Do dark countertops fade?

16 years ago

Forgive me if this has been discussed before...

I am looking at different options for new countertops and have narrowed it down to quartz and laminate(!) Going with laminate would alllow me to do more with the kitchen (ie. new appliances sooner) and part of me thinks it's crazy for us to spend nearly $5K on countertops if we go with quartz (although I really love the look of quartz).

We currently have white laminate countertops. Our kitchen has two large windows above the sink so we get a lot of natural light, plus that side of the house faces west, so come late afternoon, especially in the summer, it is really bright. My DH loves having all the windows open so the light comes in (even when it is 90 degrees out) and he does not want a window treatment to filter any of the light, although we do have wood blinds up.

I have only had light countertops so I have no experience with dark ones. We keep debating on keeping them light or going really dark like black/charcoal (our cabinets are dark brown cherry).

When I did a quick google search a couple of sites said that quartz can fade over time b/c of the resins in it. I could not find anything about laminate but I am assuming it would also since it is a paper-product.

Does anyone have experience with their countertops fading?

Thanks!

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Comments (4)

formerlyflorantha
16 years ago
If my bathroom "raisin" red-brown nearly solid color Formica countertop has faded in 35 years, I haven't noticed.
chocolatebunny
Original Author
16 years ago
Florantha -- is the countertop in direct sunlight? That is what my biggest fear is.
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plllog
16 years ago
The resins in quartz can yellow badly in the sun, as you said. It's much less noticeable on dark colors.

Which laminates were you looking at? Standard Formica is plastic. I've heard of really old white laminate yellowing, but not dark laminate fading. Laminate was never that popular in my part of the country, however, so I don't have much personal experience with it.

If you're looking at a real paper product, like Paperstone, unfortunately there hasn't been enough time in place to know for sure. The recycled products also use resins for binders (or concrete for terrazzos), and have pigments in them for color, so I'd guess they'd be more prone to fading than plastics.
chocolatebunny
Original Author
16 years ago
I was looking at WilsonArt Rustic Slate and Formica Basalt Slate, both of which are quite dark. However, I just discovered that Nemavar has the Greenguard certification for indoor air quality (low VOC admissions) so I just ordered some samples from them called VOUS Metal (reminds me of the Basalt slate), Veta shadows, black lodestone and a few others - they are all blackish/dark grey.

My current laminate, which is white w/some grey flecks has been here 12 years and has not yellowed at all. I don't know what brand it is.

I actually just got an email back from the company I am probably going to get my countertops from and he said that quartz may fade slightly, but usually only if it is in direct sunlight, like on an outdoor grill area. He said it should not be a problem in my kitchen.

It also looks like the lighter colors have more of a chance of fading than the darker colors (I thought the opposite would be true).

I think I answered my own question. :)