Granite Counter Top FAQ's

Can I cut on my Granite countertop?
Granite is harder than your knife blades. Always cut and chop on a wooden or plastic cutting board.

Can my granite top be damaged?
Like any solid surface, high impact blows can harm granite. Because of its crystalline structure, it can chip if subjected to sharp hard objects. Heat from pots and pans or burning liquids will not affect granite under normal circumstances.

How do I clean my granite tops?
Granite is a very durable stone. It is also much harder than marble. Granite itself is approximately 95-98% stain resistant but, we use a silicone impregnator on all of our natural stone products. This will insure lasting life and beauty. Polished granite should receive the same cleaning care as polished marble, using a mild phosphate-free, biodegradable liquid dish-soap, soap flakes or powder which contains no aromatics. Followed by a thorough rinsing and drying with cotton-flannel or chamois.

Will my granite look like the online sample?
The samples you see on the computer have been scanned and saved as digital images. The color tones may not be absolutely correct due to variations in computer systems, monitors and compression algorithms. Also, granite is a natural material with naturally occurring variations in color, tone, granularity, pattern, etc. These variations are expected and are the source of its natural beauty.

Does granite stain?
In general, no. All stone, however, 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.

Can I set hot pot on my granite countertop?
Granite is formed by extreme heat and pressure combined beneath the earths crust. It can not be affected by heat from a cook top or frying pan. A lit flame placed under the granite will have no melting effect and will not leave any burned or scarred marks.

Can granite chip?
Only in cases of sever abuse with a hammer or impact tool. A chip can be filled with a granite dust and epoxy mixture. If a chip occurs on your countertop, do not throw out the chipped pieces. We can use them to fix the countertop, so that no one will be able to tell it was ever chipped.

Do granite seams show?
Because granite is a natural material and is mined from the quarry in blocks usually no more than 10? long, you will most likely end up with seams. Also, because granite is sold in rectangular pieces, you may want to use seams to reduce your costs, such as in an ?L? shaped corner. The visibility of seams will depend on the granularity, color and pattern.

How are seams made?
Seams are done where the two pieces of stone are put together. The seams are joined with epoxy that is mixed with the color that matches the stone. Then the joined area is smoothened, leaving only a very thin line visible.

Does granite burn?
No. You can’t burn it with ordinary use.

Can granite crack?
No, not with regular use. Granite is most susceptible to cracks during shipping and installation. Normal use will not overstress this durable material.

Can granite cantilever?
You can cantilever granite up to 14" 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.

What is the difference between granite and marble?
The main difference between granite and marble is that granite is a highly dense material composed deep inside the earth?s core while marble is formed from sediments under the seabed. Both solidify into stone after millions of years but the mineral composition of the two stones makes marble and granite react differently to various chemicals and household cleaners.