Opinion Vs. Fact—Don’t Believe Everything You Read!
When it comes to building and remodeling, there is a lot of information to take in and gather. Most consumers don’t realize the amount of choices they have to make when they decide to take on a project. Some consumers rely on their contractor, or designer for help, while others do research on their own. While there are many avenues to research various products these days, the consumer must take into consideration the source of the information, as there is much information out there that is either myth, or opinions.
I recently read “Lessons From A Kitchen Guru,” an article published in the February 2008 edition of Food & Wine magazine, where the author interviewed a cabinetmaker who designed and built 200 kitchens worldwide. I have to admit, I was somewhat stunned after reading the article. Some of the claims in the article were strictly opinion, but I can see how some consumers would take them as fact. The cabinetmaker obviously was not a big fan of granite countertops, but the article never mentioned why. He preferred to work with honed marble countertops because he felt that you lose the beauty of the stone when it is polished. This, in my opinion, is purely a personal preference. I actually believe that a stones beauty is enhanced when it is polished. The colors are much more vibrant and polishing makes the stone much easier to clean and maintain. The article also stated that “with a honed finish, scratches are less visible, and you would be able to use a lightly abrasive cleaner like Soft Scrub to take care of them if they occur.” Again, this is strictly opinion, and I will add, “hogwash”. Any reputable natural stone fabricator, supplier, and natural stone association, such as the MIA, would not recommend Soft Scrub on either a polished, or honed granite, or marble countertop, as any abrasive type cleanser causes scratches.
All I can say is, consumers beware. It is important to research products on your own, but make sure your source of information is coming from someone who works with the product and has knowledge in the industry.
Thanks for reading!
Barb
Posted in Company, Granite, Industry News on January 9th, 2008 by Barb | | 2 Comments
on January 11th, 2008 at 6:42 am
There has been a view in recent days, in India, that US people are no more interested in Granite countertops, but prefer low cost natural stones. This may be due to the recession. Is it true? Barb, can you reply?
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on January 14th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
I don’t agree with that. Many consumers are very interested in granite countertops. Other stones however, have also gained some popularity. Granite is still however the best choice when it comes to kitchen countertops because of durability, cost and maintenance.
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