I keep seeing granite countertops listed on real-estate listings, home improvement/remodeling project ads, etc. Why is this particular amenity so popular and considered such a plus? What are the alternatives and why are they inferior (at least, inferior enough not to be explicitly mentioned like granite countertops are)?
In: Engineering
In general, it’s a trend. Every generation has a kitchen trend and our generation is open floor concept and granite countertops.
However, stone countertops do have a practical reason for it’s popularity, which is it’s durability, and longetivity compared to older trends like wood, tile or god forbid, Formica.
Granite’s popularity stems from it’s early use to add some dramatic and interesting flair to the kitchen. Because of how granite is formed, it’s color, pattern and detail is basically always unique per stone. How it’s cut also determines what pattern faces the top. Uniqueness makes things valuable and interesting. Same goes for marble, but be warned, marble is a bitch to maintain.
As the trickle down effect goes, the mark of a modern kitchen came to be symbolized by a stone countertop.
Since there is a lot of money to be made by selling such a symbol, cheaper alternatives were created like engineered quartz etc. where it’s a man made stone. As part of the engineering, they added elements that made it more durable and strong. And then there’s those wannabe stones where it’s some colored epoxy on wood or plastic, which should be avoided…
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