[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by Ohiogirl

Agree that granite is a lot easier than Heloise made it out to be. I loved my granite in Ohio, which I had for 5 years, didn't do anything to it other than clean it. Planning on getting it installed here when our laminate countertops start showing some wear. I have also had Corian in a previous home - scratched and stained, would never get that again.

My issue with quartz products is that I just don't like the look of them as much - the ones I have seen are very uniform, don't have the granite swirls and patterns that make each one unique.

I agree. Stay clear of black galaxy granite because it shows fingerprints and water marks. I love this granite in new house, and just because I am germ aware, I cut on a cutting board that goes into the dishwasher. Granite is beautiful and cleans with soap and water.

[OpusX1]

I read Heloise today and she is just wrong. She says not to put a hot pot on granite? Why will it burn or melt? No.
Water does not spot it like she says. Ours has never been spotted by wine or oil. We just wipe off the granite with a wet dish cloth.
Sealing it is very easy, just wipe on, that's it.
Pretty much the only thing that can hurt it is a hammer.
The manufactured stone is great too.
Marble is much softer and and will stain so stay away from marble for the kitchen.
We do use a cutting board and do not cut on the granite, it will really dull a knife.

[Cateca]

The secret is to have granite sealed well. We had ours installed and sealed by ARS Granite and Marble, Fruitland Park, and despite my, for ex., allowing soy sauce to sit on the counter overnight, no stains have resulted. Just wipe daily and enjoy, that is my take.

[rubicon]

My wife read Heloise and said she was right. since my wife can never be wrong then I will have to say my wife is spot on.

Having said that granite is not difficult to maintain. Sealing it perodically is key and i believe dripping waer at the time of sealing is waht Heloise may be saying as you need to keep water off ofit while the sealant dries.. We seal our granite annually. We have granite in the kitchen and bathrooms. They hold up well

We had silestone i our home in Minnesota. It is great stuff. The only drawback on silestone is that it will show scratches

I may take the sugeestion from the poster who recommended Simple Green

[SALYBOW]

Originally Posted by cquick

Did anyone ready Heloise this morning in the Daily Sun? She had an article about granite countertops. We are getting ready to meet with the design team, and we planned to use granite, but from Heloise's suggested care, it sounds like granite is very delicate.....no water can be dripped on it, it must be sealed, you can't clean it with regular cleaners, no lemon juice or other acidic liquids can be on it.

I am afraid that we might ruin the counters! I love the look, but.....

anybody got advice? I know granite counters are really popular!

Help! Connie

I have granite and it came pre-sealed. I do nothing extra for it. I don't do any of the things Heloise does and mine looks great. This is the second home in which I've had it. I LOVE IT!

[batman911]

I have been told that the sealers used on granite today are much better and last longer than before. Maybe some of the bad news was from earlier products that were not as effective or long lasting.

[justanormalgirl]

We have granite countertops in our 4th home now and I wouldn't have anything else. They are easy to care for and we have had no trouble with water...if you miss a little splash or something it soaks into the stone and disappears. We had them sealed when they were installed and the installer told me to wipe them down with windex and a soft cloth so that's what I do and I've never had a problem. If you do have something soak into the stone there is a product that you can use to pull it out.

[jaj111]

Are granite came with a 15 year sealer already applied. We just wipe are spills and have never had any problems.

[cquick]

Originally Posted by BmoreGal

Hi Cquick - I opted out on granite in my past 2 homes for the reasons you stated. Granite, while not overly maintance needy, does need attention. You must seal it annually to prevent stains from seeping into it.

I have Silestone, and LOVE IT. It is maintanance free, I can sit a hot pot on it, cut on it, and it has the look and feel of granite. As it is impervious to absorbing anything, it does not hold germs, or odors...

Something to think about. Cost is about the same as Granite.

Good luck with your choices.

THANKS! That is exactly what I am thinking of!

Connie

[cquick]

Originally Posted by l2ridehd

Granite is VERY easy to care for, clean and is virtually indestructible. The only caution is red wine and olive oil and those are only an issue if left over night. And even that can be fixed. The first home that I did in granite, I had them make a cutting board from the sink cut out. Made it 16 X 24 with a beveled edge. I cut on it, set hot pans on it, spilled stuff, cleaned it with soap and water, put it in the sink, everything you are not supposed to do. Had more problems with the rubber feet I put on the bottom then anything else. After 8 years I sold the home and left the cutting board as the people wanted it because it still looked just as good as the counter. Only issue was it was a really heavy cutting board.

THANKS! I love the options you all are giving me!

[cquick]

Originally Posted by shcisamax

I have granite in my kitchen which was here when I bought the house and I am a mess of a cook. I have never had any problem. I will say when I had new granite done for vanities in the baths, the only requirement was to initially apply a sealer. Took me about 1/2 hour to do the three coats. Done. It really comes down to what your preferences are but if you are concerned about mainaining it, don't be.

So, it's the sealer on granite that makes all the difference. I didn't realize that.

[cquick]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

I agree. Stay clear of black galaxy granite because it shows fingerprints and water marks. I love this granite in new house, and just because I am germ aware, I cut on a cutting board that goes into the dishwasher. Granite is beautiful and cleans with soap and water.

I wouldn't cut on granite, but the article in the newspaper did shake me up a bit, since I planned to put granite in my new house. I am a messy cook, I NEED to clean my counters! Good to know that a coat of sealer will do the trick.

Connie

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by Happinow

Was Heloise saying that no water can be dripped on granite??? I find that hard to believe. Why would a product be put in any kitchen that can't have water on it? I've never heard of it and have never heard of anyone saying you can't get water on it.

I think Heloise may be getting a bad rap! I just read the article and didn't see a comment that "no water can be dripped on granite". Nevertheless, this has been an interesting discussion.

[justanormalgirl]

Oh, I forgot about a cutting board...

We kind of did the same thing but used a thinner tile that matched our granite and you can put sticky felt on the bottom so it doesn't scratch, we also had a friend make wooden frames around some of them so they looked nice for trivets...you can make matching coasters the same way...but smaller

I didn't make one for this house though, I use a flexible cutting mat for chopping things.

We just picked up our new bathroom vanity top yesterday and the second one has to be custom made for the wonky little sink in that bathroom...so, there is no issue with granite and water. Oh, you can actually get a kitchen sink made from real granite too so water can't possibly be an issue...you have to build up under your sink for extra support and they are quite pricey but they sure look nice!

[Golfer in Sanibel]

BS ALERT!!! There are absolutely no problems like this with granite. It's absurd to say granite burns. Stone burns?? We have had granite for 7 years and have had none of these problems. The only precaution we take is to use a granite cleaner. It cleans and seals. We buy it at the grocery store. Our granite is as beautiful as the day we bought it and I set hot pans on it all the time. We have ordered granite for our new home in TV. Black granite will show fingerprints and can be a problem if fingerprints concern you but so will stainless steel. Quartz is very nice too but a little more pricey. I agree with the Villager who said to talk to the professionals in counter tops, ask about the advantages and disadvantages and then make your best decision.