When we moved into this house, there was so much updating that needed to be done, we had to prioritize. Obviously we didn’t have the means to do everything all at once, so there were quite a few things that got put on the back burner. One of them, was the kitchen countertops.
The countertops in the kitchen are Corian. Like the original, first draft of Corian. We all know that the first draft of anything always has room for improvement. When we moved in four years ago, there was a small crack above the dishwasher, and also one near the stove area. While this was not exactly ideal, we knew that new countertops was not in the budget. We looked into patching the Corian, which can be done and is inexpensive, but knew that the spot above the dishwasher would most likely keep reappearing due to the expansion and contraction and heat of the dishwasher. We were also wondering what other kitchen upgrades we would want to make in addition to countertops. So, we held off. I used cutting boards for everything, and we made due.
However, if you have read this blog before you know that I spend most of my day in the kitchen. You also know that is where everyone else in the house spends most of their time too. Due to the wear and tear of our family, this is what has now taken place.
There are CRACKS everywhere!
So, we have bitten the bullet and decided to say no to crack once and for all.
Our first choice was butcher block. (If you follow me on Pinterest you can see all the butcher block I pinned.) Brian and I liked how warm wood seemed. We figured that we would be putting in a new backlash with the countertops, which would be tile, and with white cabinets, wood seemed the way to go. We also liked that this was something we could probably do on our own. However, after a great deal of research, we realized that with three kids who like to cook with Mom, this would probably get a great deal of wear and tear. We probably would need to refinish them occasionally, and honestly I don’t want to get into that mess.
Our next choice was Corian again. Even though we have cracked Corian now, we knew that Corian had come a long way in 20 years. We liked how some of the surfaces looked like natural stone, and that is totally our jam. However, after talking with some people about Corian, we found out that even new Corian can crack, and there have some complaints. In fact one of the places we shopped, doesn’t even sell it anymore due to customer complaints.
That got us thinking about durability, quality, and how often I cook in the kitchen. PRO TIP: Be flexible. Sometimes you might not get the exact material you originally wanted, but after talking to the experts you find it is the best choice for your lifestyle, look, and budget.
So we took a look at natural stones and settled on granite. We loved the natural look and variation of the stone. However, we originally didn’t think it could fit in our budget. Upon doing some good old fashioned shopping around, we were able to find something we loved that fit into our budget. PRO TIP: Make sure you get a written quote from all the places you are shopping. That way they can compete for your business. I was able to get a written quote from a local retailer, and Home Depot was able to beat it, and the quote they gave us was LESS than what we would have paid for Corian.
The counters have since been ordered, and measured. Since our current sink is built into the countertops, we have also had to pick out a new sink. Also, I have been sampling some tiles. You can follow me on Instagram for updates.
Decisions are being made. #HomeEveryday #SkibsSummer
A photo posted by Erin Skibinski (@eskibs) on
Now we have to pick out our exact slab of granite then wait for installation.
Hopefully, in a couple of weeks, the crack will be gone forever!
