Granite still popular, recycled glass counters gaining ground
Scratched, dented and stained countertops can make the whole kitchen look old and shabby. For a relatively small investment, aged laminate can be replaced with a quality stone countertop that will look great, add value to the home and last a lifetime.
Granite remains the material of choice for countertops, and prices are dropping. However, there is plenty of competition, whether the question is cost, color or environmental impact. A variety of recycled glass, concrete and rock surfaces are selling fast as eco-conscious consumers try to use fewer resources. Other options include ceramic tile, butcher block wood, marble, stainless steel and concrete. However, soapstone is perhaps the hottest trend in kitchen counters. The dark rock doesn’t have the color range of granite, but it brings its advantages.
Soapstone, a metamorphic rock also called steatite, is less porous and more stain-resistant than granite or marble. The rock is unlikely to scratch and is resistant to chemicals and bacteria, making it popular for laboratory surfaces.
M. Teixeira Soapstone imports soapstone from India and Brazil, where soapstone was used to coat the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro. The company recently opened a Denver store that offers custom installations and sales of counters, sinks and wood burning stoves throughout the state.
Soapstone typically comes in shades of grey, but will become darker with repeated application of mineral oil. This extra maintenance work is worth the effort for homeowners who want a different look, said Art Fast, owner of Lakewood’s Kitchen Masters.
“Soapstone seems to be catching fire,” Fast said. “I think people are just tired of seeing granite.”
Still, granite remains a very popular countertop surface, and prices continue to drop, said Pam Cunningham, designer and showroom manager at Kitchen Masters.
“It’s pretty indestructible and everyone wants it,” she said. “It’s gone down in price to where most people who want it can afford it now.”
Kitchen Masters sells granite kitchen countertops starting at $55 per square foot. Colorado consumers can also save transport costs and support local industry when buying granite. Golden’s Resolution Surfaces and other local companies sell top-quality granite quarried in Colorado.
Another way to reduce the environmental impact of a countertop is to buy recycled. Kitchen Masters’ newest countertop product is icestone, a smooth composite stone surface made with recycled glass and concrete.
Granite Transformations, an international company with an Arvada showroom, encourages two kinds of recycling. The company’s newest Trend Glass products are made with post-consumer recycled glass mixed with quartz and stone and finished with a diamond-polished surface. Further, the countertop can be adhered to existing counters or to a plywood subsurface on new cabinet projects.
The same goes for the engineered granite and mosaic countertops at Granite Transformations. The existing counters are simply covered, so homeowners don’t have to work around a kitchen construction zone. Most Granite Transformations jobs can be finished in a day with minimal demolition or dust.
Office manager Cindy Daisley said she has yet to encounter a surface that can’t be upgraded with the firm’s engineered stone and glass products. The firm’s most popular line is Trend Stone, which is 95 percent granite, quartz and other stone, mixed with a polymer designed to add strength and durability and provide a permanent seal.
The company’s prices are comparable to other engineered stone surfaces, with a typical job ranging from $3,500 to $8,000 depending on the size of the job and options, Daisley said.
Steve Graham is a Fort Collins-based freelance writer.
Photo provided by M. Teixeira Soapstone
