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.

December Winners!

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.

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…)

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!

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:

Mt Hood is classified as a “stratovolcano”– made of layer upon layer of several types of  igneous rock like lava, obsidian, pumice, ash and others. Igneous rock does form in conjunction with volcanic eruptions, but granite is a plutonic (think pluto — the god of hades) igneous (think rock formed from the cooling of magma from Pluto’s domain…). Anyway it is formed from hot stuff below the earths surface. It is not commonly the stuff that ascends heavenward from an erupting volcano. Rhyolite is an igneous “extrusive” (volcanic) rock, so it is sort of granite’s counterpart that appears up top here.

Pyroclastic material (sounds like another hot one!)–pumice, obsidian, volcanic ash are what spew from a volcano when the cooled lava cap of a volcano blows due to pressure from beneath. Molten rock called magma is re-named on the way out and called lava when it arrives at the surface of the ground.

So it seems that Mt. Hood is formed from igneous types of rock, but not likely granite. Hopefully the hot stuff stays well below the surface on the next snowboarding trip… See you there!

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.

Stone can be stained by many things, however our 20 year experience with granite countertops has shown that the “stain scare” that seems to be used as a marketing tool by non granite countertop competitors, is not perhaps as scary as some would suggest it to be. We have had less stained granite problem call backs than I can count on one hand, so I would say it is not a huge issue.  We do make a point of telling our customers that marble and limestone and other softer stone is not our recommended choice for kitchens. White marble will not only stain readily with red wine, grape juice, oils, fats, among other substances. Etching is another story…more on that further on.

To determine how important it is to seal your stone countertops whether they are granite, marble, or any of dozens of other stone types, a simple absorption test can be performed. Put some water on the surface of your countertop in an area that is completely dry. This can be in the form of a puddle or on a cloth to lengthen the evaporation time. Observe the wetted area for up to an hour on and off, if it darkens immediately it is very porous, if it is wet for an hour with no apparent change, it is not really very porous at all. To seal or not to seal is dependant mostly on what your expectations are. In the case of soapstone and some marble it is not uncommon to use mineral oil as a sealer. This is in effect staining the entire surface. Some people want that darker look and so the oil is used. This can be done on any stone although it is not recommended unless you are prepared for the possibility of a “splotchy” or otherwise uneven appearance in the darkness or lightness of the stone coloration.

For the most part we will assume that you will be sealing or oiling your countertops. Of course your installation company most likely will have sealed them either in their shop or after installation. We are a Portland Oregon granite fabricator and we seal our projects after we have installed them simply because it is then that they are all face up and cleaned off for the most efficient use of our time.

In the case of using a commercial sealer rather than oil, the process is simple and goes something like the following:

1.       Select and purchase a sealer from a local stone supplier, the brand is not too important, however not all sealer is created equal. We use DuPont “impregnator pro” on our installations. We also offer a 15 year type sealer made by DryTreat. Miracle Sealant is another excellent line of stone care products. Whichever brand you select, get the accompanying cleaner.

a.       Read the manufacturers recommendations on both the sealer and cleaner

2.       Clean the surfaces to be treated according to the particular manufacturer’s instructions that appear on the label or attached info sheet.

3.       Let the surface dry thoroughly after cleaning.

4.       With a clean white cloth—colored cloth may leech its color out and stain your stone—wet the surface of your countertops completely with the sealer. Let it soak in according to its product recommendations. As the sealer is becoming visibly dry on the surface, wet it all again to ensure complete coverage and maximum penetration.

5.       With additional dry clean white cloth, dry up the excess sealer per the manufacturer’s instructions. Usually this would be from 10 to 45 minutes. This can vary substantially based on the porosity of the stone in question. If it dries in just a couple of minutes, it is soaking in a lot and additional coats immediately following one another are recommended until it sits on the top for at least 10 minutes.

6.       When the surface no longer soaks up sealer, take the dry cloth and wipe up the excess. Follow with as many additional dry cloths as needed until you can buff the surface to its former sheen without leaving streaks on it. Look across the countertop at a flat angle to see where there are any streaks to be buffed off.

7.       Wait overnight and perform your absorption test again to determine if the surface needs any additional sealer.

In the case of soapstone or other stone where you are using mineral oil instead of commercial sealer, the process is much the same with the exception that you will let the oil soak in overnight and repeat the process for as many days as needed until it no longer soaks up the oil. With this type of application, you will want to put another coat on occasionally as needed to keep the stone full of oil.

In both the above cases, it is a matter of getting the granite countertop to stop soaking up the sealer or oil. This can be achieved with different wait times and number of applications. Just observe when it will not soak up any more, then try the absorption test the day after you feel it is sufficiently sealed or oiled, and do more if it needs it.

Etching VS Staining:

Stone is susceptible to etching as well as staining. Here again, I do not recall a single instance in 20 plus years in the business of  granite countrertops becoming etched. Marble, limestone, travertine and other “soft” stone are another story however. White Carrara and Calcutta are the most requested marble colors from where we stand. We have done numerous kitchen countertops with these colors and the owners are happy with them. On the other hand, we have made sure that the customer is aware that their marble counters are very susceptible to stains, scratches, and etching, and they take the needed precautions to avoid the problems.

Etching is not a stain and is a physical change to the stone. Usually the etched area is lighter in appearance than the body color, whereas a stain is darker. Etching is caused mostly by acids. Lemons, tomatoes, and other acidic or alkaline substances will etch some stone.  Etched stone can be re-polished or honed as the need may be. Most likely this will require a professional hand to match the finish of the main body of the stone.

Water spots and glass rings:

Hard water spots and glass rings are typically neither stains nor etching. Of course if your glass ring was produced on a white piece of honed marble with red wine, we would agree that is a stain… In the case of rings and spots produced by water, these are not stains. Like the waterspots on your car window, water rings and spots on stone are produced by letting water air dry on the shiny surface. These are more readily apparent the darker and more polished the stone is. Black polished will show them the most. Removal of these spots can be achieved in different ways. Mostly you just need to buff them off with a clean cloth. If they are old and stubborn, a little bit of steel wool and elbow grease is ok on most granite. Do not use the steel wool on soft stone like marble, it will scratch it badly.

Soap residue and other gumbo:

We hardly need to mention that these are none of the previously mentioned items, however I have been called back to “fix” stone on occasion, and the extent of the problem was nothing more than thick layers of soap and other buildup. Granite does not clean itself any more than other surfaces, and it will need a cleaning now and again. For the most part, this issue is found in showers, not so much on countertops. Around the faucets you will need to keep it dried up and cleaned just as you would the surface of a sink or it will get ugly…

This concludes my observations and recommendations on sealers and the like.—Hope you found it useful and informative.

Dan Canfield

Granite is made up of primarily quartz and feldspar but also includes biotite and hornblende. The lighter colors in granite are usually quartz and feldspar  with the darker colors coming from the hornblende and biotite.

“Granite” comes from the Latin “granum” to the Italian “granito” to our own granite. Not everything we commonly call granite would be scientifically classified as granite. Generally granite is the lighter “salt and pepper” type grain pattern. Many of the other stone’s we call granite would be more properly classified in the gneiss family of stone.

Whatever the composition of a particular stone may be, all of the commercially available colors make beautiful countertops and other building finishes!

Stone Quarry

Go to “Granite countertop process” from the ground to your kitchen…