Stone Countertops And Mesh Backing…
Today more than ever, when selecting slabs for your stone countertops, you will notice that some slabs contain a mesh backing. That’s because over the years, the quarrying process has improved allowing for some stones that were never able to be removed from the earth in block format, to be cut, polished, and shipped to suppliers and fabricators. With better technology and equipment, quarriers have been able to remove more fragile stones from the earth, that may not have been able to be removed previously that way without them breaking, or crumbling. In the past, many of these stones were only used for tiles or building cladding. The mesh backing is added by the block/slab fabricator (the one who cuts the blocks into slabs) for added support, or re-enforcement for the shipping and handling process.
At PGC, when we receive slabs in from a supplier that contain a mesh backing, we inspect them and look for veins, or fill areas where they may be more fragile. We also typically “rod” mesh-backed stones in areas where there are sinks, or cook-top cut outs, meaning we add a steel rod for re-enforcement under the stone to avoid breakage during shipping and the installation process.
Depending on what we find during the stone inspection process, we may notify the customer that they have selected a fragile stone. We will also send a Fragile Stone Notification Form that lets the customer know that the material they selected may have geological flaws such as veins, voids, and fissures/cracks, which may make the stone susceptible to breaking and more difficult to fabricate. We also let them know that it is a common and acceptable practice to repair the stone, and that the repair may be noticeable.
If you have any questions about fragile stones, please give us a call. We are happy to answer your questions.
Thanks for reading!
Barb
Posted in Granite, Industry News on January 19th, 2010 by Barb | | 2 Comments
Recipe: Snickers Bars
Here’s a good recipe to try for those with a sweet tooth. I got it from a friend of mine that lives near our cabin. They taste just as good as the snickers candy bar you buy.
Snickers Bars
Step 1
Melt in a safe, microwave bowl:
12 oz. of chocolate chips
3 Tbsp. butter
Put wax paper in a 13″ x 9″ pan and pour choclate mix in and refrigerate until set.
Step 2
Melt 1 bag caramel (50 count) and
4 Tbsp. whipping cream
Add 2 cups roasted and salted peanuts.
Pour over the chocolate in pan. Refrigerate until set.
Step 3
Repeat Step 1. Pour melted chocolate mixture over carmel mix in pan. Refrigerate for 4 hours, or more. Lift out the wax paper. Let sit for 10 minutes, or so, then cut into bars.
Enjoy!
Barb
Posted in Cooking in your kitchen on January 18th, 2010 by Barb | | 0 Comments
Get Connected and Help If You Can…
The past couple of days, the TV and radio have been inundated with news and information about the 7.0 earthquake that rocked Haiti. Last night, we were flipping back and forth between Fox News and CNN, and an interesting perspective came up. The first images of the destruction were those posted on Facebook, and it got me thinking, what did we do 20 years ago (5 years ago for that matter) when Facebook was a distant thought? It is amazing how social networking sites have connected not only “friends,” but also nations, essentially making our world much smaller. Last night, there were 60 results showing when I typed Haiti Earthquake into the search function on Facebook, just a few minutes ago there were 336 results.
That said, the devastation that the Haitians are experiencing is unthinkable. The logistics of trying to help the nation are impossible. With the fear of hundreds of thousands dead, the rescue efforts, clean-up efforts, and rebuilding efforts, seem daunting and overwhelming. This catastrophic event is bound to affect the country for many years to come! Please take the time to help in any way possible.
Here are a few ways of doing so:
The American Refugee Committee: 430 Oak Grove, Suite 204, Minneapolis, MN 55403. Ph: (612) 872-7060 http://www.ARCrelief.org
Feed my Starving Children: http://www.fmsc.org/Page.aspx?pid=415
The International Committee for the Red Cross: http://www.icrc.org/web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/helpicrc
The American Red Cross also has a texting option: By texting Haiti to 90999, ten dollars will be added to your cell phone bill.
Partners in Health: https://donate.pih.org/page/contribute/haiti_earthquake?source=earthquake&subsource=homepage
International Rescue Committee: http://www.theIRC.org
Friends of the Orphans: http://www.friendsoftheorphans.org
Please help if you can and PLEASE SHARE!!!
Angie
Posted in Uncategorized on January 14th, 2010 by Angie | | 0 Comments
Optimism Seen In The Stone Industry!
For many people in the building industry, 2009 was a difficult year. For many stone fabricators, the story is the same. According to “Fabricators Predict Improvement For 2010,” an article, by Michael Reis, found in the January 6, 2010, issue of Stone World, ”For the most part, fabricators feel that the worst is behind, and they are relatively optimistic for 2010 and beyond. These are the results of a survey conducted by the Market Research Department at BNP Media (Stone World’s parent company), and it polled a cross-section of fabricators across the U.S., including large and small firms, as well as relatively new and well-established companies.”
The fact that the economy is starting to improve and that people are starting to spend money again, are positive indicators for growth this year and beyond. Many homeowners who put off doing renovations, or improvements, are now ready to move ahead with their projects. With many kitchen and bathroom renovations, come granite countertops, or granite vanities, “Good News” for us fabricators!
According to the article, “The outlook of fabricators over the next five to 10 years was even more positive. According to the Stone World survey, more than four out of five fabricators (83%) feel that the market for stone in the U.S. will grow over the next five to 10 years.” This is great to hear and at PGC, we are preparing and gearing up for it.
Here’s to some much needed optimism for the stone industry and a great 2010!
Thanks for reading!
Barb
Posted in Company, Granite, Industry News on January 13th, 2010 by Barb | | 0 Comments
Natural Stone—Smart, Green & Sustainable!
The Natural Stone Council, NSC, has been working hard over the last three years to gather data to establish natural stone as a preferred, and sustainable building material of choice. The NSC has been working in partnership with the University of Tennesse’s Center for Clean Products and together have come up with a library of information regarding Genuine Stone and the environmental impacts.
In “Sustainability Through Natural Stone,” an article found in the December 2009 issue of The Cutting Edge newsletter produced by the MIA, some updates on the industry’s efforts were discussed and referenced from an interview done by Masonry Magazine. According to John Mattke, Former NSC Co-Chairman and Chair of the NSC’s Sustainability Committee, “The NSC was committed to substainiating the industry’s environmental footprint through scientific means using a credible third party.” When Mattke was asked if it was safe to say that stone is green, he said, “In a word, Yes!” Genuine stone is a natural product that is durable and easy to maintain, and lasts more than 100 years.”
If you are interested in more information in regards to natural stone, or sustainability of natural stone, you can also visit the Marble Institute of America, MIA.
Thanks for reading!
Barb
Posted in Granite, Industry News on January 12th, 2010 by Barb | | 0 Comments
