Granite Myths Abound!
I can understand why many consumers are confused when it comes to granite countertops. There is so much mis-information out there, especially on the internet. While the internet is a great tool to find information at your fingertips, you must keep in mind that when looking for specific information, such as information on granite countertops, you have to consider the source.
I came across a blog from a consumer today who was interested in comparing 3 different types of countertops: granite, engineered stone, and Corian. I couldn’t believe the responses I was hearing from the general public, or for that matter why this person was addressing this type of question on a website dedicated to Food and Entertainment. It is hard to know what people are thinking, but these types of questions should be directed to companies that fabricate granite countertops, or answered by a credible source such as the MIA, Natural Stone Council, etc.
Here are a few myths I came across, followed by some truths:
- Myth: Unsealed granite is porous, the entire point of sealing it is to close the pores and avoid food contamination. Heat destroys the seal, making resealing a necessity.
Truth:
I know I mentioned this before, but it definitely bears repeating. According to a “To Seal or Not To Seal”, an article found in the Spring/Summer 2007 issue of Stone Dimensions magazine, a special task force formed by the MIA, Marble Institute of America, issued a policy statement that, “Most granite countertops do not need to be sealed! Before 1995, there were very few quality penetrating sealers on the market and there were very few cases of staining. Both prior to and after the availability of penetrating sealers, no cases of food poisioning, radon or food preparation issues associated with treated or untreated granites have been reported. If homeowners clean their countertops after each meal, they will rarely, if ever, have staining or cleanability issues with granite. All this being said, many granite countertops receive additional benefits from being sealed. That benefit is the further reduction of moisture migration into an already moisture resistant surface.”As for heat destroying the seal, this statement is utterly ridiculous! Heat has nothing to do with the sealer, or its affect. - Myth: Honed countertops shouldn’t cost more than polished countertops.
Truth: There typically is a charge to hone granite, or marble. - Myth: You don’t need to “reseal” granite unless you want to maintain the polish.
Truth: See “Truth” for #1. Sealing has nothing to do with the polish of the stone. Once the stone is polished, it is polished! - Myth: Depending on the variety of granite/quartzite you get, some will be much more porous and/or resined to hold them together.
Truth: Granite is a product of nature. It is quarried from the earth and removed in blocks, which are then sliced/cut into slabs and then polished. Some slabs do receive a resin treatment to fill microfissures that are found naturally in the stone. The resin treatment does not hold the stone together! Engineered stone on the other hand is a man-made product. It is comprised of mostly quartz (approximately 93% by weight, 83% Max. by volume) and plastic (approximately 7% by weight), which holds it all together.
Please make sure you do your homework when building, or remodeling. You can get all sorts of answers and recommendations, just make sure you are getting the correct information to make an educated decision.
Thanks for reading!
Barb
Posted in Granite on July 30th, 2007 by Barb | | 1 Comments
Recipe: Sweet BBQ Chicken Kabobs
Here’s another Kraft recipe to try. I just love their recipes. They are usually quick, easy to prepare and taste good. Try this one for your next summer barbeque! 
Sweet BBQ Chicken Kabobs
Recipe Rating: 
Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 25 min
Makes: 4 servings, one kabob each
| 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces |
| 2 cups pineapple chunks (about 1/2 cored peeled pineapple) |
| 1 each: red and green peppers, cut into chunks |
| 1/2 cup KRAFT Original Barbecue Sauce |
| 3 Tbsp. frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed |
| PREHEAT grill to medium-high heat. Using eight long wooden skewers, (two, side-by-side, for each kabob) thread chicken alternately with pineapple and peppers onto skewers, to create four kabobs. |
| MIX barbecue sauce and juice; brush on kabobs. |
| GRILL kabobs 8 to 10 min. or until chicken is cooked through, brushing occasionally with remaining sauce. |
Thanks for reading!
Barb
Posted in Cooking in your kitchen on July 27th, 2007 by Barb | | 0 Comments
Remnant/Scrap—What’s The Difference?
From time to time we get calls from customers asking for information, or pricing on “scrap” material to fabricate a small bathroom vanity, granite furniture top, etc. I always correct them by saying, “you mean ‘remnant’ material right?” I don’t know why, but this bugs me. I know that a consumer probably doesn’t know the difference, so I always feel the need to explain it, so here goes…
- Scrap Material–Is waste material that we throw in a dumpster to be eventually recycled for roads, etc. It is usually smaller pieces, that would have no further value to us.
- Remnant Material—Is left over material from a full a slab. When we price a project, the consumer is only paying for the square footage used for their job, so we often have left over material, (remnants).Remnants are larger pieces that can hopefully be used for other upcoming jobs, or for smaller projects such as bathroom vanities, granite fireplace surrounds, granite bar tops, etc. They can also be used/matched in conjunction with another full slab to complete a granite countertop for a kitchen project, or used as a matching granite island, etc.
Hope this is helpful.
Thanks for reading!
Barb
Posted in Company, Granite on July 26th, 2007 by Barb | | 0 Comments
Caught On Camera!
Here’s an interesting site I thought I’d share. The other day, as Chris and I were leaving to go to lunch, we spotted a deer trotting down the middle of Quam Ave., (the street our business is located on). I just happened to have my camera in my car, so I snapped a few photos.
You certainly don’t see this every day.
Thanks for reading!
Barb
Posted in Company on July 25th, 2007 by Barb | | 0 Comments
Learning Links 07/23/07
When it comes to selecting stone for your granite countertops, granite island, granite bathroom vanities, or granite bar tops, we prefer our customers start with us, so we can answer any questions pertaining to fabrication lay-out, edges, backsplash, sinks, etc. up front. We know, however, that this isn’t always possible. There are circumstances where it is impossible for a customer to get to our facility because of time constraints, distance, etc. In those cases, we are happy to direct you to a supplier in your area.
There are a number of suppliers that we work with that have many slabs to choose from. Most prefer that the customer schedule an appointment before coming out to insure that they can help with your selections, and answer your questions. Note: Please direct any fabrication questions to PGC.
Following are some local supplier links. Upon visiting, they will tag your slab(s) with PGC, as the fabricator and send us a selection sheet.
- Amsum Ash
- Cold Spring Granite Company
- Midwest Tile Marble & Granite
- Stone Holding Company
- Terrazo & Marble
Thanks for reading!
Barb
Posted in Company, Granite, Learning Links on July 23rd, 2007 by Barb | | 0 Comments
