Paramount Granite Blog

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 Granite, Company 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.

Thanks for reading!

Barb

Posted in Granite, Company, Learning Links on July 23rd, 2007 by Barb | | 0 Comments

Recipe: RamJam Chicken

Here’s a tasty recipe I found on Prevention.com. The chicken is marinated in a blend of wine and spices, then grilled. It’s a good one to try for your summer grilling!

Original recipe yield: 8.

Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Ready In: 3 Hours 35 Minutes

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons dry white wine
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon dried Italian-style seasoning
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1 pinch ground black pepper
8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into strips

DIRECTIONS:

In a large, resealable plastic bag, combine the soy sauce, wine, lemon juice, oil, Italian-style seasoning, ginger, garlic, onion powder, and ground black pepper. Place chicken in the bag. Seal, and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat.
Thread the chicken onto skewers, and set aside. Pour marinade into a small saucepan, and bring to a boil over high heat.
Lightly oil the grill grate. Cook chicken on the prepared grill for approximately 8 minutes per side, basting with the sauce several times. Chicken is done when juices run clear.

Enjoy!

Thanks for reading!

Barb

Posted in Cooking in your kitchen on July 20th, 2007 by Barb | | 0 Comments

Time vs. Money

People these days are busier than ever. It is often hard to manage work, family, and household chores, let alone get in any relaxation or fun time. That’s why many people today, don’t mind paying for some conveniences.

Some people hire someone to help clean their house; Some people purchase their groceries on-line versus going to the grocery store; Some people drop their work shirts off at the cleaners to be pressed to avoid ironing; Others buy prepared meals at the grocery store, instead of cooking their meals. There are many conveniences out there to help us save on time.

According to, Time Versus Money: The Choices We Make, an article I found on-line at Divine Carol Life In Your Words, “Most of us can’t afford to trade money for time at every opportunity. But it helps to look at the choices for what they are. Don’t chide yourself for being lazy and buying the prepared dinner. You are not lazy. You simply want time for the things in life that really matter, and if you can afford it, there may not be a better way to spend your money.”

Why not save yourself some time? Go ahead and splurge on occasion and have some fun!

Thanks for reading!

Barb

Posted in Business on July 19th, 2007 by Barb | | 0 Comments

Getting Started…

Many of our customer’s come to us through their remodeler, builder, designer, cabinet maker, etc. PGC, however, also fabricates and installs granite countertops, bathroom vanities, fireplace surrounds, bar tops, etc. for direct residential customers. While taking on a remodeling, or building project on your own may feel somewhat overwhelming, rest assured that our customer service team is here to help you through your granite countertop selection process.

How to get started:

1. Either fax, or email a dimensioned sketch, or drawing of your project to PGC, or stop by our showroom. (Keep in mind, our bid is as good as your drawing). Include any information that is necessary (e.g. color selection if available, backsplash, edges, etc.)
2. PGC will create a proposal based on your drawing within 24 hours and fax, or email it to you.
3. Read through the bid thoroughly and feel free to call with any questions you may have. You will receive a follow-up call from PGC within a few days to answer any questions you may have.
4. Once you are ready to move forward with the project, send the signed proposal back to initiate the order.

It is our goal to provide top of the line, quality granite countertops, and superior customer service. We are more than happy to assist you thoughout the process.

Feel free to share…

Angie

Posted in Granite, Company, Business on July 18th, 2007 by Angie | | 0 Comments

Quality, Or Price—The Choice Is Yours!

Over the years, the stone industry has grown immensely. This growth, however, has brought increased competition and market saturation. As with any industry, one of two things happen.

You will find some competitors that practically give their product, or granite countertops away. They sell their granite countertops based only on price.
You will find some competitors that choose quality and will sell their granite countertops, islands, bar tops, fireplaces, etc. based on their craftsmanship, reputation, etc.

While there will always be someone out there that is willing to sell their product for less, there is something to be said for quality and doing a good job. Rest assured, at PGC, you can count on our quality, commitment, customer service, and reputation. We will always take pride in our work and are dedicated to you, the customer.

Thanks for reading!

Barb

Posted in Granite on July 17th, 2007 by Barb | | 0 Comments

2007 NARI Golf Outing—A Success

Fun was had by all at this years NARI, National Association of the Remodeling Industry, Golf Outing. The event was held Thursday, July 12th, at the Prestwick Golf Club in Woodbury, MN and included a day of golf, dinner and a silent auction.

Instead of sponsoring a hole this time around, PGC opted to try something new and different and sponsored the beer cart, (something new this year). Anita, our sales rep., proudly rode behind the cart and handed out PGC can coolers to all of the thirsty golfers.

Following are some photos from the event: