Quartz kitchen countertops - how thick and Caesarstone best?

We are thinking about quartz kitchen countertops in our full kitchen rip out & remodel. Is Caesarstone the best to go with? Also how thick would you recommend for the minimum thickness? This is currently for a PPOR that one day will become an investment property so we want something durable.

 

Caesarstone is one brand and is no different to others. There are two general thicknesses and you can also fake edge the thickness. Its not a fantastic bench material for rentals as it is prone to edge chips which may be general wear and tear

 

Depends on the style of your house. I like 20mm for a modern, clean look but 40mm waterfall can also look nice and premium depending on the other fittings.

 

Ours has small chips in places. Wish I’d gone granite

 

what style of reno are you doing? If a modern look, 20mm with a waterfall seems to be the current trend. but honestly, that's just a look and in a year or two ppl will pick something else. Caesarstone is a brand, there are others.

If it's a PPOR, you're not going to get the tax back for it staright away - but you know to keep the reciepts so that when it becomes a IP you can depreciate any remaining depreciation.

 

Many combinations possible for different tastes and budgets. For ppor I personally like 40mm tops, 20mm splashback. Island to have 40mm waterfall.

Also, I wouldn't get hung up on the brand caesarstone if you like others. Often I shop around to see price differences in the stone especially if the colours look very similar.

 

We were aiming for a modern design and thinking about white gloss cabinets/drawers with black handles and a black quartz benchtop, possibly something like this one: 5101 Empira Black™ by Caesarstone

Is granite more durable than quartz? Is granite considered dated these days? It was seeming this way when I was going through different Youtube videos for researching.

According to Caesarstone website it says "Harder, stronger, and safer than marble, granite, and other natural stones." Is this just a marketing gimmick and not exactly true?

Besides Caesarstone, does anyone have any other recommended brands to consider? Possibly if they are the same quality but cheaper.

 

quantum quartz, smartstone, essastone to name a few.

 

Granite is an absorbent stone. It will absorb oil and can stain hence why its usually very dark. Man made stone doesnt absorb as the polymers and acrylics bond it. Tends to be harder than natural stone. Thinner. Granite, marble also has its own flaws in the stone. Marble is quite soft. Its why artists use it for statues. Easy to carve. So its easy to scratch.

 

I looked at this a few years back and remember a few reports about it cracking. Worth checking out.

 

Apparently Dekton edges of the counter can crack or chip easily, and according to this video it can smash easily, watch from 5mins onwards:

 

Dekton comes in thicknesses from 4mm to 8, 12, 20 and 30mm. The 4mm is really a veneer for specific uses. ie cladding. To be 4mm thick it must be tough. Not sure if its designed to have a plumbers torch on it

 

If it’s your PPoR and it’s a high-level renovation, go for natural marble all day long. The man made stones look and feel cheap and very unnatural (obviously).

Can’t beat the look and feel or marble.

Go to a large showroom and look at the differences.

 

Laminam.

 

We went for 30mm granite for waterfall and benchtops in our recent build. Happy with outcome.
Took it into butlers pantry as well.
The kitchen bloke sent us to a gold coast warehouse to select the slab personally which was a positive experience.

 

Can’t be natural