I had a friend use it for her countertop and backsplash - she's thrilled with it, looks good (assuming you want a more speckled style of granite, as opposed to one with movement) and didn't break the bank (too much). I don't believe that they were able to go over the existing countertop, but rather built a plywood base. She said that she would recommend it to others.

My neighbor has had it installed for about 2 years. It seems to have held up well and it was installed within one day over the existing countertop. (IIRC she had to put in a new cooktop because of the height differential, but she may have just wanted a new cooktop.) She thinks it was relatively inexpensive but, in reading between the lines (we don't exchange dollar figures) I'm not so sure. IMO it looks very fake -- a bad cross between a quartzite and a granite -- but to each their own.

Blue

I've heard the Granite Transformations is very sturdy; however if you're considering it to save on cost, you may want to check to see if there really is a real savings over the real granite. In my area granite has become so reasonably priced. In fact the quotes I got from two stoneyards for real granite was better than the best quote I got from Granite Transformations.

Also, if you're picky like me, you may not like the seams in the Granite Transformations which are visible along any edge... for anyone with good eyes. I mean every edge or right angle in the Granite Transformation is glued together, which to me, makes it look very fake. The salesman said most people don't notice it, but the fact that I could see it bothered me. My 2 cents.

go to ikeafans.com and go to the kitchen planning forum. Search for granite transformations -- seems to me someone did it and did not have a good experience -- perhaps others as well.

Thanks everyone. You addressed my concerns. I was wondering if it looked fake. I am also pretty particular and KNOW my eyes would be focused on the seam lines. I had a couple of people come out to give me estimates on granite, so I think that is the way I am going to go with our counters. I have white Corian now, but want something with more life, color and movement. Thanks for guiding me in the right direction. Decisions, decisions...

Gosh, now I need to go back and look at my friend's countertop more closely. I really don't remember seeing any odd looking seams, but I do remember her marked up, sad looking corian that was there before!

She also said that it was more stain resistant, like a quartz, never requiring sealing (and no worries about messy cooks, rings from wine glasses etc)

When I stopped by a granite transformations store, I remembering thinking that it was not that much less than my granite choice (and I managed to chose a pricey granite)

The only real advantage it has is that if you don't want to tear your kitchen up, it goes down fast and can look a lot better than cracked tile and/or damaged laminate.

Still, I thought it looked like fake glossy plastic - but I'm a matte-finish Swanstone granite-look owner. Our friends needed something really quick and easy, as they were selling and moving out in a hurry. So the GT worked for them: it was definitely an improvement over what was there originally.

I could definitely see using it if need to sell quickly and you needed an easier option. The price is not drastically different than granite. If the price was half that of granite it might be tempting, but I WAS surprised that there was not a huge difference in price. I guess you are paying for the convenience of no demolition.

We put in Granite Transformations counters last summer, after debating laminate, solid surface and real granite. The factors that tipped us in favor of GT were the fact that we wouldn't have to take off the existing countertops, a 10 year tranferable guarantee (how long is granite guaranteed???), and the fact that you can't scratch, burn or stain it.

Other posters are correct, it doesn't look like real granite, but that wasn't a big deal for us. We got crushed quartz with a few sparkly chips here and there. It looks like it's as thick as granite when it's really only 1/8" thick.

I found the seams to be much less noticeable than granite - much thinner. They can't do a curved edge but can do an angle on most types. A big plus is that you can do an undermount sink.

We were very pleased with how fast it went in - measure one day, install in less than a day a week later. Overall a positive experience and a great look.

We have now added Granite Transformation to three homes. We first learned about it at a home show. We love it for three good reasons: 1) it is easy to install with little to no mess, 2) it is nearly indestructible, so it is easy to care for, 3) the price is reasonable compared to other granite possibilities. Personally, we love the look. Everyone that has visited our homes has ask about what is that on your counters? They loved it, too!

I think you have to choose your product selection wisely. The quartz and recycled glass look pretty authentic. I would agree that the granite selections look fake. I've had the recycled glass counters in two different laundry rooms -- and they have looked and performed very well.

I looked at Granite Transformation a couple years ago while updating my kitchen. I was very impressed with their counters but for me it came down to price, and they weren't cheap, so I just paid a little more and got the real deal. If you want thick counters, like 4", then this would be a good choice.

We have them, they look great and we are 7 years in with no issues.

I know a couple of people with them and they think they're great. However, I think they look not good with that big thick profile. It looks like someone came in and covered up the old counter, rather than installing a proper one.

Thats what I like about it was the grounding nature of the thick profile - to each their own right!

But how high is your countertop now?

Its not any higher...well maybe 1/8 inch - its the sides where I had them add the scale/weight/look...it really ground the room and it makes for a substantial feel

.

This stuff is quartz, not granite, and it most certainly can be scratched, burned, and stained.

I just saw an advertisement for Ceasarstone Quartz Transformations. Must be a good market for fit over countertops with Ceaserstone now getting into the act.