I just got new granite counters put in yesterday. They are not even finished installing them since they have to come back and do the cut-outs for the faucets. I just noticed a bunch of darkened circular that don't seem random enough to be natural. They are all about 3 to 4 inches in diameter and close to evenly spaced apart. I didn't notice that in the lighting in the granite warehouse, but they are clear in the kitchen lighting. What can those dark circles be and are they something that can be removed or evened out? I am not talking about different colors in the grain. I mean circular blotches where all the colors in those blotches are darker than the main part of the slab.
Sounds like marks from the suction cup on the handles to move the granite around. Pretty much the same tool glazers use to handle glass. Or could be from supports on truck racks, same as glass truck
If that's what it is, does that go away on it's own in a short rime or is there something that needs to be done to cleanup the darkened blotches before the gramite gets sealed? They are not exact perfect circles with sharp edges that are obviously from something like a suction cup, but I guess it could be. They are very similar in size and spacing, but the edges of the dark circles are a little irregular. I can't imagine anything "natural" in the granite that would make marks that regularly spaced out. They don't seem irregular enough for it to be natural colorings in the stone (in case the granite installer tries to say that when I ask about it on Monday).
Before you sign off on the job, have the installer acknowledge in writing on the paperwork that you are unhappy with the marks, and agree to correct any problems as required.
Most granites absorb oil. A drop of oil will soak in and spread out. They are permanent. Do you have a digital camera? While you can't post a binary here, Comcast gives you web space where you can put it. Or there are free picture sites.
Granite countertops are not really practical. About all they have going for them is the granite look is now in.
I question an instaler that cuts holes in a house, its dusty. 4" is about the size of their grinder, black might be rubber pad residue. Demand it be fixed before you pay, or don`t pay.
What is not practical about Granite counter tops? they are incredibly strong, You can put hot pots one them , they add value to your home, There nothing that compares to the look. The only extra upkeep is sealing them every 8 months.
(1) The front edges chip. Especially above the dishwasher. (2) You have to seal them. (3) You can't see the dirt or debris, like bits of broccoli. (4) No resiliancy. A slight drop of something glass and the glass breaks. You have to be overly careful setting anything down. (5) A dark granite darkens the kitchen. You have to increase your light to compensate. (6) If you put hot pots on them it can crack.
I guess that's kinda like tile .> (5) (5)A dark granite darkens the kitchen. You have to increase your light to
Another dump stament. anything dark will do the same. Amazinly Dumb
That's one of the addvantages YOU CAN PUT A HOT POT ON IT You have your head up your ass. you have no real knowledge about granite but I'm sure you have plenty of pledge for your Formica. People like you just spout out with half ass information and hear say get the facts right. Where are you getting your information the cheap bastards buying guide.
I am tentively planning on light colored granite countertops.
Imperial White or Sunshine Gold.
Yep Sunshine Gold is not a light color, however it will accent the cabinets without being too dark. Floors will be a gid pattern of 4 Blue Pearl tiles with a 4 inch inset of Imperial White in the kitchen, reversed in the rest of the house.
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shows a similar patter but with every corner of each 12 inch tile cut, adn a 2 inch accent piece. I will make a single cut on each corner, and butt 4 tiles together to make a square with a diagonal 4 inch wide accent at each corner.
Accents are two feet apart rather than 1 foot. Accents are not black also.
I agree that chipping of the edge can be a problem, particularly in some areas of the kitchen where heavy things get moved onto and off of countertops. Accordingly, I MAY decide on a wooden edge as they can more easily and more inexpensively be repaired or replaced.
Reference, please. This is the only characteristic you purport that concerns me.
I have seen numerous references from sellers of stone products warning folks NOT to put a hot pot directly on the stone as the sharp rise in temperature of the stone can and does cause cracking. Always use a trivet or pot holder to avoid a disaster.
I have seen other references that say, go ahead, you can't hurt it. I see the caveat as follows. Most all slabs of the size needed for a countertop have fissures or cracks. The vendor does their best to cut the slab in a way that puts the defect into the scrap pile, but that is not always possible. They will use a product, in most cases to repair and hide the defect. The additional heat stress of a very hot pot MAY in some cases, case the defect to widen or extend thru a micro crack that no one had prevously seen.
Many folks can and do put hot pots out of the oven right off the stove on their granite countertops for years, without any ill effects.
So if you want the risk, go ahead and put a 400F cast iron dutch oven direct from the oven and park it directly on the countertop with nothing between your pot and the counter and lets see how many times you can do that without cracking the counter.
The quality of your writing speaks for itself. No need to respond to it.
I am not cheap. When I do a kitchen I install Glacier White Corian. It is as expensive as granite, and can be even more expensive than cheap granites.
I found this comparison from a company that sells both Corian and granite. The only thing where the granite beats Corian is scratch resistance. And it ties in heat resistance. For everything else Corian is better.
Don, I don't mean to enter some kind of fray. However, something to consider is what the MARKET thinks of different products. If a seller or real estate agent has to "explain" or "prove" a product is somehow as good as or superior to another, then the seller has created an artificial barrier to marketability. I KNOW that Corian-type materials are good, and especially good in bathrooms. Someone would have to prove to me that they could set a hot skillet directly on a Corian counter top wouldn't cause a burn, and that dragging a ceramic plate across it wouldn't scratch.
IMHO, the marketability of kitchen counter tops would be: Formica-type laminate at the bottom rung because it is easily scratched, cannot tolerate heat and can come loose or fade. Following that would be ceramic tile due to dirt in the grout lines. After that might be Corian-type counters, followed by Silestone-type or granite tiles, followed by real granite, soapstone etc. My personal guideline is that if it is made to "look like something else," then you should get the "something else."
Another problem with Corian-type counters is that the manufacturers limit the sale of the material to only "approved" installers. Perhaps that has changed. Actually, making a counter top out of that type of material involves only very basic skills, but due to this marketing limitation, the wholesalers and retailer installers charge large profits for something that should really cost a lot less.
While I agree it's probably not a good idea to routinely place oven hot pots on granite, I can't believe anyone really thinks Corian and other resin based countertop options would endure heat as well as granite.
Here is a link to some photos of a granite fabricator trying to intentionally damage granite with red hot pans, and torches. Not that anybody recommends trying this at home, but it's a pretty good testimonial to granite's durability.
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