diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/cassandra/cql/builder/ColumnBuilder.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/cassandra/cql/builder/ColumnBuilder.java
index 65c25d8d5..b613bb799 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/cassandra/cql/builder/ColumnBuilder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/cassandra/cql/builder/ColumnBuilder.java
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ import org.springframework.data.cassandra.cql.CqlStringUtils;
 import org.springframework.data.cassandra.mapping.KeyType;
 import org.springframework.data.cassandra.mapping.Ordering;
 
+import com.datastax.driver.core.DataType;
+
 /**
  * Builder class to help construct CQL statements that involve column manipulation. Not threadsafe.
  * <p/>
@@ -28,7 +30,7 @@ public class ColumnBuilder {
 	public static final Ordering DFAULT_ORDERING = ASCENDING;
 
 	private String name;
-	private String type;
+	private DataType type;
 	private KeyType keyType;
 	private Ordering ordering;
 
@@ -51,7 +53,7 @@ public class ColumnBuilder {
 	 * 
 	 * @return this
 	 */
-	public ColumnBuilder type(String type) {
+	public ColumnBuilder type(DataType type) {
 		this.type = type;
 		return this;
 	}
@@ -136,7 +138,7 @@ public class ColumnBuilder {
 		return name;
 	}
 
-	public String getType() {
+	public DataType getType() {
 		return type;
 	}
 
@@ -158,6 +160,7 @@ public class ColumnBuilder {
 
 	@Override
 	public String toString() {
-		return toCql(null).append(" /* key=").append(keyType).append(", order=").append(ordering).append(" */").toString();
+		return toCql(null).append(" /* keyType=").append(keyType).append(", ordering=").append(ordering).append(" */ ")
+				.toString();
 	}
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/cassandra/cql/builder/CreateTableBuilder.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/cassandra/cql/builder/CreateTableBuilder.java
index a89949191..72728aadf 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/cassandra/cql/builder/CreateTableBuilder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/cassandra/cql/builder/CreateTableBuilder.java
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ import org.springframework.data.cassandra.cql.CqlStringUtils;
 import org.springframework.data.cassandra.mapping.KeyType;
 import org.springframework.data.cassandra.mapping.Ordering;
 
+import com.datastax.driver.core.DataType;
+
 /**
  * Builder class to construct CQL for a <code>CREATE TABLE</code> statement. Not threadsafe.
  * 
@@ -129,24 +131,24 @@ public class CreateTableBuilder {
 		return this;
 	}
 
-	public CreateTableBuilder column(String name, String type) {
+	public CreateTableBuilder column(String name, DataType type) {
 		return column(name, type, null, null);
 	}
 
-	public CreateTableBuilder partitionColumn(String name, String type) {
+	public CreateTableBuilder partitionKeyColumn(String name, DataType type) {
 		return column(name, type, PARTITION, null);
 	}
 
-	public CreateTableBuilder primaryKeyColumn(String name, String type) {
+	public CreateTableBuilder primaryKeyColumn(String name, DataType type) {
 		return primaryKeyColumn(name, type, ASCENDING);
 	}
 
-	public CreateTableBuilder primaryKeyColumn(String name, String type, Ordering order) {
+	public CreateTableBuilder primaryKeyColumn(String name, DataType type, Ordering order) {
 		return column(name, type, PRIMARY, order);
 	}
 
-	protected CreateTableBuilder column(String name, String type, KeyType key, Ordering order) {
-		columns().add(new ColumnBuilder().name(name).type(type).keyType(key).ordering(order));
+	protected CreateTableBuilder column(String name, DataType type, KeyType keyType, Ordering ordering) {
+		columns().add(new ColumnBuilder().name(name).type(type).keyType(keyType).ordering(ordering));
 		return this;
 	}
 
@@ -309,10 +311,10 @@ public class CreateTableBuilder {
 								cql.append(", ");
 							}
 
-							cql.append("'").append(entry.getKey()).append("'"); // 'name'
+							cql.append(singleQuote(entry.getKey())); // 'name'
 							cql.append(" : ");
 							Object entryValue = entry.getValue();
-							cql.append("'").append(entryValue == null ? "" : entryValue.toString()).append("'"); // 'value'
+							cql.append(singleQuote(entryValue == null ? "" : entryValue.toString())); // 'value'
 						}
 						cql.append(" }");
 
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/cassandra/cql/CreateTableBuilderTest.java b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/cassandra/cql/CreateTableBuilderTest.java
index 799e28b51..69a3585e1 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/cassandra/cql/CreateTableBuilderTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/cassandra/cql/CreateTableBuilderTest.java
@@ -8,18 +8,20 @@ import java.util.Map;
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.springframework.data.cassandra.cql.builder.CreateTableBuilder;
 
+import com.datastax.driver.core.DataType;
+
 public class CreateTableBuilderTest {
 
 	@Test
 	public void createTableTest() {
 		String name = "mytable";
-		String type0 = "text";
+		DataType type0 = DataType.text();
 		String partition0 = "partitionKey0";
 		String partition1 = "partitionKey1";
 		String primary0 = "primary0";
-		String type1 = "text";
+		DataType type1 = DataType.text();
 		String column1 = "column1";
-		String type2 = "text";
+		DataType type2 = DataType.bigint();
 		String column2 = "column2";
 		Object value2 = "this is a comment";
 		String option2 = "comment";
@@ -29,8 +31,8 @@ public class CreateTableBuilderTest {
 		value4.put("class", "LeveledCompactionStrategy");
 		String option4 = "compaction";
 
-		CreateTableBuilder builder = createTable().ifNotExists().name(name).partitionColumn(partition0, type0)
-				.partitionColumn(partition1, type0).primaryKeyColumn(primary0, type0).column(column1, type1)
+		CreateTableBuilder builder = createTable().ifNotExists().name(name).partitionKeyColumn(partition0, type0)
+				.partitionKeyColumn(partition1, type0).primaryKeyColumn(primary0, type0).column(column1, type1)
 				.column(column2, type2).withQuoted(option2, value2).withUnquoted(option3, value3).with(option4, value4)
 				.withCompactStorage();