Maintain Your Granite Countertops With Ease…
Caring for your granite countertops is a relatively simple process. We do however, get a lot of questions about maintenance. While cleaning with hot soapy water is your best bet for everyday maintenance, there are a number of other products on the market for both cleaning and sealing.
Let’s take a look at our stone care products:
SCI Stone Care Kit
At PGC, we offer a stone care kit for purchase, from SCI, that includes both a cleaner and sealer. The cleaner comes in a spray bottle with a pump and is ready to use. You just spray it on and wipe dry with a clean towel, or paper towels. The sealer also comes is a spray bottle with a pump. The directions for use are straight forward and are printed on the back of the bottle. Please keep in mind, that re-sealing your countertops should only be done if you notice that your granite is taking on water. ( e.g. A water glass leaves a ring, or water no longer beads up with spills, or when cleaning.)
Countertop Wipes
We also sell Countertop wipes from SCI. The wipes offer a quick method for wiping down your kitchen countertops, bathroom vanity, etc. They work great for wiping up dust, especially on black granites.
1 Year Extended Care & Maintenance Package
We also off a 1 Year Extended Care & Maintenance Package. The package offers a worry free option for the consumer, by letting us take care of any maintenance needs. The package includes:
- Sanitizing and resealing all countertops
- Faucet deck touch up (Removing all normal hard water build up, etc.)
- Seam maintenance (e.g. Various circumstances may cause houses to move and/or shift, which in turn may cause some seams to shift.) Affected seams would be re-shimmed and leveled.
- Up to 3 chips repaired. While chips are rare, they can happen. (e.g. Banging pots & pans at sink area, etc.)
If you are interested in any of these stone care options for your countertops, please give us a call, or stop by our showroom.
Thanks for reading!
Barb
Posted in Granite, Stone Care on January 25th, 2012 by Barb | | 0 Comments
Bar, Bath, And Beyond…
When it comes to natural countertops for your home, there are numerous possibilities. While many people naturally think of natural stone countertops for their kitchen, they can also be installed for a bar room, bathroom, a dining room, and more. Let’s take a look at a few possibilities:
Bar Area
Crema Bordeaux Granite Bar Top
Cielo De Ouro Granite Bar Top
Bath
White Carrera Marble Vanity Top
Sedna Granite Vanity Top
Dining Room
Louisa Blue Granite Buffet Top
Sedna Granite Buffet Top
Whether you are looking for a natural stone countertop for your kithen, bar, bathroom, or some other room in your home, make sure you swing by for a visit. We’d love to help you with your color selections, as well as any sink and faucet needs.
Thanks for reading!
Barb
Posted in Granite, Natural Stone on January 19th, 2012 by Barb | | 0 Comments
Top 10 Color Choices For 2011…
It is always interesting to look back and find out what the best sellers were for the year, so I took some time and did just that. While there are colors on the list that have been popular over the years, for their consistency and classic look, such as St. Cecilia, Opalescence, Tropic Brown, Labrador Green, etc., this list includes a variety of colors that contain flow, movement and some pizzazz—and I am not surprised. Today’s consumers are not afraid to express their tastes in their homes. If you are looking for elegance and charm, or energy with an attractive style, by choosing natural stone for countertops, you can’t go wrong, and the color selections are plentiful.
If you are interested in these colors, or others for you project, make sure you stop by our showroom.
Top 10 Best Selling Colors at PGC for 2011
- St. Cecilia Classic
- Opalescence
- Tropic Brown
- Labrador Green
- Verde Butterfly
- Sedna
- White Carrera Marble
- Cielo De Ouro
- Golden Crystal
- Absolute Black
Thanks for reading!
Barb
Posted in Company, Granite on January 18th, 2012 by Barb | | 0 Comments
Granite Countertops—Thick or Thin?
One of the questions we hear from time to time is, “What is the typical thickness of a granite countertop?” Well—that answer can vary a bit, depending on what part of the country you live in. In the midwest, a 3 cm thickness is the most readily available and considered aesethetically appealing. You will however, see some countertops (such as vanities) that are 2 cm in thickness, depending on the color selection, and the material selection, as some colors and materials are only available in a 2 cm thickness. If a 2 cm thickness is not appealing, the edge can often be laminated to make the stone appear larger. Of course, this is always a personal preference. There is nothing wrong with a 2 cm look. In fact, in some western states, such as California, a 2 cm thickness is considered standard and is the norm.
While 3 cm is the most common thickness for granite countertops for us here, it is common to cut backsplash runs to a 2 cm thickness. Most consumers prefer this look, as it gives a clean, sleek appearance that is more appealing.
Let’s take a look at a few sample thicknesses:
Here’s a sample of 3 cm Red Dragon Granite.
Here’s a sample of 2 cm thick Green Onyx.
Here’s a photo showing the two different material thicknesses next to each other.
If you have material questions for an upcoming countertop project, including ones about thickness, please don’t hesitate to ask. We are always ready to help.
Thanks for reading!
Barb
Posted in Granite on January 17th, 2012 by Barb | | 0 Comments
What Is The Country Of Origin For My Granite Countertops?
If you are curious as to where your granite for your kitchen countertop, bartop, vanity, or fireplace surround originated, you are not alone. In fact, we get asked that question a lot by our showroom customers. Many customers are surprised to find out that many colors are quarried throughout the world and that most of the more popular colors and exotic colors are imported from other coutnries.
At PGC, I would say that more than 90% of the colors sold come Brazil, which is not surprising as they typically are one of the leading exporters of granite to the US in terms of volume. Granite is also quarried and imported from such places as Italy, Spain, Taiwan, Canada, Africa, Norway, Argentina, Portugal, Finland, Russia, Saudi Arabia, etc. There are a number of colors that quarried locally and others that quarried in the United States, but by far, most consumers are attracted to colors that are found abroad.
Thanks for reading!
Barb
Posted in Granite on January 11th, 2012 by Barb | | 0 Comments
