Anybody seen this, or tried it for themselves?

http://www.bedrockcreations.net/

 

Haven't seen it. Looks very cheesy compared to real granite with all of the seams. I'd be concerned about fragility of large thin slabs.

 

Haven't seen it before, but might actually be fairly decent - depending on price. We had considered using granite tiles instead of slabs at first, but dealing with finding all of the specialty pieces and/or polishing after the tile is laid seemed like a pain. But if everything comes together, then it sounds like it should work, as long as they give you a few extra pieces in case (read when) you screw up a cut or two.

 

There should be no issue with fragility, since they will be on a solid base (similar to ceramic tiles). Also, the seams would also be similar to ceramic tiles. Many people also try to butt them up as close as possible to minimize the seam.

The main potential downsight is you are limited to "stock" colors and you don't get slabs with "movement"

 

I saw a sample yesterday and they seemed nice. The colors are fairly limited, but if you chose a simpler color there isn't much movement. Did you watch the video?

 

My . You want TILE get tile, you want GRANITE get a slab and pay someone who knows what they are doing to put it in. You get what you pay for, and like my dad used to say, "I can't afford to buy the cheapest".

 

I didn't watch the video, but I'm sure they are fine.

It's not like this is a novel concept. Check out any Lowes or HD or just about any "natural stone" place and they will sell granite tiles.

Granite slabs ~$30/sf + installation
Granite tiles <$10/sf + installation

The installation is what makes either option expensive. Price out both options and see how they come out.

FWIW, if you are planning a DIY project, laying granite or marble tiles requires a little more skill and patience than standard ceramic tiles. One granite tile out of level or slightly higher/lower will be MUCH more noticable than ceramic tile.

 

No, I'm too retarded to try this without experience. If I were remodeling an older home I might give it a try, but it's for our brand new custom built home. Just trying to explore all options.

 

For a new custom-built, I'd definitely go with granite slabs. For me, the lack of seams is a huge part of the beauty of the granite surfaces.

Any money you save now will likely be reflected later anyway in resale value -- I wouldn't expect granite tile to maintain its value like a full granite slab countertop.

 

I would screw this up, no thanks.

 

IDK... granite tiles look kinda cheesy imo. And the pics on their site are totally misleading, makes them look like full slabs (by the lighting in the pics).

 

We'd prefer the slab, but the problem is available money. We've gone over budget on a lot of things already, and we had additional expenses we were not expecting. $5k on extra gravel alone!

 

That makes it tough. Might definitely be better to go with something cheaper now, and upgrade later. We lived with formica counters for 8 years before upgrading to the granite.

 

if you cant afford to do it right...dont do it at all...period

this half-assed granite tile countertop system is like KIA compared to Mercedes. stick with the plastic laminate cheap shit until you can afford real stone/granite slabs...

 

 

True, we did look at the new Wilsonart HD laminate countertops which is about $10 a sq ft installed. We could do that and replace in a few years. If anybody cares I will report back with our decision. We just got the roof on and windows in this past week. Here are a few pics.

 

You had another thread on the countertop subject, right? Personally, I see nothing wrong with the tile route, but to each their own. Still, if you do plan on upgrading down the road, then going with the Wilsonart now is probably wise. It makes no sense to tear out labor intensive (i.e. expensive) work in the near future when you can get a the high quality laminate for so much less.

 

Don't tile your countertops!! I hate the look (I've really only seen it on HGTV shows featuring houses in the U.S.). It looks cheap and the grout will stain. I'd rather have a solid surface for preparing food and cleaning up than any type of tile, even if it's considered a "nicer" material. You want the least amount of places that can harbour bacteria.

 

remember, you get what you pay for

 

It's fairly common in this part of the country. Quite a few of the more expensive homes we looked at had them. I agree with you though, the grout it a real turn off.

 

I've looked at this as well and I am not sure if I like it. It's all personal preference I think. IMO, I didn't like the unevenness of the counter top. Like others have said, part of what is so nice about granite or similar surfaces is that the are so smooth and uniform. I wouldn't do tile, but it's not my house. If you decide to go with something other than granite for now, I would find the cheapest that you are comfortable with putting in your house. No point in spending a lot of money on coutertops now if you are just going to replace them.

 

Ive seen them before and if installed correctly they dont look bad at all. Ive also seen marble the same way.

 

as long as the grout line is thin enough and tinted a matching color, then the result should be stunning to look at too. Regardless of whether it's tiles or slab, you'll have to seal it in the same amount of time too.

If you have an island, you could also consider doing a full slab there in a different color while tiling everywhere else. It's a good look too.