Granite Contertops

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I am thinking about getting new countertops. Not a must at this point but would be nice to refresh the look of the kitchen (about 8 year old cabinets)

I saw granite countertops at two friends' houses and both of them seemed very pleased with the results. They went through some specialized companies, but through a contractor from Home Depot or Lowes. They said those guys came and took exact measurements with some lasers, make sure the surfaces were flat, and several weeks later installed, and in one case where a crack/chip appeared, they replaced it no questions asked.

So now here are my questions:

-are there various types of granite, or it's all the same (except the color)? I heard that some of this stuff is not real granite, but something else that looks like granite

-will this stuff crack if you put a hot pot by mistake?

-around the sink there will be only 1" in the back (between sink and wall) and about 1" in the front. Will it crack here?

-The current countertop is like an "L" and the joint between these laminated boards is at 45 degree. Should I also do 45 degree or stick with right angles?

-I am also thinking about a new sink at the same time, I guess it will be a pain to replace it later. Maybe instead of one large sink get one of those dual sinks? pro, cons?

-I am not replacing appliances at this time, the dish washer will stay. I assume these are standard sizes and in the future the next one will fit right in the place of the existing one, or am I wrong?

there is a 5" gap between dishwasher and stove, and if I want a larger sink, it may make sense to move the dishwasher closer to the stove to make room for the new sink. Is there a minimum gap required between dishwasher and stove, or can I move them close to each other?

-back to the granite countertop, the existing countertop has a back-splash of about 3 1/2 inch. Would it make sense to ask them to see if I can make this taller, maybe 6"? there seems to be enough clearance that it would not cover outlets or switches

-finally, a realtor once told me some granite countertops are radioactive. True or BS?

-how do you clean and maintain a granite countertop, just wipe it or something else? someone mentioned about sealing a marble countertop, does granite require this or not?

Thanks

[davester]

That's a lot of questions. I can answer a few...

Geologically, granite is a plutonic rock of a specific composition. About 5% or the "granite" sold as countertops is actual granite. The rest of it is a variety of plutonic and metamorphic rocks, with an occasional really hard sandstone thrown in there. "Granite" in the countertop business is really just a trade name for any really hard rock containing a large proportion of silicates. There are literally hundreds of different types, some of them amazingly beautiful. Go to a specialty granite slab purveyor and you will see that the selection they have at Lowes and HD are absolutely pathetic.

Most "granites" are somewhat porous. They are not as bad as marble or limestone, but they will stain. Most people seal their granite countertops every few months or years.

Cracking occurs when you have a badly done installation.

The problem with dual sinks is that they are often too small so that you can't fit your largest pots/pans/roasting dishes in them.

I very much doubt that a hot pot will cause granite to crack since it was formed at several thousand degrees.

Many types of granitic rocks offgas minute quantities of radon. There has been research on this that has found that most granite countertops emit no detectable radon, or insignificant amounts. However, there have been a few that have been found to emit enough to be a mild concern. You can get test kits for radon fairly cheaply. Also, your granite supplier may have data available. A bigger question is, do you get a higher dose of radioactivity from the countertop or from the bananas sitting on it (bananas contain a lot of potassium, which emits radiation upon decay of potassium 40) or from the offgassing of the rocks beneath your home into your basement? Here's an article on radon from countertops: http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/granite.asp

[Robert M]

Sapce,

Some hopefulyl useful information...

> I am thinking about getting new countertops. Not a must
> at this point but would be nice to refresh the look of
> the kitchen (about 8 year old cabinets)

New countertops can make a huge difference. It’s dependent upon what you have there already, though.

> I saw granite countertops at two friends' houses and
> both of them seemed very pleased with the results. They
> went through some specialized companies, but through a
> contractor from Home Depot or Lowes. They said those
> guys came and took exact measurements with some lasers,
> make sure the surfaces were flat, and several weeks
> later installed, and in one case where a crack/chip
> appeared, they replaced it no questions asked.

This is how a reputable company should do it.

> So now here are my questions:
>
> -are there various types of granite, or it's all the
> same (except the color)? I heard that some of this
> stuff is not real granite, but something else that
> looks like granite

There are many types and levels of quality. Don’t believe any company that says granit doesn’t require periodic cleaning and, just as important, sealing.

> -will this stuff crack if you put a hot pot by mistake?

Definitely possible. Always use a trivit. I recommend this for any kind of countertop.

> -around the sink there will be only 1" in the back
> (between sink and wall) and about 1" in the front. Will
> it crack here?

The granit shop will cut appropriately sized pieces of stone and mount and secure them in these locations.

>
> -The current countertop is like an "L" and the joint
> between these laminated boards is at 45 degree. Should
> I also do 45 degree or stick with right angles?

That would likely be a personal preference but ask the granite shop what they’d recommend.

> -I am also thinking about a new sink at the same time,
> I guess it will be a pain to replace it later. Maybe
> instead of one large sink get one of those dual sinks?
> pro, cons?

If you’re goign to replace the countertop, this would be the time to replace the sink. The stone will be cut to accomadate the sink of choice. It’s why I recommend purchasing a standard size/shape sink in the event it requires replacement. You’ll likely go with an undermount sink as they look great with stone countertops.

> -I am not replacing appliances at this time, the dish
> washer will stay. I assume these are standard sizes and
> in the future the next one will fit right in the place
> of the existing one, or am I wrong?

In theory, yes. However, there is no guarantee.

> there is a 5" gap between dishwasher and stove, and if
> I want a larger sink, it may make sense to move the
> dishwasher closer to the stove to make room for the new
> sink. Is there a minimum gap required between dishwasher
> and stove, or can I move them close to each other?

Good question. The stove in both my old and new apartments generate _lots_ of heat when in use and I’ve never been a fan of having another appliance next to it. In my old place, the dishwasher was on the opposite side. In my new place, it’s adjacent. Apparently, not a problem for the former owners. Maybe call the manufacturer of the dishwasher and ask.

> -back to the granite countertop, the existing
> countertop has a back-splash of about 3 1/2 inch. Would
> it make sense to ask them to see if I can make this
> taller, maybe 6"? there seems to be enough clearance
> that it would not cover outlets or switches

Personal choice. I’d rather have a tile backsplace than X number of inches of stone.

> -finally, a realtor once told me some granite
> countertops are radioactive. True or BS?

True. If I remember correctly, it can release Radon. However, this shouldn’t be an issue if you purchase the stone from a reputable company. And, you can always test it for Radon and then take it up with the granite supplier in the event of an issue.

> -how do you clean and maintain a granite countertop,
> just wipe it or something else? someone mentioned about
> sealing a marble countertop, does granite require this
> or not?

i use cleaner designed for granite countertops and have the stone sealed at least once per year. The company that does it for me steam cleans the stone, polishes it and then seals it for me. Well worth the expense. The coutnertops in my old place look brand-new as a result despite being many years old. I can’t say the same for the new place. It still looks good but not brand-new.

Give the choice, I would not purchase granite countertops again. I’d choose a Silestone or similar material, i.e. quartz, etc. No maintenance whatsoever other than a quick cleaning. No need to seal, etc. You’d still have to use a trivet for pots, pans, hot dishes and such. There are some types of quartz and similar materials that are so nice you’d mistake it for granite, just like there are certain types of porcelain tile that mimics travertine so well that you’d never see the difference.

There are lots of threads about countertops in the forum. Definitely worth a search.

Robert

[Pam]

I just redid my countertops and stayed with laminate. My old, 24 years, countertops were still in very good shape, just a dated color. Laminates have come a long way and you can save some really big bucks over solid surfaces. Mine has a really nice texture which I like over the shinier, slick surfaces.

Instead of a backsplash made out of the countertop material, why not tile?

I updated my double sink and faucet and went with a deeper double sink. How did I get along with a shallower sink before??? I do not have one of those small double sinks that won't fit pots or pans. I stayed away from the faucets with the pull out sprayer or touch features. I think they need more work.

Oh, I went through Home Depot and took full advantage of their 12-24 month free financing.

[davester]

Also note that gardenweb has tons of countertop threads.

[Robert M]

Pam,

I'm with you on faucets. My old place had a separate faucet and sprayer. Loved it! The new place has a pull-out. Hate it with a passion. It's also a cheaper, inferior quality model, too. Mackenfrackenfrickenfrackin. I'll replace it eventually but not until the existing faucet goes kablooey.

Robert

[SteveO]

Look for remnants if you can. They're much cheaper and if the space you have isn't too big, they can work fine.

[anonymouse1]

Last time I looked at this, peopl.e were saying the fused quartz countertops were more durable, less maintenance. Might be worth looking at

[ADent]

Silestone or other quartz surfaces can be more durable and more standard in color.

I hate undermount bathroom sinks - it puts the faucet too far back and there is like 1/2" between the water and the sink. I guess there are long neck bathroom sinks to fix this, but many people/commerical locations just use standard faucets.

[rz]

We went with Silestone. No worries about having to seal it. Only issue we've had in 5+ years is that they didn't properly install the undermount sink. I had to get underneath and monkey with it. And I still had to put a thick layer of caulk around it so you couldn't see the gap. Otherwise, no problems at all with the actual countertops.