Granite Countertop Myths, Lies & Plain Old Garbage!
Here we go again…today as I was browsing the internet, I came across an engineered stone site that contained a product comparison between their product and granite. Of course, it was loaded with lies and misleading information. This type of false information upsets me because it not only confuses the consumer, but is unethical. To set the record straight on some of these myths and lies, I decided I needed to do some sort of rebuttal, so here it is:
1. Staining: Some engineered stone companies would have you believe that not only do granite countertops stain easily, but that you have to go through some lengthy, pain-staking process to seal them. According to the MIA, Marble Institute of America, “Most granite countertops do not need to be sealed. If a homeowner cleans their countertops after each meal, they will rarely, if ever, have staining or cleanability issues with granite. This being said, many granite countertops receive additional benefit from being sealed. That benefit is the further reduction of moisture migration into an already moisture resistant surface.” At PGC, we seal every countertop before it leaves our facility before installation. Granted there are a few granites that are more porous, with the vast majority of colors however, there are no issues in regards to staining. Engineered stones do not require sealing. Some make claims that they are stain resistant and chemical resistant, yet give information on how to remove various stains.
Read more: http://www.marbleinstitute.com/consumerresources/sealing_stone.cfm; http://www.paramountgranite.com/docs/stain_free_granite_you_bet.pdf
2. Maintenance: Granite is a very low maintenance material. Most granite surfaces only require they be cleaned with a soapy washcloth and hot water. Most engineered stones are also relatively easy to maintain and clean. Most recommend that they be cleaned with a hot soapy washcloth, or some sort of window cleaner.
3. Bacteria: The claim that granite countertops harbor bacteria is a “bunch of garbage”! In fact, in a study by Dr. O. Peter Snyder of the Hospitality Institute of Technology and Management (www.hi-tm.com) using E. coli bacteria as its contaminating agent, they found significant cleanability advantages of natural granite countertops over almost all other commonly found countertop surface materials! Granite actually ranked 1st in Cleanability! Read more: http://www.marble-institute.com/industryresources/sanitation.cfm;
http://www.natural-stone.com/contamination.html
4. Porosity: This claim wasn’t on their site, but was so unbelievable, I had to share it. A few weeks ago, at a tradeshow, one of our sales reps heard a representative from the same company telling a consumer that granite is extremely porous. He went on to claim that if a liquid is spilled on granite and not cleaned up immediately, it would actually leach through the stone and into the cabinet drawers. What?!! If that were true, we’d have a real mess in the basement of our church where we installed a granite baptismal font. There would also be huge problems with many buildings constructed out of granite. What are they thinking? There are stone buildings throughout the world that have been around for centuries that have stood the test of time, and all sorts of weather conditions. Let’s hear an engineered stone company make that claim!
Thanks for reading!
Barb
Posted in Granite, Industry News on April 7th, 2008 by Barb | |
on June 17th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
With its unique features and stylish look, most homeowners choose granite and marble countertops for their homes when doing remodeling and home improvement projects. Known for its durability, granite countertops and marble countertops have topped above the rest among the other natural stones that are being used in home modifications. These natural stones are considered as the key stone materials that are usually recommended when doing interior and exterior home modifications.
[Reply]
on June 17th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
Thanks for your comments. I appreciate it.
Barb
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on August 20th, 2008 at 10:35 pm
now i now. thanks!
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on August 21st, 2008 at 10:36 am
You are welcome.
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