On Tue, 11 Sep 2012 06:44:14 -0700 (PDT), Robert Macy
wrote:

On Sep 10, 7:08*pm, "Ralph Mowery" wrote:
Marble and many other stone tops are made to look at, not to use. *While it
does not look as good, it is still hard to beat the old Formica for a
cabinet top that is made to use.

We have properly sealed granite counter tops in the kitchen that have
survived now two years of 'cooking' abuse and more importantly
chemical abuse. They look new.

However, in two different homes, we went through two sets of Formica
countertops very quickly, not from heat, but their top surface
dissolved from bleach residue sitting on the surface.First the pattern
dissapeared leaving a white surface. Talk about noticeable!

Never again with manmade surfaces. Natural, especially granite is the
ONLLY thing we'll consider from now on.

I know, the sealant is manmade, but at least it's transparent and
replaceable.


I don't have granite but I believe I read a couple of years ago, not
all granite is of the same quality. Perhaps that's why some here
love it while other's don't ???

On Tue, 11 Sep 2012 21:31:58 -0400, "
wrote:

On Tue, 11 Sep 2012 07:50:18 -0400, Frank
wrote:

On 9/11/2012 12:21 AM, zzzzzzzzzz wrote:
On Mon, 10 Sep 2012 22:07:59 -0400, "Ralph Mowery"
wrote:


"Ray" wrote in message
...
We recently installed marble countertops in our kitchen, and it's been a
disaster.

Almost immediately water-spots began to form, taking off the sealer.

Even worse, a little tomato juice fell onto the counter, and it was as if
we'd put paint remover on it. Big ugly dull spots wherever the tomato
juice fell -- and it was there for just a few minutes.

We called the installer, who came out and used a different sealer. This
seem to withstand water fairly well, but the tomato problem is as bad as
ever.

Has anyone else had similar experiences?

Any suggestions?

Marble and many other stone tops are made to look at, not to use. While it
does not look as good, it is still hard to beat the old Formica for a
cabinet top that is made to use.

Utter rubbish.


Not utter rubbish, in fact mostly true.

Bull****.

The pure stone tops, granite and marble, are calcium carbonate which is
attacked by acidic foods - granite less so than softer marble.
Good finishes will make them more stable.

Marble isn't useful but there is nothing wrong with granite and it makes a
*much* better surface than Formica (gack). People who can't afford granite
use granite slabs for baking and prep. Having a *large* surface makes it all
the better.

Lot of products on the market today are plastic with high stone content
that look similar but are far more impervious to acids. That too would
depend on the plastic binder where I believe acrylic resins are better
than polyesters.

Irrelevant.

Pure synthetics like Corian are more chemically stable and can be repaired.

Irrelevant. They suck for other reasons. I'd use Corian in a bathroom but
not a kitchen.

Tell me more... I'm thinking of replacing my Formica Kitchen counter
tops with something but have not yet looked into the pros and cons of
the various options. The only thing I'm thinking specifically is that
I don't want granite based on comments I've read there and there that
it stains too easily.

Ashton Crusher wrote in
:

On Tue, 11 Sep 2012 21:31:58 -0400, "
wrote:

On Tue, 11 Sep 2012 07:50:18 -0400, Frank
wrote:

On 9/11/2012 12:21 AM, zzzzzzzzzz wrote:
On Mon, 10 Sep 2012 22:07:59 -0400, "Ralph Mowery"
wrote:


"Ray" wrote in message
...
We recently installed marble countertops in our kitchen, and it's
been a disaster.

Almost immediately water-spots began to form, taking off the
sealer.

Even worse, a little tomato juice fell onto the counter, and it
was as if we'd put paint remover on it. Big ugly dull spots
wherever the tomato juice fell -- and it was there for just a few
minutes.

We called the installer, who came out and used a different
sealer. This seem to withstand water fairly well, but the tomato
problem is as bad as ever.

Has anyone else had similar experiences?

Any suggestions?

Marble and many other stone tops are made to look at, not to use.
While it does not look as good, it is still hard to beat the old
Formica for a cabinet top that is made to use.

Utter rubbish.


Not utter rubbish, in fact mostly true.

Bull****.

The pure stone tops, granite and marble, are calcium carbonate which
is attacked by acidic foods - granite less so than softer marble.
Good finishes will make them more stable.

Marble isn't useful but there is nothing wrong with granite and it
makes a *much* better surface than Formica (gack). People who can't
afford granite use granite slabs for baking and prep. Having a
*large* surface makes it all the better.

Lot of products on the market today are plastic with high stone
content that look similar but are far more impervious to acids. That
too would depend on the plastic binder where I believe acrylic resins
are better than polyesters.

Irrelevant.

Pure synthetics like Corian are more chemically stable and can be
repaired.

Irrelevant. They suck for other reasons. I'd use Corian in a
bathroom but not a kitchen.

Tell me more... I'm thinking of replacing my Formica Kitchen counter
tops with something but have not yet looked into the pros and cons of
the various options. The only thing I'm thinking specifically is that
I don't want granite based on comments I've read there and there that
it stains too easily.

Some 10 years ago we remodeled, and the kitchen counters were done in
Silestone. After 10 years they still look like new. The only thing we
do is clean with 409 or dish(hand) detergent. My spouse (bless her soul)
cuts up the lettuce and all the ingredients for the daily salad right on
the counter. I shudder every time. But the knives still cut, and no
scratch on the counter. Oh, yeah, I have spilled vinegar with no bad
results, but I do wipe and rinse those kinds of spills very soon.

Then Silestone was cheaper than granite, but now it may be reverse.
Another advantage of Silestone (and similar quartz-resin manmade
materials) is that hot pans straight off the stove can be put on it
(don't try that with Corian).

I have put up pictures before, but can again, or you can come visit if
you're ever close to Bergen county NJ.
--
Best regards
Han
email address is invalid

On 12 Sep 2012 21:23:40 GMT, Han wrote:

Tell me more... I'm thinking of replacing my Formica Kitchen counter
tops with something but have not yet looked into the pros and cons of
the various options. The only thing I'm thinking specifically is that
I don't want granite based on comments I've read there and there that
it stains too easily.

If not cared for properly. The first owner of my house left a stain by
sitting a dish detergent bottle on the granite (never cleaning the
container by rinsing it off) it left a stain I can live with. I
bought the house for the better parts of the whole, not for a single
stain.


Some 10 years ago we remodeled, and the kitchen counters were done in
Silestone. After 10 years they still look like new. The only thing we
do is clean with 409 or dish(hand) detergent. My spouse (bless her soul)
cuts up the lettuce and all the ingredients for the daily salad right on
the counter. I shudder every time. But the knives still cut, and no
scratch on the counter. Oh, yeah, I have spilled vinegar with no bad
results, but I do wipe and rinse those kinds of spills very soon.

Do the knives stay sharp when cutting on the Silestone directly?


Then Silestone was cheaper than granite, but now it may be reverse.
Another advantage of Silestone (and similar quartz-resin manmade
materials) is that hot pans straight off the stove can be put on it
(don't try that with Corian).

Granite is now sold in thinner material, ~1", so it is cheaper than
years ago.

I have put up pictures before, but can again, or you can come visit if
you're ever close to Bergen county NJ.

Isn't gas $9.00 gallon today in Jersey? :-/

On Wed, 12 Sep 2012 14:00:53 -0700, Ashton Crusher wrote:

On Tue, 11 Sep 2012 21:31:58 -0400, "
wrote:

On Tue, 11 Sep 2012 07:50:18 -0400, Frank
wrote:

On 9/11/2012 12:21 AM, zzzzzzzzzz wrote:
On Mon, 10 Sep 2012 22:07:59 -0400, "Ralph Mowery"
wrote:


"Ray" wrote in message
...
We recently installed marble countertops in our kitchen, and it's been a
disaster.

Almost immediately water-spots began to form, taking off the sealer.

Even worse, a little tomato juice fell onto the counter, and it was as if
we'd put paint remover on it. Big ugly dull spots wherever the tomato
juice fell -- and it was there for just a few minutes.

We called the installer, who came out and used a different sealer. This
seem to withstand water fairly well, but the tomato problem is as bad as
ever.

Has anyone else had similar experiences?

Any suggestions?

Marble and many other stone tops are made to look at, not to use. While it
does not look as good, it is still hard to beat the old Formica for a
cabinet top that is made to use.

Utter rubbish.


Not utter rubbish, in fact mostly true.

Bull****.

The pure stone tops, granite and marble, are calcium carbonate which is
attacked by acidic foods - granite less so than softer marble.
Good finishes will make them more stable.

Marble isn't useful but there is nothing wrong with granite and it makes a
*much* better surface than Formica (gack). People who can't afford granite
use granite slabs for baking and prep. Having a *large* surface makes it all
the better.

Lot of products on the market today are plastic with high stone content
that look similar but are far more impervious to acids. That too would
depend on the plastic binder where I believe acrylic resins are better
than polyesters.

Irrelevant.

Pure synthetics like Corian are more chemically stable and can be repaired.

Irrelevant. They suck for other reasons. I'd use Corian in a bathroom but
not a kitchen.

Tell me more... I'm thinking of replacing my Formica Kitchen counter
tops with something but have not yet looked into the pros and cons of
the various options. The only thing I'm thinking specifically is that
I don't want granite based on comments I've read there and there that
it stains too easily.

The comments you're reading here obviously aren't from people who actually
have experience with granite.

Oclipped

Pure synthetics like Corian are more chemically stable and can be repaired.

Irrelevant. They suck for other reasons. I'd use Corian in a bathroom but
not a kitchen.

Tell me more... I'm thinking of replacing my Formica Kitchen counter
tops with something but have not yet looked into the pros and cons of
the various options. The only thing I'm thinking specifically is that
I don't want granite based on comments I've read there and there that
it stains too easily.

The comments you're reading here obviously aren't from people who actually
have experience with granite.

Corian, to me, feels rubbery. Not as hard as Formica and the coloring
is less realistic.

Oren wrote in
:

On 12 Sep 2012 21:23:40 GMT, Han wrote:

Tell me more... I'm thinking of replacing my Formica Kitchen
counter tops with something but have not yet looked into the pros
and cons of the various options. The only thing I'm thinking
specifically is that I don't want granite based on comments I've
read there and there that it stains too easily.

If not cared for properly. The first owner of my house left a stain by
sitting a dish detergent bottle on the granite (never cleaning the
container by rinsing it off) it left a stain I can live with. I
bought the house for the better parts of the whole, not for a single
stain.


Some 10 years ago we remodeled, and the kitchen counters were done in
Silestone. After 10 years they still look like new. The only thing
we do is clean with 409 or dish(hand) detergent. My spouse (bless her
soul) cuts up the lettuce and all the ingredients for the daily salad
right on the counter. I shudder every time. But the knives still
cut, and no scratch on the counter. Oh, yeah, I have spilled vinegar
with no bad results, but I do wipe and rinse those kinds of spills
very soon.

Do the knives stay sharp when cutting on the Silestone directly?

Amazngly, sharp enough for spouse (she doesn't use the real kitchen
knives, just the Sears steak knives my cousin thrice removed from Seattle
gave us before our move to the Sates.

Then Silestone was cheaper than granite, but now it may be reverse.
Another advantage of Silestone (and similar quartz-resin manmade
materials) is that hot pans straight off the stove can be put on it
(don't try that with Corian).

Granite is now sold in thinner material, ~1", so it is cheaper than
years ago.

I have put up pictures before, but can again, or you can come visit if
you're ever close to Bergen county NJ.

Isn't gas $9.00 gallon today in Jersey? :-/

It is. It is a protest from the Lukoil station holders. They apparently
have to pay 20-25 cents/gal more than everyone else to whoever plays
Putin in Jersey. On the radio one station holder said he never buys his
own gas, but goes to one of the cheapo stations.

Would be difficult to see me buying gas from a Russian outfit ...

--
Best regards
Han
email address is invalid

On Wed, 12 Sep 2012 21:15:59 -0400, Norminn wrote:

Oclipped

Pure synthetics like Corian are more chemically stable and can be repaired.

Irrelevant. They suck for other reasons. I'd use Corian in a bathroom but
not a kitchen.

Tell me more... I'm thinking of replacing my Formica Kitchen counter
tops with something but have not yet looked into the pros and cons of
the various options. The only thing I'm thinking specifically is that
I don't want granite based on comments I've read there and there that
it stains too easily.

The comments you're reading here obviously aren't from people who actually
have experience with granite.

Corian, to me, feels rubbery. Not as hard as Formica and the coloring
is less realistic.

Agreed but it works better in the bathroom. I like the hard look and feel in
the kitchen. OTOH, we like the granite in the bathrooms in the AL house and
will be upgrading the baths in the new to granite as we go along.

On 13 Sep 2012 01:22:32 GMT, Han wrote:

Oren wrote in
:

On 12 Sep 2012 21:23:40 GMT, Han wrote:

Tell me more... I'm thinking of replacing my Formica Kitchen
counter tops with something but have not yet looked into the pros
and cons of the various options. The only thing I'm thinking
specifically is that I don't want granite based on comments I've
read there and there that it stains too easily.

If not cared for properly. The first owner of my house left a stain by
sitting a dish detergent bottle on the granite (never cleaning the
container by rinsing it off) it left a stain I can live with. I
bought the house for the better parts of the whole, not for a single
stain.


Some 10 years ago we remodeled, and the kitchen counters were done in
Silestone. After 10 years they still look like new. The only thing
we do is clean with 409 or dish(hand) detergent. My spouse (bless her
soul) cuts up the lettuce and all the ingredients for the daily salad
right on the counter. I shudder every time. But the knives still
cut, and no scratch on the counter. Oh, yeah, I have spilled vinegar
with no bad results, but I do wipe and rinse those kinds of spills
very soon.

Do the knives stay sharp when cutting on the Silestone directly?

Amazngly, sharp enough for spouse (she doesn't use the real kitchen
knives, just the Sears steak knives my cousin thrice removed from Seattle
gave us before our move to the Sates.


So knives do not damage the surface of Silestone?

Then Silestone was cheaper than granite, but now it may be reverse.
Another advantage of Silestone (and similar quartz-resin manmade
materials) is that hot pans straight off the stove can be put on it
(don't try that with Corian).

Granite is now sold in thinner material, ~1", so it is cheaper than
years ago.

I have put up pictures before, but can again, or you can come visit if
you're ever close to Bergen county NJ.

Isn't gas $9.00 gallon today in Jersey? :-/

It is. It is a protest from the Lukoil station holders. They apparently
have to pay 20-25 cents/gal more than everyone else to whoever plays
Putin in Jersey. On the radio one station holder said he never buys his
own gas, but goes to one of the cheapo stations.

Would be difficult to see me buying gas from a Russian outfit ...

.... or Hugo Chavez at 7-11.

Oren wrote in news2e2581fsl5mossi3kjo8c9hjocmqrvoli@
4ax.com:

So knives do not damage the surface of Silestone?

I haven't tried chopping with a hatchet, but cutting up heads of lettuce
doesn't seem to hurt. Remember, materials like Silestone are quartz
embedded in a hard resin.

Also note that there was a chip in my counter that needed repair within a
week of installation. Less than 1 square inch, and fairly shallow. They
came with perfectly color-matched resin, and it is still very difficult to
locate after more than 10 years. The seam between the 2 pieces is now
noticeable, but barely.

--
Best regards
Han
email address is invalid

Han writes:

Oren wrote in news2e2581fsl5mossi3kjo8c9hjocmqrvoli@
4ax.com:

So knives do not damage the surface of Silestone?

I haven't tried chopping with a hatchet, but cutting up heads of lettuce
doesn't seem to hurt. Remember, materials like Silestone are quartz
embedded in a hard resin.

Also note that there was a chip in my counter that needed repair within a
week of installation. Less than 1 square inch, and fairly shallow. They
came with perfectly color-matched resin, and it is still very difficult to
locate after more than 10 years. The seam between the 2 pieces is now
noticeable, but barely.

Hmm.

I had a piece of Corian crack due to heat.

Repaired for free, can't see the repair no matter how hard I look.

I would never cut directly on the surface.
I have a Corian cutting board.
The knife does make marks on the board.

--
Dan Espen