Natural stone is beautiful.  Engineered stone, quartz and laminate all try to mimic the natural beauty of stone and tends to be more consistent in color and pattern. This is simply a personal decision. There is no right or wrong.

Natural stone can be expensive, but it doesn't have to be at all. With the right stone selection, and reasonable choices of edge and design it can be more cost effective than Corian, and most engineered stones.

Its beauty is timeless, rich and transcends the ages. The resale value of your investment can be more rewarding than the imitators and this is evidenced by the large numbers of realtors that come here every day to spruce up a home to make it saleable. Its durability is legendary. A home with natural stone accents is valued for its custom one of a kind attributes and recognized as not an off the shelf one size fits all approach to most products today.

The competitors will try to sway you with their scare tactic "You always have to seal it and maintain it with special products". There are pros and cons  all solid surface products. We have experience and can help with that decision and show you options to help you decide which is right for your project.

The reality is this.
Once a year you spray and wipe the stone with sealer which is as difficult to apply as Windex. (not very!) Some stones never need to be resealed, ask if your stone choice is porous or dense and your stone supplier will advise you. Once or twice a year is a worst case scenario. Corian is a synthetic and once very popular solid surface counter top material. Today it is used less and less. The company behind the product, has embraced competing products and is behind many sealing treatments that are put on granite to resist stains.

Home centers vs.. the small guy. Simple choice. The home center is not who is really going to fabricate and install your granite even though you bought it from them. They sub-it out to the lowest cost bidder. Will the templator speak English? Will the installers be able to understand when you tell them that the stone is the wrong one? Will the salesmen even know the difference between one stone and another? Probably, not. Is their price really better then the small guy, again probably not.

Decide for yourself, synthetic or real, big box or small guy the choice is yours. Make an informed decision and look at all of your options before signing a contract for countertops to be fabricated for your home. Someday it will affect the price you get for your home or the appraisal.

Dan DiTomaso