I have to replace my very old tile countertop and wonder if you have any recommendations for me on what to use as a replacement.

I have 6 kids and we use our counters heavily for crafts, company, food, etc. I want to pick something that will last, is not high maintenance, and I don't have to fuss over.

Thanks for any help!

Hi Pam! I had bought some laminate countertops that looked like travertine at Lowes. We got them from the instock shelf at Lowes. There's pictures somewhere on my blog of my kids doing their numerous crafts (paint, gel pens, markers, glue, salt dough, you name it) and it was sooooo easy to clean up. We also got the same stuff with different looks for other parts of the house. There are two different types tht have the look of granite in our kitchen and our master bath. We just remodeled our school room and got some that looks like dark brown crackled leather. Laminate comes in a variety of looks, is inexpensive and is easy to clean!

I would recommend Corrian counters. They are a solid countertop available in many colors. No seems (places for crumbs to accumulate) able to hold up to anything. They don't stain, you can place pans directly on them, cut on them, very easy to clean.

I also have 6 and these are wonderful, we even have them in our RV.

Corian is nice & doesn't stain, but it will scratch at times.

If you want virtually indestructible, go with quartz (this would be like a Silestone brand, for example, I think) or granite. We made the switch to quartz countertops & granite-topped island a few yrs ago & I'd do it over in a heartbeat.

Cost is higher, but durability is higher, too. If you go granite, a remnant can save you 50% if you have some shorter areas of counter.

Poured concrete countertops may be an option, as well. If your hubby is REALLY handy, you may even be able to do it yourself & save on labor costs.

Marble, slate, & soapstone are NOT durable & require a good bit of maintenance.

Hope this helps.

Tracey

Pam,

I would have to agree w/Tracey. I would highly recommend granite, if you can do it (I don't have personal experience w/quartz but should be similar). We recently remodeled our home and used granite. We found Corian to be in the same price range, but were told that it does stain and you can't put hot pans on it. We also thought about cement, but were told that it does require some extra maintenance/sealing to prevent stains. The granite is strong, does not stain, and you can put hot pans on it w/out a problem. I try to use a board when cutting, but often don't and knives have not scratched it yet. I too had tile before and hated it - all the cleaning, chips, things spilling in the grout. It was a lot of time and maintenance. Any solid surface is much easier.

You can get remnants, which are much cheaper but not always feasible for large counters. We actually used two different kinds in our kitchen-a larger pattern for the island and a more solid one for the perimeter. But, most of all - regardless of what type of counter you go with - make the color and pattern a priority. We chose a "busier" granite that hides dirt and anything else in the work areas (so the place looks cleaner than it actually is w/five kids ). Stay away from very dark solids because they are almost impossible to keep clean (they look streaky). Another thing to keep in mind is to get an undermount sink if possible. This makes it much easier to just wipe off all the counters directly into the sink.

Good luck!
--Laura