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BOOST YOUR GRANITE KNOWLEDGE: UNDERSTANDING THE MANY STYLE CHOICES

There’s no time like right now to learn more about the many advantages of granite. Are you remodeling soon or undertaking a complete kitchen or bathroom reno? Maybe you’re still in the dreaming process. Whatever your reasons, enjoy this blog that will boost your granite knowledge!

GRANITE THROUGH THE AGES

People have used granite as a construction material for a very long time. The ancient Egyptians were among the first to know the advantages of granite, with famous structures like the Red Pyramid (circa 2590 BC) and the Great Pyramid of Giza (circa 2580 BC), which were once majestically polished works of granite that have withstood thousands of years.

These days, we may not be fashioning granite sarcophaguses fit for a pharaoh in our homes, but we do have many style choices that offer different benefits to fit anyone’s needs. Let’s check granite out some more.

THE BENEFITS OF GRANITE

Any real estate agent will tell you that a home’s value lies in an updated kitchen or bathroom. There’s also tremendous prestige when you have granite countertops installed in these spaces.

Granite slabs get graded on a scale of one to five based on their pattern, color, and thickness. While the advantages of granite thickness are generally worth the expense, you can price out a thinner slab of granite and still get your value back at resale.

If you have a young family or entertain quite a bit in the kitchen, a hard-surfaced granite slab countertop is resistant to both scratches and heat.

STYLES OF GRANITE

Granite is timeless, and with a properly installed and sealed countertop, homeowners will enjoy the long-lasting advantages of granite surfaces for a long time.

There are a few granite styles to choose from:

POLISHED GRANITE

For many years, polished granite countertops remained the most popular countertop of choice in homes and businesses, and quite frankly, polished granite will never go out of style.

But different granite countertop styles are now appearing in design magazines and showrooms, and the great news is, these styles generally offer the same advantages as polished granite.

HONED GRANITE

It’s called “honed granite” because it comes in a matte finish instead of the traditional high gloss of polished granite.

Some people prefer honed granite because its soft, cool-to-the-touch surface is just as durable and resistant to heat and scratches as polished granite. And the low gloss minimizes any tiny imperfections that may befall a well-loved and used countertop over time.

Honed granite and polished granite both come in various color palettes to satisfy any design plans. The resale value of polished or honed granite is one of the most significant advantages of granite.

It’s important to remember to reseal polished or honed granite countertops on occasion to ward off stains.

MODULAR GRANITE

There are advantages to modular granite in that it’s easier to install. Modular granite slabs are considerably thinner, making them less expensive. Most DIY kitchen projects involve modular granite countertops, and better quality modular granite countertops can be scratch-resistant.

Beware of some modular granite countertops that appear to have the advantages of granite because there are disadvantages too. Modular granite is more prone to cracking, it may have visible seams, and it generally only comes in a square, bullnose design, unsuitable for a custom kitchen. Modular granite might not offer the same resale value as honed or polished granites either.

WHITE GRANITE AS A MARBLE ALTERNATIVE

Marble may be the crème de la crème of luxurious materials, but marble comes at a cost, and the truth is, it’s not a cinch to maintain.

If you’re craving the clean lines and chicness of marble, the advantages of a white granite countertop are many. White granite is just as elegant and durable as marble, and it’s easier to maintain too.

Bear in mind that granite comes from the hardest and oldest natural stone. The look and graining of granite occur over thousands of years as molten rocks cooled and solidified.

Because of this, a “pure white” without flecks in the granite doesn’t exist. But that’s another advantage of granite, the variations adding richness and character to your countertop.

A white kitchen remains a timeless favorite, and it fits the needs of anyone looking for a contemporary, sophisticated, or classic style.

WE KNOW THE ADVANTAGES OF GRANITE

Your dream kitchen or bath deserves the finest design, materials, and workmanship. We are professionals who understand your needs, and we pride ourselves on making your dream home plans come true.

FOUR REASONS YOU SHOULD PICK CUSTOM COUNTERTOPS FOR YOUR BATHROOM

The countertops in our homes are the surfaces that most catch our eyes, set a mood, and invite us in. They coordinate our rooms and living spaces with color, material, cut, and size. Custom countertops provide homeowners the opportunity to create a one-of-a-kind interior space—and the bathroom is a perfect room to start with.

In the kitchen, customer countertops have to be functional. Because of the regular wear that kitchen counters undergo, a practical material wins over a stunning custom piece. In the bathroom, you can have the best of both worlds.

Create a bold statement with a custom ceramic counter that invites guests into the room—without having to compromise on premade materials or sizes. That’s just one option. Here are four reasons that you should pick custom countertops for your bathroom.

BATHROOM COUNTERTOPS TAKE LESS WEAR AND TEAR

Both kitchens and bathrooms are excellent sites for custom countertops. The benefits of choosing custom over readymade apply to both areas.

But kitchens have an added function in the home which demands that the counters be firstly practical and durable. Bathroom counters don’t usually have to endure serrated knives and marble rolling pins.

Why not take advantage of the bathroom’s less functional (but still functional) countertop needs by installing a custom piece that suits you and your family’s vision? Since you won’t be restricted to choosing heavier-duty materials as you would in the kitchen, you’re open to trying other options.

Cultured marble is one such material. It offers lots of color and backsplash options that you wouldn’t usually see in a kitchen with lots of cooking going on.

Having the freedom to choose finer materials in the bathroom has other benefits too. In the bathroom, you can experiment with different tile sizes and grout colors. Today, tile is at the forefront of innovations that have increased tile sizes, allowing you to decorate with unique designs. Custom countertops are one of the best ways to try out new interior decor ideas.

IT’S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A STATEMENT PIECE

Speaking of decor, the size and frequent use of the bathroom also allows for even more expressive freedom in the home. Generally speaking, the bathroom’s smaller, more condensed size offers lots of opportunities to make a statement with custom countertops.

Say goodbye to the mid-century days when most homes shared a common bathroom design template—small tiles with lots of grout, for instance. Now the bathroom is a space where you can bring together personal taste, durable materials, and stunning design choices.

Solid-surface materials like Corian and Avonite are easy to mold to any custom counter size. These surfaces simulate natural stone. Likewise, granite is now within reach of any homeowner looking for a classic, timeless style without excessive prices. Given the bathroom’s smaller size and central position in the home, you can think of it as the center stage too.

THE CHOICES ARE NEARLY ENDLESS

We’ve come a long way from the time when bathroom counters didn’t come in many varieties. Laminate, ceramic tile, or cultured marble—these were the primary options. Now it’s easier than ever to select custom countertops to suit your mood, decor choices, and budget.

Laminates are inexpensive and come in thousands of colors, patterns, and cuts. Though they are not as friendly for DIY builders, a custom fabricator can transform a bathroom with laminate. Compared to the plastic laminates of two or three decades ago, the technology has developed by leaps and bounds.

Besides ceramic tile, where your options for backsplashes are only limited by your imagination, there are other materials too. The once-premium-priced solid surface (now much more reasonable) comes in dozens of colors and cuts. Now you can have a premium stone-like look in your bathroom without the added costs.

SET THE TONE IN YOUR BATHROOM REFUGE

The bathroom holds a central place in any home. It gets more regular use than any other room, and your family and guests will likely spend their fair share of time looking at the countertop. Your visitors will leave impressed when they enter the bathroom and see a custom counter.

In the bathroom, you don’t only want to give the impression of style and a welcoming tone. It’s also important to present a clean and hygienic surface. Custom counters ensure that you have the exact material, color, and cut to ensure visitors of a welcoming bathroom.

In larger rooms where the cost of custom installations might be prohibitive, the bathroom is smaller and centrally located. It’s the ideal space to display a mood of calm and cleanliness with custom countertops.

IN CLOSING..

Whether you’re looking for a smaller area of the home to install a top-quality marble counter, or you have a dream to create a cohesive design in one room, the bathroom is best.

Experimenting with crushed glass or trendy concrete is easiest achieved with bathroom countertops. In the bathroom, you have a space to create a refuge for the benefit of friends and family.

MAN-MADE OR NATURAL STONE? WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT QUARTZ COUNTERTOPS

Quartz countertops have only grown in popularity since their initial rise in the 1990s. Some of the main reasons it’s such a popular choice among those doing renovations or remodels is its durability, nonporous nature, and wide range of available colors and patterns.

But is quartz a man-made stone, or is it natural, like granite and marble? Although that’s the most common question customers ask us, it isn’t the only one. Sometimes these questions are about the design choices or the difference between quartz and quartzite. Read on to learn what you need to know about quartz countertops.

MAN-MADE OR NATURAL STONE?

Quartz is a naturally occurring stone, but when it comes to countertops, it’s not the only element present. When countertop manufacturers make quartz countertops, they have to add resin, pigments, and sometimes recycled glass, along with the main constituent, quartz sand or aggregate, to achieve the quartz look we all know and love.

The process for making quartz countertops is relatively simple on paper, but it requires a lot of work to achieve such refined finished products. First, manufacturers measure the amount of quartz sand or aggregate they need to add to the countertop, usually around 90 percent of the total weight of the countertop.

Manufacturers reserve the remaining 6–10 percent of the mass for resin and pigments. They vary the amount of resin and pigment in quartz due to how much sand or aggregate they use. If the countertop needs a higher percentage of sand, then it needs more resin to hold the countertop together. The whole mixture is then set in a mold to achieve the countertop of your choosing.

You may be asking yourself, why do they add resin and pigments? Since quartz sand or aggregate make up quartz countertops, they need a substance that helps bind all the particulates together. Manufacturers add pigments to help you achieve the look you want, whether that’s a classic marble or deep granite.

So, is quartz a man-made stone? Yes, because it uses sand or aggregate along with resin and pigments to achieve the abundance of patterns and designs found in quartz countertops. Since manufacturers perform this process, quartz is a man-made stone.

Man-made stone is built to look good and last. It’s tough, it won’t crack like granite, and it’s made to be durable enough to withstand everyday use!

QUARTZITE VS. QUARTZ: WAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

Quartzite and quartz share many of the same qualities, but one major difference—quartzite is naturally occurring, while quartz is a manufactured stone.

Quartz countertops use the same material as quartzite as their main constituent (quartz sand or aggregate), but in the case of quartzite, the earth binds these materials together with naturally occurring forces in the ground. All that countertop sellers need to do is cut the stone to the right shapes and proportions to make quartzite into a beautiful countertop.

Quartz, in contrast, needs to have resin as a binding agent to hold all the sand or aggregate material together. That process also requires a mold, which quartzite doesn’t need since it’s a naturally occurring stone.

QUARTZ DESIGNS AND STYLES

One of the best parts of quartz being a man-made stone is the abundance of design choices you get to choose from. Due to the pigments they use in manufacturing, quartz makers can choose from almost pure white countertops to dark, speckled versions.

Most of the time, people use quartz to mimic more expensive natural stones. Quartz is among the best choices for achieving the unique designs of a marble or granite countertop. Some of the best quartz countertops look like

  • marble

  • granite

  • soapstone

  • quartzite

  • polished concrete

If you have a look you want to see in your kitchen, you can’t go wrong with quartz! Since manufacturers can make quartz look like any other stone, you can use it without breaking the bank.

LOOKING TO REMODEL YOUR KITCHEN? MAKE SURE WE’RE THE FIRST YOU CALL!

So you’re thinking about remodeling your kitchen? Or maybe your wooden butcher-block countertops finally rotted, and you’re just looking for a replacement? At Bella Casa Countertops and Stone, we have a wide variety of quartz countertops to choose from.

With our advice, you’ll see that choosing a countertop is a breeze. Our professional team will guide you through the process and help you choose the quartz countertop of your dreams. You can get a free quote here, and we’ll be happy to assist you with any other countertop needs you may have.

SIX STEPS TO PERFECTLY SEALED MARBLE COUNTERTOPS

With marble and other porous countertop materials, sealing the surface from liquids is vital. By looking at marble, it’s hard to picture such a robust, classic stone getting stained. Yet marble can stain. Kitchen countertops are especially prone to stain since they’re near water all the time.

So, let’s clear up all the secrets to properly sealing marble countertops. In the following six steps, we’re going to break down a simple, fool-proof method for assuring your marble is sealed up from all stains and liquids.

GATHER YOUR MATERIALS

Before we get started, we’re going to need a few basic items. Besides the marble cleaner and sealer (which we’ll discuss in a moment), you’ll need the following:

  • Three to four soft rags, small towels, or cloths

  • A container with a wide-mouthed opening

  • A foam brush to apply the sealer

For a marble cleaner, we recommend one with a spray applicator. A rub-on cleaner is also manageable, but spray cleaner disperses the solution more uniformly in general.

Marble sealers come in several varieties matching how you want to treat your marble counter. Impregnating sealers are best for marble because they effectively slow liquid absorption without sitting on top of the marble itself. Also, be sure your brand is food-safe (for obvious reasons). Finally, check the fine print to ensure that your sealer of choice is both oil and water repellant. With both types of protection, you’re more likely to avoid a rare stain or etching.

CLEAR OFF THE COUNTER

Now, before cleaning the marble, remove all items from the countertop surface and scrape away any food grime or stubborn messes. Although it might be tempting to give the surface a wipe-over with a wet towel, don’t. If you apply water, you’ll just have to wait for it to dry again.

PREP CLEAN

With the surface dusted off and scraped clean, it’s time to apply a specialty marble cleaner. Strictly speaking, this stage isn’t critical to the sealing process, but we find it provides a better finish.

Spray the entire surface evenly with the cleaner solution. If you don’t have any cleaner on hand, some marble countertop owners have used acetone in the past. It evaporates quickly and works just as well as some cleaners to leave the marble surface ready for sealing. Buff dry.

APPLY STONE SEALER

Before opening the sealer, ensure that you’re in a well-ventilated area. Sealers contain lots of VOCs and other chemicals that can have bad health effects if smelled in closed spaces. Open the windows and perch a fan on the kitchen table to get a good airflow going.

Using your wide-mouthed container, pour in a small pool of sealer–just enough to cover your brush. Apply the sealer with even strokes, vertically or horizontally, so that each stroke overlaps an inch or so. Let it sit for fifteen minutes.

Continue around the marble, keeping your paintbrush fully loaded with the sealer with each stroke.

If you’re applying stone sealer with a spray bottle, use a generous amount. The goal is to cover every inch of the marble evenly without missing any areas. Likewise, let the spray sealer sit for fifteen minutes.

DRY AND OBSERVE

As the sealant sits on the marble for fifteen minutes, take the time to observe the surface as the sealer dries. If you don’t let the sealant dry long enough, it won’t have the waterproofing strength you need. If you let the sealant dry too long, you’ll likely get a smoky, temporary residue covering the surface.

If you don’t notice that the marble has absorbed the sealant in five to ten minutes, that’s fine. It’s just a sign that you need to apply another coat of sealant.

REST FOR 24 HOURS

Now your marble countertop should be up and ready for the next few months of heavy-duty baking and cooking. After fifteen minutes have passed, you’ve completed the sealing process.

However, hold back from placing any items on the marble for at least twenty-four hours. This extra time serves to protect your marble as it absorbs the sealant entirely over a longer period.

SUMMARY

With our marble sealing method, we hope we answered all your questions about the process. In fact, it’s a relatively simple procedure once you learn how to apply the paintbrush—and be patient for twenty-four hours before piling up around the marble countertop. You’ll soon have a virtually oilproof and waterproof counter ready to face months of use.

FIVE THINGS YOU SHOULD NEVER DO TO YOUR KITCHEN COUNTERTOPS

Kitchen countertops are available in many types. And cleaning the countertops differs from one type to another. If you want your kitchen countertops to remain in tip-top condition, then consider the following:

1. Don’t Use Harsh Pads to Scrub Quartz

Quartz, also known as engineered stone, is one of the most popular countertop materials due to its many benefits, including diverse options, magnificent appearance, and ease of cleaning and maintenance. In addition, it’s stain resistant and customizable into a variety of sizes and shapes.

Nevertheless, quartz is not resistant to scratching. That means you should steer clear of cleaning it with harsh cleaning aids such as steel wool or Brillo pads. As much as the scratchy surfaces of such pads come in handy when cleaning tough spills and stains, they’re not suitable for materials such as quartz. Using them can cause scratches or even permanent dents.

2. Avoid Acidic Cleaners on Granite and Marble

Another popular countertop material is granite. It’s durable, tough, and has a sleek and sophisticated look.

However, granite is highly porous, which explains why you’ll find granite countertops covered with a seal. As long as you maintain the seal and take good care of it, granite will remain in good condition.

To avoid wearing off or damaging the seal, you should keep off acidic cleaners like lemon, vinegar, and lime; cleaning your granite countertop with these materials will undoubtedly cost you.

Marble is a natural stone, and it hates acid. Remember, marble is calcium carbonate, and when it comes to contact with acid, the reaction is detrimental—it dissolves. Also, acidic cleaners will scratch and etch marble, ruining your kitchen countertop surface.

3. Don’t Store Cleaning Supplies on Your Countertops

Of course, cleanliness in the kitchen is paramount. And while most people will see the kitchen countertop as a convenient place to store their cleaning supplies, we highly recommend you avoid this. Instead, keep all stuff to do with cleaning under the sinks.

Additionally, according to health experts, chemicals contained in the cleaning agents should never come into close contact or mix with food. So it goes without saying that cleaning agents should be kept far away from countertops. It’s not something you can take chances on because can you imagine contaminating your food with some cleaning fluid from a leaky container? You stand the risk of poisoning your entire family!

So to be on the safe side, avoid placing your potentially toxic cleaning supplies on countertops of whatever kind. Instead, keep them as far as possible away from where you prepare your meals.

4. Avoid Ceramic Knives on Porcelain Countertops

Porcelain countertops are scratch proof. However, this doesn’t apply to ceramic knives. These knives can scratch porcelain, damaging your countertop.

I know some retailers claim you can use ceramic knives on all types of countertops. However, don’t listen to people who claim that you can chop and slice vegetables directly on the countertops.

When using ceramic knives, it’s always advisable to use a cutting board. In fact, this should apply to all types of countertops.

Remember, although porcelain is durable, it doesn’t mean such countertops are indestructible. Take caution.

5. Don’t Put Too Much Weight on Marble Countertops

We’re not saying marble isn’t a strong material. It’s just not as strong as granite. Therefore, you should keep away heavy items from marble countertops and avoid excessive impact.

Marble is a relatively fragile stone, and too much weight on it can break or shatter it easily.

Additionally, avoid setting stuff on top of a marble countertop, and refrain from banging anything weighty on the counters. For instance, you shouldn’t flatten meat with a mallet on marble countertops because it will cause more harm than good.

It’s also important to note that you should always use a chopping or cutting board on your kitchen counter boards. Further, avoid using kitchen countertops as a place where you keep hot pans and pots. That way, you’ll maintain your countertops in tip-top condition.

Want to Furnish Your Kitchen with New Countertops?

If you’re considering remodeling your kitchen, look no further. We offer a wide variety of granite, quartz, marble, porcelain, and quartzite countertops. We’ll transform your kitchen and make it the true heart and center of your home by customizing the countertops to fit your lifestyle.

At Bella Casa Countertops, our countertop and stone experts design, plan, and install kitchen countertops at an affordable price.

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