Know What You're Getting: Living And Working With Granite Countertops

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Once the territory of luxury homes, granite countertops have become a mainstream feature. If a kitchen remodel is in progress, even on a midrange rental unit, chances are granite countertops will be part of the new setup. Granite has definite advantages: It's shiny, it's generally easy to clean, and it lasts a long time because it's harder to chip than laminate countertops. It also has some definite issues that can make you dislike granite if you ignore the issues. So instead of ignoring them and possibly disliking an entire material, find out how to handle granite so that you can see how helpful it is to have this material in your kitchen.

Staining and Sealing

Granite does need a coat of sealant. The rock itself is hard but porous, and if you install the material but don't seal it, you'll end up with stains. The initial sealing is easy enough to remember since you're doing a bunch of work on the countertop anyway. However, it is not so easy to remember that the material needs to be sealed again within a few years (depending on the manufacturer, you may see values between two to five years or so). And of course, it will need to be sealed again a few years after that. The resealing process is relatively fast and should not create a major disturbance like remodeling. You can discuss resealing with the kitchen remodelers. Just remember that it has to be done, lest that granite start to look grungy in several years.

Snatching Shirt Sides

This is an unusual issue for smooth stone, but it does happen with granite because of how the countertops are shaped. If you are getting countertops where the top and sides are smooth, but then there's a sharp angle inward on the underside of the countertop's overhang, that edge can snag T-shirt material and create little holes. Many a user has become alarmed, thinking they had clothing moths, when in fact it was just a snag from the countertop (if the holes are only along the waistband of your shirt, that's a sign). What's happening is that, as you lean forward and move along the counter, your shirt can snag on the rougher material at the edge. You may want to ask the remodelers about shaping the countertops so that the underside edge is more rounded and smooth.

Seeing Something

One more issue that unsuspecting kitchen inhabitants have to deal with is cleaning. Granite is very easy to clean. But the darker mottled patterns that you often see can hide crumbs. Conversely, the pattern can make you think that there are crumbs when there really aren't any. The solution for this has two parts. One is to work out a cleaning routine that ensures you know the counter is clean. The other is to find a lighter, non-brown color that helps you see real mess but that does not make you think the mess is there when it's not. Granite comes in a wide range of shades and patterns, so you'll definitely have a choice.

The remodeling company that's working in your kitchen can help you with all of these issues. In the end, the negatives are small and the positives large, and you'll really enjoy granite once you've taken care of these minor issues.

Contact a company like Plastic Line Mfg Inc for more information and assistance. 

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12 February 2018

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