Around for awhile but picking up steam in recent years, the newer and better look of engineered stone products are making waves in the countertop world. Many designers and homeowners are saying out with granite, and in with engineered stone...
It seems everywhere we look in Austin, engineered stone countertops are all the rage. In fact, there are at least a few buses here in the city with giant full-side Silestone advertisements. Made mostly of real stone, like quartz, engineered stone is a composite product more durable than its completely natural stone counterpart.
Resistant to heat, stains, scratches and wear it’s also easy to maintain. While it might not look as stone-like as actual stone, it comes in a ton of colors to coordinate with traditional homes or more modern rooms. And, priced at $45-$125 per square foot installed, it can fit into most anyone’s budget. Silestone, Ceasarstone, Dupont’s Zodiac, Cambria and Okite are some of the bigger brands selling engineered stone, and prices as well as available colors differ from company to company.
What are your thoughts on engineered stone? Have you used this product in the past? Share your opinions!
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Comments (9)
we just had our silestone countertops installed... couldn't be happier. we like the terrazzo-like look
We have Silestone (Stellar Snow) as well and I'm very happy with them. They are beautiful and also a bit green which is another nice aspect.
i just had silestone grey expo installed it it looks just like polished concrete. gorgeous.
i think theyre gorgeous. much prettier than granite, which i've never been a fan of.
We fell in love with Silestone's Stellar Snow counter top but couldn't fit it into our budget.
We compromised and instead used Silestone Stellar Snow 24"x24" tiles finished off with Schluter brushed aluminum trim (see link below). Since Stellar Snow has flecks of silver in it, it looks fabulous and cost us $11 a sq. ft. (last year) instead of a whopping $79 a sq. ft.!
I recommend that as an option to all budget-conscious Silestone lovers!
http://www.schluter.com/
My kitchen is scheduled for an overhaul in about 18 months (assuming the economy improves). I've been eyeballing this stuff for a couple of years. I hate granite.
I'm planning an overhaul for my kitchen on the same schedule as kimg and have been planning to use engineered stone.
I have zodiaq installed in my kitchen.
http://baltimorerowhouse.blogspot.com/2008/02/under-cabinet-lights-crown-molding.html
I went with quartz because it is lower maintenance, more durability, and looked close to the "concrete" look I was looking for.
I recently upgraded to Silestone countertops in white zeus and am amazed at the transformation. My kitchen is so gorgeous and modern that I can't understand why I didn't do it sooner. Granite...bleech.