I am considering putting in a granite countertop and wondering what the drawbacks to this product are? Is the weight of the material an issue? Does it scratch? Someone mentioned it has to be sealed annually; is this a do it yourself type job or do you need to get someone in to do this? Are there any sanitary issues with this product or does the sealer prevent these problems?
Gerry
Hey Gerry,
Try searching the database of past responses. This question has been asked many times here.
Does not need to be sealed that often, especially if it is of the darker variety. The one drawback in my case is that it is very cold to the touch....and this sucks when I get up for breakfast at 5:20 AM. Other than that it is great.
*-------------------------------* NEVER FORGET!!!Let's see, in order.. It is VERY heavy, a fairly large counter will weigh a few hundred pounds at least. But any normal cabinet base shouldn't have a problem with the weight. Anything can be scratched, but Granite is just about the hardest thing you can get for a countertop, so it's not likely to be a problem. Sealing is a do it yourself job, and it's probably not needed every year. Keep it clean and sealed occasionally and you won't have any problems, granite makes a nice sanitary, easy to clean work surface, I'm very happy with the counters that I put in a few months ago.
second that. If you are a cook, you haven't lived until you've rolled pie crust or kneaded bread on your granite countertop. Blazing hot pot? no problem. slap that sucker down. get an undermount sink. they rule.
We just did one, and we love it. It is nearly indestructible. You can put hot pans on it. But, after spending that much $$$$, I use a cutting board, and try not to get too stupid.
The sealer comes in a quart can, and you just wipe it on twice a year. Wipe off the excess. Total time, about fifteen minutes.
It is awesome stuff, and we got a color that is incredible. It has browns, greys, rust, several colors.
Granite is great.
STeve
Why don't we just close the newsgroup then, and all go to google?
Idiot.
STeve
"EggRaid" wrote
I for one, like to see updated responses. People chance opinions as time goes on. Quit being a dick.
Thge kives won't damage the granite, but the granite will ruin the knives. Wood is still a smart way to cut.
in the past i had granite countertop(house #@), and whined that i wanted my old corian back (house #1). now i have corian in a new house(house #3), and find that do indeed wipe up smudges just as often as i did with granite. when we remodel the kitchen in this place, i will again consider granite.
Not on any half way decent cabinets. The weight varies but is about
200# per cubic foot...about 3 times that of water ______________Yes but it is the about the most scratch resistant material you can get for counters. Only other one that I could think of that would be more scratch resistant would be a true, natural quartzite and I don't know if it is available.
Granite is a rock formed of various minerals. Which specific minerals and their varying percentages and sizes are what determine the color of granite.
The most common minerals are quartz, various feldspars and biotite. Both feldspars and biotite are soft enough to be scratched/cut with a normal steel knife; quartz isn't but *could* be scratched with hardened steel or various ceramic materials. ______________________
Most "rocks" including granite have their particles hooked together both through chemical and mechanical means. The result is less than a totally homogenous material...there are interstices - small spaces between parts. Surface sealing is meant to seal those even though the porosity of granite is very, very low (a fraction of 1%). There should be no sanitary problems even without sealing, I would think.
-- dadiOH ____________________________
dadiOH's dandies v3.06... ...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that. Get it at
"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote
Don't know about your house, but knives are an issue at mine. I have many knives, but only allow the Mrs. to use a couple. I like giving her those cheapie serrated smaller knives, and she prefers them to an actual knife.
I have good German knives, and many specialty knives. I keep them sharp with an EZ Lap diamond sharpener. Just as much as I wouldn't want to mess up a countertop, I don't want to be dulling knives, endlessly and needlessly sharpening them, and taking off a lot of metal in the process.
Lucky for me the Mrs. is a fanatic about using a cutting board anyway, so that's not an issue. I have heard that Corian is soft, and will cut, but will buff up easily. Isn't that about the same as sanding a bowl into your countertop over the years?
I love granite. We got a real deal on ours. Because of the pattern, we had to buy twice as much as we needed, but it came out great. The installation was expensive, but the installer did a dynamite job, and we had granite left over for the backyard cooking area.
Steve
"Yes but it is the about the most scratch resistant material you can get for counters. Only other one that I could think of that would be more scratch resistant would be a true, natural quartzite and I don't know if it is available"
There is synthetic quartz available in various colors as countertop material. It's an excellent alternative to consider.
Weight is not a problem nor is cleaning. The biggest disadvantage is that any glass or ceramic item dropped on it is going to break. I'm always very nervous when washing my Waterford. Tip over a glass and watch forty bucks go into the trash (hasn't happened yet though).
It makes a super surface to roll out pie crusts on.
Place a thick bath towel on the countertop before washing good crystal and china.
Several have mentioned the need to seal granite ever year. Is sealing = necessary? If so, why and how? My granite top is 8 yrs old and I have never sealed it. Still looks = great after a light buffing with a damp then a dry cloth. Am I missing something?
When we got our granite, the guy gave us the name of the sealer, and we got it at Home Depot. Well, we actually got it about a month later. In that month, we just wiped up stuff, and it looked the same as the day we bought it. He told us that some liquids can soak into the granite, depending on the grade and porosity. That they might leave marks. So, rather than take the chance, we went and got the sealer. Just wipe it on, let it set, wipe off excess. Simple. Easy. Not expensive. Does it work? Don't know, but as easy and cheap as it is, it is one less thing to stress over. Especially after spending that much on great looking granite.
Steve
Drawbacks?
Well, it's expensive. Unless you're rolling in dough, you'll probably be looking at that countertop the rest of your life. Better like it.
There are lots of different sorts of rock sold as "granite", very few are true granites. Every variety varies as to hardness & porosity. A low-porosity variety (what I would recommend for a kitchen) shouldn't ever have to be sealed, but lots of folks pick out their stone primarily by "looks", without considering the rest of the factors. You should always do the "lemon juice" test on a sample of whatever rock you're considering (see
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