Alternatives to Granite Countertops, Part II
Still looking for a new kind of countertop? Try sodalite, zinc, limestone, onyx and more
Though there's absolutely nothing wrong with granite as a counter surface. It does its job well and looks great for years. However, its increasing popularity has a lot of people looking for something else.
Here are 12 more examples of that something else. Most counter fabricators will work with any natural stone, quartz composite or solid surface material there is so it's just a matter of looking a little harder when you're in the market for counter surfaces.
There is no such thing as a perfect counter material, everything on the market today has its plusses and minuses. The key is to learn about the strengths and weaknesses of each material and then find the one that will work best for you.
Here are 12 more examples of that something else. Most counter fabricators will work with any natural stone, quartz composite or solid surface material there is so it's just a matter of looking a little harder when you're in the market for counter surfaces.
There is no such thing as a perfect counter material, everything on the market today has its plusses and minuses. The key is to learn about the strengths and weaknesses of each material and then find the one that will work best for you.
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| At first glance these counters look like they've been splashed with fluorescent paint, but they're a natural stone called sodalite. It's often sold as a granite but it's a different mineral all together. Sodalite's not as strong as a true granite but its arresting color more than compensates for that lessened strength. |
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| The beautiful counters shown here are zinc. Zinc is a counter material that's been used for centuries and and it's made the same way today as it always has been. Sheets of zinc are hammered and fit over a wood form. The resulting counter is naturally anti-bacterial, resilient and develops a warm, soft grey patina. Its patina is what's known as a living finish. That means that it will continue to evolve and change over time. |
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| This is a counter with a waterfall counter made from Corian, a brand of solid surface material. Here it's been polished to a high sheen here and looks nothing like what most people think of when they think of Corian. |
The waterfall counter in the foreground is made from a natural limestone usually called Indus Gold. Limestone shares a lot of the finicky characteristics of marble, so if you're concerned about marble's patina, don't consider limestone.
However, if you like the idea of a stone that will show its age, limestone's a terrific option.
However, if you like the idea of a stone that will show its age, limestone's a terrific option.
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| The counters shown here are terrazzo, a form of concrete. Terrazzo is made from a concrete base with decorative aggregates added to the mix. After the mix cures, it's polished to a high sheen with a grinding wheel. The polishing is what makes terrazzo. Terrazzo's been used as a flooring material for the last 100 or so years; its leap up onto the counters is still relatively new. |
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This counter is made from a mineral sold as onyx. Technically, this dimensional onyx is a mineral called banded calcite and it has a different chemistry from the onyx used for jewelry and inlay work. It's every bit as beautiful as true onyx even though it's made from the same mineral travertine is. It's less resilient, softer and more stain-prone than granite, but it has a depth and movement that no other dimensional stone can touch.
Whether you call it onyx or banded calcite, it's a definite show-stopper.
Whether you call it onyx or banded calcite, it's a definite show-stopper.
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Sometimes, a run-of-the-mill granite with a finish other than a high sheen can make it look altogether new and unusual.
The counter shown here is Absolute Black granite with a honed finish. Honed is countertop-speak for matte. Honed finishes on granite make them easier to keep looking clean, and they demand less attention than their shiny cousins.
The counter shown here is Absolute Black granite with a honed finish. Honed is countertop-speak for matte. Honed finishes on granite make them easier to keep looking clean, and they demand less attention than their shiny cousins.
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This brilliant counter is made from maple butcher block that's been stained violet. It demonstrates beautifully that wood counters can be just about any color you'd like them to be.
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| This distinctive counter is made from forged and hammered copper. Like the zinc counter in this ideabook, it's made from sheets of metal fitted over a wooden form. Like zinc, too, it's a naturally antibacterial surface with a patina that will change and grow richer over time. |
The counter shown here is made from Formica brand laminate, that unfairly maligned material. Formica brand laminate has been been a popular counter material for the hundred or so years since its invention for a very good reason. It's resilient, heat-resistant, easy to clean and a lot less expensive than many of the options available today.
A lot of people dismiss it unfairly, but this designer suggests that it's worth exploring. It has some patterns and textures that are surprisingly beautiful.
A lot of people dismiss it unfairly, but this designer suggests that it's worth exploring. It has some patterns and textures that are surprisingly beautiful.
The counters shown here are glazed stone. Glazed basalt to be precise. they are made from a company in France called Pyrolave, and the color palette they have available is truly unlimited. These counters are about as good as it gets, and they are priced accordingly.
Pyrolave counters have all the strength of granite without any of the sealing worries yet they have the appearance of glazed pottery.
Pyrolave counters have all the strength of granite without any of the sealing worries yet they have the appearance of glazed pottery.
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This is another concrete material made by a company in New York called IceStone. IceStone counters use a combination cement and recycled glass to make what is the one of the most sustainable surfaces on the market. IceStone looks very much like the terrazzo shown in this ideabook but the use of recycled glass gives it a sparkling liveliness all its own.
More: 10 More Alternatives to Granite Countertops.
Are you ready to look at something other than granite? Or does a granite countertop still work best for you?
More: 10 More Alternatives to Granite Countertops.
Are you ready to look at something other than granite? Or does a granite countertop still work best for you?
Ideabook updated on Sept. 10, 2012.
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Question: I visited someone with hammered copper counters once, and the one thing I did not like about it was the way the owner had wiped them with a sponge and you could see all the little water droplet stains all over it - is there a good way to keep the metal counters wiped clean?
and hugely popular these days and almost demand the same resale that granite
does.
I am considering using it for our new home.
Quartz composites are a great counter surface and a couple of the manufacturers, Silestone and Caesarstone come to mind immediately) are starting to release materials with honed, embossed and textures finishes. They are a product category well worth investigating.
Kandy: The mineral oil used with soapstone is optional and with time, it oxidizes into a patina that no longer needs to have oil applied to it. I am unfamiliar with any waxes that function as an alternative to mineral oil. Do you have a link?
Joana: That matte finish is somewhat leather-like. I like how it has a warm appearance, especially when it's left with its un-oiled, matte finish. It too is a great surface and it's far more resilient than a lot of people realize.
A mixture of walnut oil and carnuba wax is used for soapstone countertops. It lasts much longer than an application of mineral oil alone. Try this link: http://phillysoapstone.com/enhancer.htm
Scorwin: This was a part two and I covered soapstone in the first Alternatives to Granite IdeaBook a few weeks ago. There's a link to it above.
Jen: Thanks for the link!
dalefluri: It sounds like you had your granite sealed with a nano sealer. They are worth every penny!
Mhabres: Pyrolave is an amazing surface. It's expensive but there's nothing else like it.
Suz: I am in Florida and have a raft of trouble finding it here. It's a pretty traditional counter material so a quick Google search using terms like "Zinc+countertop+New England with bring you a raft of results.
Boula1: Yes, it is sold in the United States but as an import from France. So far as I know, no one in the US inventories it.
I think it might be just what I am looking for.
Joanavalyn your kitchen sounds gorgeous!!!!
Scorwin your countertop is beautiful!
Now if I could just decide what to put on my island :)
Kandy: I'm glad you got the responses you were looking for. I shouldn't be, but I'm always amazed at the generosity of the Houzz community. Now about that island...
Zone9alady: I'm in ag zone 9b, we're practically neighbors! That glazed basalt is one of the most distinctive counters available.
Dido on the thinkglass.. it is amazing.
ckb0118: I have never seen or hear of soapstone cracking from drying out. That's one of the reasons it's so often used in fireboxes and wood stoves, it's doesn't crack. Can you please elaborate?
Great article, it's great to think outside of the granite box. :)
Some fabricators do warranty the stone, so be sure to check.
Also just to clarify a comment above, soapstone does not "dry out and crack" with lack of oil. Using mineral oil on soapstone is a cosmetic preference, it's not a must.
Radon is a naturally-occurring byproduct that comes from the uranium that's scattered widely throughout the earth. Anything that's made from or spent any time in or on the ground has uranium in it, naturally. This means that things like granite and any stone, cinder blocks, drywall, brick, pottery and even things like potatoes have uranium in them and that uranium got there naturally.
Uranium degrades over time and one of the products of that degradation is a radioactive gas called radon. Radon is another substance that's widely occurring and a natural part of living on the earth. Radon also has the potential to cause harm if it's allowed to accumulate. For most people, this accumulation can only happen in a basement where there's a low rate of air exchange. But you can have accumulating radon in a basement whether or not there are any granite counters down there. That radon got there as it leached from the surrounding soil.
If you use granite as a counter material and if that granite has enough uranium in it to emit radon, that radon can't accumulate in areas where the air's disturbed. Just as uranium breaks down into radon, so radon breaks down into four other elements and radon doesn't stay radon for very long. By the time radon shows up in an an area like a kitchen, it starts to break down immediately and that breakdown combined with the air exchange prevents it from accumulating.
Keeping your home and your life free from radiation is impossible. That word, radiation, frightens a lot of people and it does so needlessly. You're surrounded by naturally-occurring radiation constantly and your body has mechanisms in place to deal with it. The problem, when there is a problem, come in when your exposure levels exceed the threshold where your body can't deal with it any more. Having granite counters in your home gets you no where near that threshold.
Granite counters pose no threat and whether or not to use them should be an aesthetic call not one based on fear and dubious science.
Does that make sense?
Thanks
Bear in mind that marble is unsealed and has been in constant use for a very long time. It will remain in use for a long time to come.
No one will ever mistake it for a solid surface counter but it has a warmth and a beauty all its own. It's marble's flaws and the patina it develops over time that make it beautiful.
You can bleach marble counters but it's not a very good idea. Liquid chlorine bleach shouldn't be used on anything that's made from calcium and marble's a calcium-based stone. So for that matter is concrete and terrazzo. It will work but it will shorten the lifespan of whatever's being bleached. I suppose that's only important if you want something around for a couple of hundred years though. :)
Never heard of the zinc, though. That sounds interesting. Would love to see it.
Good article!
http://www.web-don.com/news/geos-recycled-glass-countertops/