Granite Myths Explained...
How many have you heard?
Granite is hard to maintain FALSE
Granite is very easy to maintain. Clean with a neutral soap and warm water or a natural stone cleaner. Every couple of years, depending on how much you use your stone, reseal with a natural stone impregnating sealer.
Granite needs to be sealed every 6 months FALSE
Granite is one of the hardest stones on the planet – it was formed when the molten rock came to the surface of the earth and cooled off. While all natural stone is porous ~ sealing it helps protect your investment. Each stone is different and it depends on how much “traffic” and use your stone gets as to how often you should seal it. Your stone will let you know when it’s time to be resealed. Perform a water test – drip some water on your counter top; if it looks like a few drops of water are being soaked into the stone, then it’s time to reseal. If the water drops are staying on the surface, then the stone is okay. Read your sealer label carefully and follow the products instructions! Make sure it is a water based, impregnating, natural stone sealer product. Some products may disguise themselves as sealers. Resealing your stone is a very easy process – just make sure that the surface is completely clean, then dried before putting on a coat of sealer.
Granite scratches easily FALSE
Granite is the 2nd hardest natural stone next to diamonds so the only things that will scratch granite are other granites or a diamond. You can cut on it all day long ~ you’ll just have to sharpen your knives a lot.
Granite stains easily FALSE
Always make sure that all of your natural stone is properly sealed either prior to or just after installation to help prevent anything from soaking down into the stone. If a spill is accidentally left on the stone for a long period of time, there are different steps that can be taken to remove a stain if necessary.
Granite harbors bacteria FALSE
According to a study performed by the Hospitality Institute of Technology & Management – once a counter is cleaned, granite was #2 next to stainless steel as being the cleanest countertop surface.
When your granite is installed, you have to accept what you get FALSE
Did you get a countertop with dull edges or a dull surface and your fabricator told you that’s how it comes? Or did your stone not look like what you saw in the showroom? While samples in the showroom should only be used for general patterning and coloring, you should be able to see your actual stone before the job is started. There are several proactive steps you can take in preventing getting a countertop installed that you are not happy with. 1. Research your fabricator. Is the company licensed? Do they follow industry standard stone practices? 2. Request that you approve the actual material to be cut for your job. Too often what gets installed doesn’t look exactly like what’s in the showroom. The finished granite countertop should be polished on the surface, as well as the edges, unless a honed finish was requested when the order was placed.
Granite emits Radon TRUE
All natural building materials with contents made from the earth’s crust emit some levels of radon. Granite emits only minute traces of radon. (Barely 1 atom in one year.) Cement, concrete and gypsum emit more radon than granite and these materials are used everywhere in the building industry.
Lemon and/or coke will eat through granite FALSE
Now how can lemon or coke eat through one of the toughest stones on the earth!?
Have you heard any myths that we didn't mention?
Let us know!
Anytime you have a question or a problem about your nautral stone ~ call your installer or where you purchased your stone from; they should be willing to help you and answer all of your questions .
