Granite countertops:are they the norm for kitchens now?

[R.P.McMurphy]

@Green Bean

Mom jeans are still being sold in high numbers, too.Baloney. The details may vary, but it all looks like granite.Okay, not sure what the point of all that was, but I do apologize for making you feel bad about all that money you just spent on brand-new granite countertops.
I don’t know where you’re getting the idea that I don’t like things because they’re popular. I was addressing the OP’s question. He was noting that these shows are touting granite as a standard “upgrade.” I’m pointing out that it may not be such a no-brainer after all. I don’t necessarily dislike granite countertops, but they do look dated to me already.

I’m not sure what your point is but granite makes an excellent countertop even if it is somewhat porous. It still will look better after 20 years than a synthetic surface. Give it it’s due. It lasts, and lasts and lasts. You can’t set a hot pan on it and have a lasting mark. There’s a reason it is used in making gravestones. (Ever seen a Formica gravestone?) Green marble is probably better but not everyone likes green in their decorating scheme. (Green marble is the hardest type of marble.)

Nobody should avoid granite. Yes, it is used to convey more value that the house may actually have but it is an excellent choice for a countertop material If you like Formica or Corian then have at it while you admire the permanent scratches and knife marks. Granite is a superior substance. Marble is very good. Cement can be excellent in the right installation.

[Balthisar]

Baloney. The details may vary, but it all looks like granite.

And all Formica looks like Formica, and all Corian looks like Corian, and all wood looks like wood. What’s your point again?

Okay, not sure what the point of all that was, but I do apologize for making you feel bad about all that money you just spent on brand-new granite countertops.

I don’t feel bad at all, because the little, derisive things you said aren’t applicable to me. If you read with a little less emotion, though, you’d see some analysis in what I wrote, and you might see that I’m not making a blanket endorsement of granite. (Oh, and granite’s dirt cheap considering the overall cost of a new kitchen. My granite was in fact cheaper than Corian and on par with high end laminates. It only seems expensive if you’re unable to afford dirt to begin with.)

I’m pointing out that it may not be such a no-brainer after all. I don’t necessarily dislike granite countertops, but they do look dated to me already.

Actually, the not-being-a-no-brainer was my point. All you said was, “It is… a ‘middle-class McMansion flip-my-house thing.’ Or an ‘I updated my kitchen but wanted the exact same thing as everybody else’ thing. They definitely do not connote ‘high-end.’ Maybe they did at one point, but they don’t now.”

[Green_Bean]

Nobody is denying that it has many practical qualities as a countertop material.

The OP was addressing granite as a style choice.

[3acresandatruck]

@elmwood

“granite countertops are the norm, even in low-end houses.”

So, is that really the case? Are laminate and Corian countertops really considered ghetto now?

Those HGTV schmucks don’t have any idea what a low-end house is. My house is lower than anything you’ll ever see on one of those shows, and it’s a palace compared to some of the other houses I looked at. There’s laminate in my kitchen, and if I re-do the kitchen there will be laminate when I’m done. The only way I get Corian, granite, concrete or anything that’s de rigeur is if I pick it out of the scrap heap somewhere and re-use it.

I’ve had people honestly tell me they’d rather die than live like I do. (I admit, I don’t understand that.) You might consider “ghetto” a step up for me, but I’ve seen the ghetto, and I figure I’m livin’ in style!

@Balthisar

It only seems expensive if you’re unable to afford dirt to begin with.

Dude, have you priced fill dirt lately? I’m not going to be buying dirt anytime soon.

[Squink]

@3acresandatruck

Dude, have you priced fill dirt lately? I’m not going to be buying dirt anytime soon.

Sand is still running 20 bucks a ton at the neighborhood sand and gravel. It works a treat for my overly clayey soil.