Kitchen Worktops - Granite Kitchen Worktops - Things to know

Common Granite Countertop Problems 

Granite countertops are a major investment for most homeowners. In fact, most owners make the investment without taking the time to understand a few very basic granite countertop problems and how to avoid them.

Not knowing the basics when it comes to properly caring for your granite countertops can be a very costly mistake.

The first thing you should realize and keep in mind is that granite is a stone that is by no means invulnerable to damage of any kind. Just as Superman had Kryptonite, granite has weak defenses against acid. This is not limited to acidic cleaning products but includes common kitchen items such as vinegar, alcohol, and orange juice.

To avoid these types of granite countertop problems you should always use coasters beneath your drinks, wipe up any spills immediately, and use mild neutral cleaning products on your countertops.

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When considering granite countertop problems, acid is not the only thing that mars the lovely surface of our shiny granite countertops. You should also take great care to avoid setting hot pots, plates, coffee pots, or baking pans directly onto your countertops. Use trivets to absorb the heat and avoid costly repairs.

You should also avoid placing china and other objects that may scratch and/or dull your service onto your countertops as well. If you do find that your granite has been scratched it is probably in your best interest to either consult a professional in order to remove it or simply learn to live with it.

Keeping Your Granite Countertops Clean

One of the most common granite countertop problems is actually keeping them clean. We live in our kitchens and so much occurs on these countertops daily that they require constant cleaning and care on our parts. The good news is that this is no problem if you are using the proper cleaning products and avoiding abrasive cleaners. The downside is that if you do not take care when cleaning you may actually damage your countertops. The first thing you should do is make sure to clean up all spills quickly and completely. Allowing liquid to sit on your granite countertops is simply inviting them to penetrate the surface where they will be nearly, if not completely, impossible to remove.

You should also take great care that you are using only mild detergents that have no acidic properties (this means no vinegar or citrus based cleaners), no scouring properties (this means cleaners like Comet powder cleaners), and soft clean cloths in order to get the job done.

I strongly recommend that you discuss cleaning options and recommendations with the manufacturer of your countertops and follow their instructions. Many countertop makers design their own line of cleaning products that are designed specifically for the purpose of maximizing the life and beauty of their products. This may be a little more expensive than some of the other cleaners on the market but is far less costly than purchasing a new granite slab in order to replace your countertops.

Proper Care

Proper care can go a long way towards avoiding common granite countertop problems. If you take small steps each and every day to protect your countertops and prolong their life and good looks you will save yourself a lot of money, time, and effort down the road by eliminating the need to replace your countertops as frequently.

by Jit

Kitchen worktops - Stone Worktops - Granite or Quartz?

How to Choose the Best Finish for Your Kitchen  

Stone worktops are all the rage these days. They're everlasting, they look amazing and they add a real touch of solidity to the finish of a kitchen. They are also available in about as many colours, hues and mixtures of stone type as a person could care to name - which makes choosing the right one pretty tricky. In general, the choice is between granite worktops and quartz worktops - but even here there are hundreds of variations, shades and types. So how does a person successfully choose the right worktop for his or her kitchen?

As a basic rule: quartz surfaces tend to be more "uniform" - i.e. they display a single colour or hue; while granite surfaces have a speckled effect (the speckles are actually bits of quartz, confusingly enough). That's because granite in its natural form is composed of more than one type of rock - it will have strata of quartz, feldspar and mica in it, all of which lend it its distinctive glitzy appearance. Polished granite can appear almost reflective, so riotous are its displays of mineral flecking. Quartz worktops and granite worktops, then, are differentiated in the first instance by their general appearance: brash and bold for granite, understated and quiet for quartz. Don't forget, either, that quartz is mostly a pale mineral - which means that worktops made from quartz will appear white, or silvery, or even pearlescent, but very rarely dark.

One's first consideration, then, is pretty simple. Light or dark? Light worktops actually don't go well in as many schemes and situations as dark - so in order to choose quartz worktops one must be definitively sure that one's kitchen has the right amount of light and space to make paler materials work properly. Granite worktops, which vary around thematic shades of red and black, are much more likely to go everywhere: so only kitchens with a particular requirement for a paler work surface will be certain to need quartz. Everywhere else is guaranteed to look good with granite - while quartz is more of a gamble.

In general, granite can pretty much be tailored for any colour scheme. That's because there are hundreds of varying shades of granite, determined by the concentration of coloured minerals in its makeup. That makes variations possible from almost black through to bright pink. Just select the degree of colour intensity that suits your kitchen and personality best.

Quartz worktops, because of their paler colours, tend to work very well in bathrooms and shower rooms - where a "whiter" or lighter look is generally the norm. Remember that quality stone fittings don't just stop where the cooking finishes. There's nothing like stepping out of a hot shower into a gloriously fitted bathroom - and you don't get much more glorious than the pale sheen of a quartz sink top.

Kitchen or bathroom, a big deciding factor for any household material is cost. Here we find a small contradiction: granite worktops tend to be slightly cheaper than quartz worktops. That's because a lot of quartz surfaces are actually composited - which means they have been made as a blend of quartzes, to lend a certain hue or effect to the finished work surface. Granite work surfaces are hewn and polished as found, requiring less work and so less money. Either way, quartz or granite or even a bit of both, stone surfaces are back - and they look amazing.