Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Best inexpensive kitchen countertop options

We used a 1/8" spacing. I did make 1 screwup and have a tile on the island that's a bit high. I left too much mastic on it and didn't catch it until it had set. I'd remove and clean it off but I'm afraid I'd break it and matching tiles would be impossible to get.

Granite is great. But, quartz doesn't burn easily or stain, And you never have to seal it.

I did a 12" tile with like 1/4" inch grout. black granite with grains , a black grout and solid black granite trim.

Its a preference choice if course but it worked for me.

I "paid" the least when I realized my wife should get whatever fuucking countertops she wanted.

😉

whenever I do tile I always buy like 2 boxes extra. I have a whole section of my garage where I just have extra tile and grout stored.

I did butcher block countertops. Easy to install and just have to oil them a few times a years

Soapstone? I looked hard, it can be worked with carbide wood working tools. That said we went with butcher block. It does need oiled but can be sanded. I stick built the last little part around the sink with assorted hardwood 1x2s. I had shrinkage I had to patch finally. I also found a hard wood like oak takes less water so does not make a glass ring.

a man with a superior intellect

Well, I figured she needed my input for counter tops about as much as I needed hers while buying my welder or plasma cutter......

I did granite slabs to replace tile for the kitchen and bathrooms 15 years ago. There's nothing wrong with it -- it's great. I suggest considering concrete to save money.

On the other hand, if I was not being so pragmatic, I would rip out all the crap oak-faced built-in cabinets and haul them to the dump. I would put pedestals in the bathrooms. In the kitchen, I would use freestanding stainless steel work tables to replace the counter-tops, and for storage, I would use freestanding stainless cabinets and shelves. None of this is a fantasy ultimate-luxury. It's easy to "one-up" if money is no object. What I'm talking about can be had very inexpensively. Right now, there are a lot of restaurants gone out of business and their commercial equipment and furnishings up at auction: stainless-steel by the truckload. If I didn't already have a fairly nice kitchen with all stainless appliances and granite, I would be very tempted to go that route. It's not worth throwing away the investment I already have, and the resale value of my current "conventional" kitchen is probably much better.

Butcher block is porous and will trap bacteria, I would just get a nice formica if you plan to live there a while.

I’m a biased Vermonter - go Maple & butcher block oil. But seriously, Corian is bombproof & comes in tons of colors.

Corian is the trade name of the original solid surface material. IMO the best value for countertops.

Formica is the trade name for the first plastic laminate. Probably the least expensive countertop material.

Well, so many cool tops to choose from. I really like the look of wood, I have done several in concrete , mostly as a hobby years ago and they take some doing and know how, regardless of the cool videos. I did some over old formica which turned out cool as hell!

Stained Concrete. videos on youtube.

Easy to keep waxed or oil sealed correctly with food grade oils.
Probably the best low cost DIY option.

We have granite sheet,not tile. Seams are very well done, but that darn granite, you drop anything on it and it breaks.We have a few small chips on the edges now too.

Well heres a pic of the targeted kitchen.
Imagine slate grey or lighter tile on the floor.
The cabinets stay, walls get painted, probably stainless appliances.

Concrete could be sharp.