Granite or Quartz Countertops?
By · CommentsMany of our customers ask us what the difference is between quartz (or engineered stone) and granite. We also get a lot of questions about the “quality” of the various materials we work with. Natural stone such as granite, marble, soapstone, limestone, travertine, and many others are brought out of the ground in stone quarries. They are all naturally occurring materials and are simply cut and polished. Quartz on the other hand is made up of crushed quartz ( a natural stone) and resins to create a very durable material with a high stone content. Due to the manufacturing process and materials used in quartz surfaces, it is very tight grained and therefore does not need to be sealed. There are some granite’s that are equally tight grained, and others that are not nearly so tight grained. For all practical purposes, hot pans can be put directly on granite tops, while quartz is at risk of being scorched because of the resins in its composition. As far as quality goes, both the man made quartz products and natural stone will make a beautiful and permanent surface in your kitchen and bathroom. “What you see is what you get” is for the most part the best indicator of “quality”. Because it is a natural material, I have a difficult time referring to various stone as being better quality than another. Certainly some are easier to work with, and others tend to chip during fabrication if that can be considered a quality issue. The bottom line is that your finished granite countertops will likely last as long as you own your home.
Granite Countertop Drawing
By · CommentsWe started a monthly granite counterop drawing for Portland area residents a couple of months ago, and have had great response from it. We have just announced our February winner, and will be posting photos of it on our drawing testimonials page as soon as we can get it put together. Our initial (December) “test run” was conducted under limited circumstances and then we began offering it to all Portland area homeowners as well as our existing customers.
December Drawing winner
We are conducting this experiment to reduce our huge remnant collection and to generate new interest in our company and services. We look forward to adding you to the drawing (enter here) which will run through June of 2011 at least and possibly throughout the year.
Granite Countertops from Fantasy Brown
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This is set of countertops in a kitchen we did recently in one of Portlands older neighborhoods. It is one of my favorite jobs in recent weeks due the flush inset cabinet design and the color combinations used in the design. Simple but elegant! A very nice smaller project.
The slabs for this kitchen came from Intrepid Marble and Granite’s stock several months ago and we brought it over to our shop a couple of months before fabricating the countertops. I haven’t seen this granite color in stock since we installed this one, but I hope one of our suppliers brings in more of it. The pictures don’t entirely do justice to the stone… The veining has a slight amount of brown in it which is not really apparent in the photos.
Google Chrome
By · CommentsRecently I had a business acquaintance stop by and chat for a while. We were looking at some granite countertops and other stone items online and for one reason or another I needed another browser window opened, so I opened Google Chrome. He says “what’s that?!” — I thought everyone knew what google chrome is! Google invented the internet 
and you haven’t heard of Chrome yet? Time to crawl out of your cave and try some new browsers…
Makes me wonder what I’m missing…
Next time you are looking for granite countertops,try Google Chrome, Firefox, or Opera for a change. You might discover that you no longer like internet explorer (I don’t use it any more except on testing some things…)
Igneous Rock (formation and characteristics)
By · CommentsPortland Granite
Granite is one of the many rock’s that come under the “igneous” heading. “Igneous rock” is rock that has solidified from a liquid state. Magma (molten rock beneath our earth’s surface) is typically 1300 to 2400 degrees farenheit. An intrusive igneous rock is one that has solidified from magma beneath the earths surface. On the other hand an extrusive igneous rock is one that has cooled and solidified from lava on top of the surface. Common igneous rock includes granite which is of the intrusive type, cooling slowly beneath the surface and creating a coarse grained stone. You may be surprised to find that your black granite countertops are actually basalt… Basalt is also an igneous rock, but it is of the extrusive variety having cooled above the earths surface. This produces a tight grain such as that seen in absolute black granite countertops. 
There are several other kinds of igneous rock including diorite, gabbro, pumice, obsidian and others. The grain patterns of the igneous rocks range from frothy (like pumice) on the coarse end to glassy on the fine grained end of the scale.
Next time I am hiking in the Colombia Gorge, I will have my eyes open looking for “black granite” amongst all the dark colored basalt that is abundantly seen there. Maybe I will even bring a piece back with me to see how it polishes up!
Soapstone Countertops
By · CommentsSoapstone makes a great kitchen countertop. The patina that it develops is a perfect compliment to some styles of kitchens. I personally like it best in a more rustic or farm style kitchen, and mostly those are the type of kitchens we have used it in. Soapstone does scratch relatively easily and develops an aged look over time. You “seal” soapstone with many applications of mineral oil instead of a commercial stone sealer. Repeated coats of the oil soak in until the stone won’t absorb any more oil, then you don’t need to do it again for some time. There is no right or wrong amount of time in between oilings. The oil darkens the stone, and when you see it evaporating, that would be a good time to oil it again. Scratches can be darkened with a little of the oil to make them “disappear”.
Last weekend I took the drive out to ski bowl to see if I could survive a bout of snowboarding…
Left Portland about 1:30 and got there about 3 PM. Boarded down about 10 times before leaving around 8 PM when the traffic appeared to have died down. No I am not a pro, Rick taught me when I was about 40. He accomplished his “teaching” by taking me up the lift to the top at Meadows and then he disappeared down the hill.
I learned on the way down …
In any case, taking in the awesome sight of the mountain just before and during sunset got me to wondering what our famous mountain is made out of… (Unfortunately it seems that I can’t get Granite Countertops out of my mind!)
My brief research brought the following interesting info: Read More→
Seal Those Granite countertops!
By · CommentsSeal granite countertops — how, why, when…?
Granite and all other types of stone countertops are porous to more or less of a degree depending on the characteristics of the particular stone in question. Generally speaking darker colors tend to be tighter grained and denser than light colors and are therefore often less porous than the light colors. Different concentrations of various minerals create the color variations and the relative porosity of all the different stones. Some granite countertops don’t really benefit from sealer in terms of their susceptibility to stains; after all it came out of the earth and if you like you could consider the various coloration of some stones to be “factory” designed stains! When in doubt, always perform a test in an inconspicuous area or preferably on a sample of your exact stone. Read More→
Granite
By · CommentsGranite is an igneous rock (became solid from fluid) that is extensively used in the building industry for various purposes. Perhaps the most commonly thought of use is for kitchen countertops. Many buildings have granite facades due to its pleasing appearance and timeless durability. Monuments are often made of granite for the same reasons.
The continental crust of the earth which ranges from about 1 to 50 miles thick (relatively like the skin of an apple) is made up largely of granite & basalt. Even though the earth’s crust accounts for less than one percent (and hence is not the foundation of the earth) of the earth’s mass, there is plenty of granite to go around! In comparison, the earths mantle, just below the crust is some 1800 miles thick & made of other types of rock. Our ocean floors and some river gorges like our own Colombia river gorge, are mostly made of basalt. Other planets appear to be largely covered with basalt also—Mars, Venus and Mercury. Read More→
Granite Quarry–Bringing stone to you.
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Stone Quarry
