is granite really "over"?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Granite is not bullet-proof, nor is it maintenance-free. Not sure where people are getting that idea? As a porous material, it can harbor bacteria. As a result, it should be sealed annually, although many people don't realize this and skimp on the upkeep. It also can stain. Even with sealing, the surface is only stain-resistant--not stain-proof. You’ll still need to quickly clean up any spills like coffee or wine. Materials like quartz and soapstone are non-porous and much better in this regard.

See here for some examples of what can happen:

http://www.finishing.com/113/03.shtml

I've had granite for more than 15 years in two different homes. Never sealed after first time. Lenny of juice and coffee spills, no stains.

+1 Never have had stains. I think newer granite is very well sealed before installing. I have certainly NEVER refinished mine, nor do I have a "hidden bacteria" problem. Laughable.

Lol. You do understand the meaning of the word "hidden", right?

If it's sealed and not absorbing stains...that would tend to indicate that it is not that porous, kwim? Also, most people don't set bloody meat directly on the counter top or cut raw chicken directly on the counter top (I don't care what kind of counter top you have). People use cutting boards for raw meat or they at least set it on a plate. Also, we wipe our counters down after cooking. Again, if you set raw meat on your counter tops and don't wipe them down regularly you are going to have bacteria issues - I don't care what type of counter top you have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Granite is not bullet-proof, nor is it maintenance-free. Not sure where people are getting that idea? As a porous material, it can harbor bacteria. As a result, it should be sealed annually, although many people don't realize this and skimp on the upkeep. It also can stain. Even with sealing, the surface is only stain-resistant--not stain-proof. You’ll still need to quickly clean up any spills like coffee or wine. Materials like quartz and soapstone are non-porous and much better in this regard.

See here for some examples of what can happen:

http://www.finishing.com/113/03.shtml

I've had granite for more than 15 years in two different homes. Never sealed after first time. Lenny of juice and coffee spills, no stains.

+1 Never have had stains. I think newer granite is very well sealed before installing. I have certainly NEVER refinished mine, nor do I have a "hidden bacteria" problem. Laughable.

Lol. You do understand the meaning of the word "hidden", right?

If it's sealed and not absorbing stains...that would tend to indicate that it is not that porous, kwim? Also, most people don't set bloody meat directly on the counter top or cut raw chicken directly on the counter top (I don't care what kind of counter top you have). People use cutting boards for raw meat or they at least set it on a plate. Also, we wipe our counters down after cooking. Again, if you set raw meat on your counter tops and don't wipe them down regularly you are going to have bacteria issues - I don't care what type of counter top you have.

+1 EWWW You don't expect the counters to be clean when you put bloody meat on them, do you? That is disgusting.

[Anonymous]

I'm going to drop a can of gasoline into this thread and add that we put in laminate and love it! Now you can all unite in your combined disgust. You're welcome.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm going to drop a can of gasoline into this thread and add that we put in laminate and love it! Now you can all unite in your combined disgust. You're welcome.

In my previous home I chose between corian and laminate, I chose laminate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love the durability of granite and really don't care if it's on trend. We've had it in our last two kitchens and most likely will have it in our next. The only other material I would consider is quartzite. All the other options are mentioned above are too high maintenance for me.

Considering all the posts, I am surprised there are only two mentions of quartzite. It has a similar appearance to marble, but is even harder than granite. One other poster said they were worried about the faux quartzites (which are really marbles) that some retailers try to pass off as the real deal.

If you want a beautiful looking material that is very low maintenance, check out quartzite.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If it's sealed and not absorbing stains...that would tend to indicate that it is not that porous, kwim? Also, most people don't set bloody meat directly on the counter top or cut raw chicken directly on the counter top (I don't care what kind of counter top you have). People use cutting boards for raw meat or they at least set it on a plate. Also, we wipe our counters down after cooking. Again, if you set raw meat on your counter tops and don't wipe them down regularly you are going to have bacteria issues - I don't care what type of counter top you have.

Except people are fulling admitting that they don't seal, because sealing every year like you're supposed to is a pain in the butt. Sorry but that's just gross. Who doesn't drip food on their counters from time?

[Anonymous]

We have granite workstation and I hate it. It is very cold against the elbow when using the laptop. I have to put a towel on it. It maybe beautiful, but if it is hard like granite, quartzite or what ever, it will be very cold, especially in the winter. Next time we will do wood block.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If it's sealed and not absorbing stains...that would tend to indicate that it is not that porous, kwim? Also, most people don't set bloody meat directly on the counter top or cut raw chicken directly on the counter top (I don't care what kind of counter top you have). People use cutting boards for raw meat or they at least set it on a plate. Also, we wipe our counters down after cooking. Again, if you set raw meat on your counter tops and don't wipe them down regularly you are going to have bacteria issues - I don't care what type of counter top you have.

Except people are fulling admitting that they don't seal, because sealing every year like you're supposed to is a pain in the butt. Sorry but that's just gross. Who doesn't drip food on their counters from time?

Honestly, I think you have a irrational obsession with bacteria. My granite is not resealed every year, I always use a cutting board, and I wash the counter afterwards with warm water and dish soap. Occasionally, I clean the countertop with method granite cleaner. We have never had a foodbourne illness. If you are a germaphobe, go with the quartz with the anti-bacterial built in. Most of us are not so 'grossed out" by the existence of bacteria.

[Anonymous]

This debate is exactly why we skipped the granite and went for something non-porous. Granite is just too high-maintenance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This debate is exactly why we skipped the granite and went for something non-porous. Granite is just too high-maintenance.

soapstone is porous, what did you pick, quartz?

[Anonymous]

Solidarity, laminate person. We LOVE our butcherblock, which we have had for five years. Sealed it with tung oil and it's waterproof -- even around the sink. We re-oil once a year or so.

We got two large stained rings from hot pots. Oh no! Got out an electric sander and fifteen minutes later they were gone. Bam. Re-oiled that area and were good to go.

1.5" oak cost less than $500. We got it as a temporary countertop until we could afford the soapstone I craved with my white cabinets. Now we just can't get motivated to replace it because it has been so great, and the oak works so well with our craftsman home.

So: butcherblock is high maintenance if you don't initially seal it, I guess? We did 6-8 coats of tung oil, and maybe if you skimp it's a problem? But five years in our oak is still lookin' good, and it was dirt cheap.

P.S. We don't cut directly on it, but I can't imagine cutting directly on any countertop.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Solidarity, laminate person. We LOVE our butcherblock, which we have had for five years. Sealed it with tung oil and it's waterproof -- even around the sink. We re-oil once a year or so.

We got two large stained rings from hot pots. Oh no! Got out an electric sander and fifteen minutes later they were gone. Bam. Re-oiled that area and were good to go.

1.5" oak cost less than $500. We got it as a temporary countertop until we could afford the soapstone I craved with my white cabinets. Now we just can't get motivated to replace it because it has been so great, and the oak works so well with our craftsman home.

So: butcherblock is high maintenance if you don't initially seal it, I guess? We did 6-8 coats of tung oil, and maybe if you skimp it's a problem? But five years in our oak is still lookin' good, and it was dirt cheap.

P.S. We don't cut directly on it, but I can't imagine cutting directly on any countertop.

Some of us have busy lives and don't really want to baby, seal, oil our fragile soapstone and butcher blocks countertops

We have granite, sealed them once and haven't had any issue in years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Solidarity, laminate person. We LOVE our butcherblock, which we have had for five years. Sealed it with tung oil and it's waterproof -- even around the sink. We re-oil once a year or so.

We got two large stained rings from hot pots. Oh no! Got out an electric sander and fifteen minutes later they were gone. Bam. Re-oiled that area and were good to go.

1.5" oak cost less than $500. We got it as a temporary countertop until we could afford the soapstone I craved with my white cabinets. Now we just can't get motivated to replace it because it has been so great, and the oak works so well with our craftsman home.

So: butcherblock is high maintenance if you don't initially seal it, I guess? We did 6-8 coats of tung oil, and maybe if you skimp it's a problem? But five years in our oak is still lookin' good, and it was dirt cheap.

P.S. We don't cut directly on it, but I can't imagine cutting directly on any countertop.

Some of us have busy lives and don't really want to baby, seal, oil our fragile soapstone and butcher blocks countertops

We have granite, sealed them once and haven't had any issue in years.

?? I'm the poster you're replying to. We sealed it with a bunch of coats when it was installed and wipe it with a bit of oil MAYBE once a year. It's hardly babying them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This debate is exactly why we skipped the granite and went for something non-porous. Granite is just too high-maintenance.

soapstone is porous, what did you pick, quartz?

Soapstone is non-porous. Why do you think they use it in biology and chemistry labs? We strongly considered both but ultimately went with quartz because we wanted a lighter color.

http://granite-tops.liveeditaurora.com/pages/soapstone

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm going to drop a can of gasoline into this thread and add that we put in laminate and love it! Now you can all unite in your combined disgust. You're welcome.

In my previous home I chose between corian and laminate, I chose laminate.

Another person who chose laminate! But in my case, I did it because I knew at some point in the future I'd tear out the kitchen and start over. Of course, that was 8 years ago, LOL. The laminate looks good as new, and it only cost me $800, including installation. No regrets.