Precautions

Marble and granite are easy to maintain. A soft cloth and warm water will clean up most spills on both surfaces. 

These natural stones will not depreciate with time and they will continuously add value and beauty to the surface applied. 

These are just a few reasons why they are so used so extensively for Interior and Exterior applications.

• Marble

Marble is a softer, less stain-resistant surface than granite and should be treated carefully, once it is especially susceptible to damage from citric acids, alcohol's, and oils. Spills should be cleaned up immediately and surfaces protected from cold beverages to avoid staining and etching.  Once properly cared, it will last for a long time.

• Granite

Granite is extremely durable, stain resistant and easy to care for. It will not be damaged by hot pots and pans, it will not chip, crack, or scratch under normal use. 

 

1.      Does Granite stain?  Generally, no. All stone is porous to some extent, but Granite has very little porosity. Most colors will never show any moisture. A few colors may show some moisture if exposed for a period of time. For example, a puddle of water left on the counter for 30 minutes for some colors, may show a dark spot when the water is wiped away. This spot will then dry up and no evidence will show.
At the fabrication, sealer is applied to granite, however some customers prefer to apply a stone sealer (available at tile and granite shops) after the granite is installed.  

2.      Will my granite look like the sample? The color samples you see on the computer screen or printed in catalogues have been processed digitally and as a consequence the color tones may not be absolutely correct due to variations in computer systems, monitors and software compression. Also, granite is a natural material with naturally occurring variations in color, tone, granularity and pattern. These variations are the source of its natural beauty. 

3.      Can granite be scratched? Granite is one of the hardest stones available and it will not be scratched in ordinary use. A knife blade will not scratch it.

4.      Can it chip? It can happen in situations of severe impact. A chip can be filled with a granite dust and epoxy mixture.

5.      Will seams show? Because granite is a natural material and slabs are usually no more than 10' long, seems are in most cases necessary. Once granite is sold in rectangular pieces, seams allow costs to be, such as in a 'L' shaped corner. The visibility of seams will depend on the granularity, color and pattern. A small, uniform will not be as apparent as a larger varied. A dark color will be less apparent than a light. A dramatic pattern with swaths of color will show more seams than a uniform pattern. Most customers have found that the beauty of natural granite outweighs the concern of seams.

6.      How are seams made? Seams are done where the granite joins with a smooth, straight cut. During installation, a small bead of epoxy is placed along the seam to seal it. 

7.      How do you take care of Granite? Use of window cleaner is not recommended. Just a mild soap and water are plenty to maintain it shiny and clean.

8.      Does granite stain or burn? No. You can't burn it with ordinary use. Granite does stain but it can be removed with poltice. The only caution is that a few colors may absorb some moisture with prolonged contact. Usually, no evidence remains when the liquid is removed and the granite dries, but could be a problem with dark pigmented liquids. A stone sealer is recommended for all granite after installation and at least every five years it should be reapplied.

9.      How are sinks done? Sinks are either drop-in mount or under mount. Sinks come in a variety of materials, including stainless steel, ceramic and enameled cast iron as well as some synthetics. A cutout needs to be made in the granite to accommodate the sink. The sink will have directions and a template for the cutout.

10.  Do Granite counters overhang the cabinets? Most counters overhang by 1”, which is standard. This may be changed for whatever reason due to cabinet configuration or personal tastes. 

11.  Can granite cantilever? You can cantilever granie up to 12" with sufficient support on the fixed end and with a large enough piece. Never cantilever unsupported granite where it might receive excessive stress like someone sitting on a counter or stepping on a counter to change a light bulb. You must have support underneath for these situations.

12.  Can granite crack? Not with ordinary use. Granite is most susceptible to cracks during shipping and installation. Normal use will not overstress this durable material.

13.  Can I use the granite that remains from a cutout for a sink or cook top? There is usually no granite left over from a cutout. The granite for the cutouts is generally destroyed in the process of creating the cutout. Large diameter drills are used together with diagonal saw cuts to remove the cutout.