very nice. There are also composite materials such as Corian that are good as well. Frankly I prefer the quartz based material. Generally you will pay in the neighborhood of $75/sqaure foot for a completely finished quartz top in that size range.

Going to a granite reseller or a place like Builders material outlet at looking for a remnant piece of granite is also a good recommendation. Keep in mind you will need to have somebody finish the edges and drill your water line holes etc.

[PurpleFloyd]

The first thing that I ask clients when it comes to countertops is what kind of budget they have set.

At the lowest end of the price range is a post formed laminate countertop that you can get at any lumber yard,home center or cabinet showroom. If you go with stock colors from a big chain they can be dirt cheap but you are limited in depths and if you need it cut to length you will need to apply the end caps yourself. Not difficult but it takes a little skill to do well. The newer High Definition laminates are a really good alternative for those who don't want to stick $1000 into their vanity top.

You can get a 48 inch top for under 40 dollars at Menards.

Next you have the cultured marble tops. These were very popular with contractors during the housing boom for low to mid level priced homes because they came with the sink integrated into the top and they were easy to install but we really have sold very few of them as of late.

These will run in the range of 150-300 dollars depending on color and sink options but include the sink in the price.

The next price point is the Acrylic or polyester countertops like Corian, Affinity, EOS, Avonite etc. They run from about 40 dollars a sf up to the range of the stones and quartz tops. I am a certified fabricator and have done lots and lots of these tops including several rooms in our house. When fabricating you can integrate the sink into the top for a seamless appearance and they are a bit more forgiving as far as glasses etc not breaking if you tip them over on the top. That being said they will scratch and they need to be buffed once in a while to bring back the luster they had when they were new.

Next would be Quartz and Stone products. I have sold alot of both types and like everything they all have good and bad points.

Stone- They give the most natural appearance with great depth, clarity and character. Prices are determined by class with class 1 the least and generally class 5 as the most expensive. They are natural and thus they are porous and need to be sealed and maintained over their lifetime. They do have some fab shops that claim to have a lifetime sealant applied but my experience from years of customer feedback is that the stone tops are much much more likely to get stained, show water spots (by far the #1 complaint) and the seams are never, ever as good as the quartz tops.

Quartz- I have had more Cambria quartz tops installed on the cabinets I have built over the last 5 years than any other product. Their fabrication and installation is the best in the business and they are very aggressive in developing new colors and patterns. The down side to quartz that I have seen is things like the resins in some earlier tops(not sure if it is fixed yet) shifting color due to exposure to the sunlight. I have also seen the underside of a quartz top deteriorate in the dishwasher opening from exposure to the steam from the unit. Also, if you crack or take a gouge out of them it is more difficult to repair and only done with an epoxy that never looks right after they are done.

As said above they will start in the $75 sf range and go up from there. You can also find imported chinese Granite for much less and I have a source where I can order pre fabricated granite countertops for as little as 200 dollars plus shipping.

[mabr]

Hey PurpleF,

Have you had much experience with the china product. I used it alot out in Vegas and was very satisfied. It didnt have the finish of alot of the other granite tops but people were willing to sacrifice that for cost savings.

I suggested it to one of my top suppliers but he was dumbfounded and didnt know where to start to find it. I might need to get in contact with you and discuss further.

[PurpleFloyd]

Hey PurpleF,

Have you had much experience with the china product. I used it alot out in Vegas and was very satisfied. It didnt have the finish of alot of the other granite tops but people were willing to sacrifice that for cost savings.

I suggested it to one of my top suppliers but he was dumbfounded and didnt know where to start to find it. I might need to get in contact with you and discuss further.

It's one of those deals where they are built in very limited sizes, thickness and colors and sold on a volume basis to keep the costs low. You need to be satisfied with having the bowl in a specific location and having the bowl size cut at a specific size ( But the sinks I can also get dirt cheap). If you are OK with what they are offering then there really is no difference between them and the custom tops.

I can get Corian tops done the same way. For many people this really is the way to go because it gives a premium product at a reasonable price.

[Tator2k]

This is one if the ideas I had for a spring project as well. I'm planning on a complete remodel for our main bath that was partially completed when we purchased the house 7 years ago.

Do you have any recommendations for the rest of cabinets and tubs?

[delcecchi]

This is one if the ideas I had for a spring project as well. I'm planning on a complete remodel for our main bath that was partially completed when we purchased the house 7 years ago.

Do you have any recommendations for the rest of cabinets and tubs?

Yes, put in the stuff that your wife likes.

[PurpleFloyd]

This is one if the ideas I had for a spring project as well. I'm planning on a complete remodel for our main bath that was partially completed when we purchased the house 7 years ago.

Do you have any recommendations for the rest of cabinets and tubs?

As far as what? What to buy and where etc?

[pureinsanity]

Yes, put in the stuff that your wife likes.

LOL +1

[Tator2k]

I'm looking for places besides the big box stores to look for tubs, cabinets and vanities.

[pureinsanity]

internet. but you won't be able to see them in person.

[panic milt]

I'm looking for places besides the big box stores to look for tubs, cabinets and vanities.

That's a shame, because we found the perfect vanity top at Menard's for around $100 if I remember right. It's a type of silestone that looks like granite, undermount sink is attached. We bought it to fit an antique washstand and it will work perfectly (once we get to that point in the remodel!

[pureinsanity]

menards is the best place to shop. cheapest for almost everything. Some of the cabinetry is top quality too.

[PurpleFloyd]

menards is the best place to shop. cheapest for almost everything. Some of the cabinetry is top quality too.

I would disagree with that statement. And when you have a problem and need technical service then you are out of luck. I have fixed more or their screw up over the year than from any other business in the industry.

[pureinsanity]

I would disagree with that statement. And when you have a problem and need technical service then you are out of luck. I have fixed more or their screw up over the year than from any other business in the industry.

their screw ups? so you mean they are installing the stuff for the people? I'm going through a remodel right now and most stuff has been purchased there. cant say we have had a problem through our remodel

[Barony]

I have a neighbor who has a booth at a swedish box store by MOA that makes counters out of epoxy and busted beer bottles. It's a great product, and ironically, he's 1 mile from Cambria. We have his first kitchen counter made of concrete and brown bottles. He's certainly evolved.

[PurpleFloyd]

Actually the comment was in respect to their design service or lack of one. They don't offer installation like Lowes and home Depot so the installation itself is never the issue. What I was talking about are the phone calls that I have gotten from people for the following reasons-

One couple called me because they were having trouble with getting cabinets to fit like they wanted and it ended up that the designer at M had messed up the dishwasher opening. Instead of just leaving a 24 inch opening the designer drew in a 27 inch wide oven cabinet that did have a 24 inch opening, but the opening fit a built in oven not a DW. So the cabinet got cut apart and the stiles were salvaged to build the opening to 24 inches.

Another couple called me because they got 42 inch tall upper cabinets and they had a soffit which required 30 inch tall cabinets. The soffits ended up coming out.

Another couple wanted cabinets to the ceiling but only got 30 inch tall cabinets. We built 12 inch high cabinet and placed them on top to get the correct height.

Another couple called me to install their cabinets purchased at M and when I laid them out, the cabinets went 6 inches into a door opening. Two cabinets had to be reordered.

Another installation was made interesting by having 2 of the face frames totally detached from the cabinets upon opening the boxes. We glued them back on and clamped them with pipe clamps until dry and then installed.

Most of what is above came down to the fact that they only rely on drawings provided by the customer and they do not go out and measure at the job site to make sure everything fits. They also don't always understand the product lines and the proper applications. Then the client signs off on the design and at that point you are on your own if you have a problem.

For some people who are handy and have the ability to design on their own then it isn't much of a problem. But if you need the experience and expertise then you can be at a disadvantage.

In the end what it boils down to is if you have a problem, do you want to work with someone who will be there to make sure things go right or do you want to accept that responsibility yourself.

[PurpleFloyd]

I have a neighbor who has a booth at a swedish box store by MOA that makes counters out of epoxy and busted beer bottles. It's a great product, and ironically, he's 1 mile from Cambria. We have his first kitchen counter made of concrete and brown bottles. He's certainly evolved.

Shetka stone?

[pureinsanity]

Sounds to me it is all operator error. Even I know if I order something I make sure the measurements are right before placing the order and I measure before I bring them home. I do not think you can fault the big M.

If anything you should blame the home owners who do not know how to operate a tape measure.

If they didn't know what they were doing they should have hired someone to come measure for them or even design it for them.

[PurpleFloyd]

Sounds to me it is all operator error. Even I know if I order something I make sure the measurements are right before placing the order and I measure before I bring them home. I do not think you can fault the big M.

If anything you should blame the home owners who do not know how to operate a tape measure.

If they didn't know what they were doing they should have hired someone to come measure for them or even design it for them.

I am not blaming them, I was pointing out that there are things that they do not so well and that there are times when a more service oriented company would be a better choice. It all comes down to the level of service that you want to provide.

I know that I personally would not feel right if I laid all of the responsibility for the project working out on the customer.

[pureinsanity]

I am not blaming them, I was pointing out that there are things that they do not so well and that there are times when a more service oriented company would be a better choice. It all comes down to the level of service that you want to provide.

I know that I personally would not feel right if I laid all of the responsibility for the project working out on the customer.

I completely agree with your statement! If you do not know what your are doing or have a general idea its a good idea to hire a contractor.

All I simply stated was for getting materials for projects Menards is usually 90% of the time cheaper than Lowes or Home Depot. DIY or hire a contractor is up to the homeowner. I simply stated my opinion for someone who is DIY'er.

[Huskie]

Hey PurpleFloyd: I started this thread and was wondering where in SC Minnesota are you located? Maybe I could have you put something together for us. [email protected] (Huskie)

[pureinsanity]

Well lookie here Now you got a client! Either way huskie be sure to show us how it turns out!