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?

On 9/10/2012 7:43 PM, Ray wrote:
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?

Might as well paint it. Marble is about the worst choice for kitchen
counters I can think of. Look at the label on any product for marble
care....

wrote in :

On Mon, 10 Sep 2012 19:43:49 -0400, "Ray"
wrote:

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?

Do you mean granite?

I'm sure he means exactly what he wrote. Tomato juice would not harm granite, but it would
definitely etch marble. So would vinegar, lemon juice, or anything else acidic.

Marble is way too soft to make a counter top from.

Nonsense. It's harder than Corian or Formica which have been used successfully for
countertops for decades, and it's waaaaay harder than wood (which has been used for
centuries).

The reason marble is unsuitable for use as a kitchen countertop is that it is very readily
etched by even weak acids. Common foods which would damage a marble countertop if
spilled on it include:
- wine
- pickles
- almost anything containing tomatoes
- Coca-cola
- vinegar
- anything containing citrus fruits in any form, such as orange juice or lemonade -- and don't
even think about eating a grapefruit over a marble countertop...

Granite has none of these deficiences -- but that's the result of its very low reactivity to acids,
not its hardness.

"Ray" wrote in news:ZWu3s.1496$EW3.1471
@newsfe19.iad:

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.

No big surprise. Marble is very readily etched by acids. Tomato juice is an acid.

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?

Yeah, pretty much everyone who ever put a marble countertop in their kitchen. Sounds
harsh, but that's what happens when you don't do your research: you wind up with
something unsuitable. And I bet you spent a s**tload of money on it, too...

Any suggestions?

Polishing it is the only way to remove the marks from the tomato juice -- those aren't just
cosmetic marks, the acid in the tomato juice has actually dissolved some of the marble.

Once you have it polished nice and pretty, remove it and sell it for whatever you can get out
of it, and replace it with something more suitable for a kitchen -- which is nearly anything
except marble.

"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.

Was the “sealer” water based or petroleum based?

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.

On 9/10/2012 10:07 PM, 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.


Yah, my wife and I cook in our kitchen a lot and when we recently
remodeled, we chose Wilsonart HD. I believe laminate to be the best
material for the job.

On 9/10/2012 10:07 PM, 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.



Amen. I don't want to polish my kitchen, I want to use it.

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.

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.

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.

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

Frank,
..
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.

Granite is a mix of many different chemicals but calcium carbonate is
not common in graite. Where do you get your granite?

Dave M.

On Tue, 11 Sep 2012 00:21:01 -0400, "
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.


Depends. Actually each has their pros and cons. I've seen the
newest Formica and it's not bad looking especially when compared to
that of 40 or 50 years ago. I have Corian right now and it's ok. I
would not mind having the newest Formica except when it comes time to
sell my home. For some reason, people look down at it around here.
Maybe it's because they see it only in the new starter homes????

On 9/11/2012 12:21 AM, zzzzzzzzzz wrote:
....

The pure stone tops, granite and marble, are calcium carbonate which
is attacked by acidic foods - granite less so than softer marble.

Now that is what is utter nonsense--granite is, well, "granite" and has
virtually nothing in common chemically (nor geologically as per
formation processes) w/ marble...

Granite is an igneous formation whereas marble is a recrystallized
limestone which is sedimentary.

--

On 9/11/2012 8:29 AM, Dave M. wrote:
Frank,
.
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.

Granite is a mix of many different chemicals but calcium carbonate is
not common in graite. Where do you get your granite?

Dave M.



You are right.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granite

I made the common mistake of repeating something I read on the web and
should have known better.

Marble is mostly calcium carbonate which makes it very susceptible to
acid attack.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marble

Granite is still susceptible but not nearly as much.

Corian composition, I am very familiar with and it is
polymethylmethacrylate with alumina filler making it the most kitchen
food stable.

Frank

On 9/10/2012 6:43 PM, Ray wrote:
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?

I live in karst country. Karst is limestone bedrock that has pockets
and perforations caused by water containing carbon dioxide, which is
acidic, gradually dissolving the limestone and forming caves.

Marble is basically limestone. The same process that nature uses to
create caves works on your countertops, too - an acidic liquid working
on the limestone, first etching it, then eating pockets and gaps.

For that reason, marble is not a good material to use as an
all-purpose work surface.

I'm surprised the installer or supplier didn't try to gently persuade
you to consider another material for kitchen countertops. They had to
have known that it wouldn't be suitable for the kitchen. Or was this a
DIY job?

On 9/11/2012 7:50 AM, 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.

Perhaps you didn't realize you just heard from the self imagined
smartest person in the world? In that capacity they know everyone else
is stupid so there is no need to discuss anything...


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.

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.

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

On 9/11/2012 8:35 AM, Doug wrote:
On Tue, 11 Sep 2012 00:21:01 -0400, "
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.


Depends. Actually each has their pros and cons. I've seen the
newest Formica and it's not bad looking especially when compared to
that of 40 or 50 years ago. I have Corian right now and it's ok. I
would not mind having the newest Formica except when it comes time to
sell my home. For some reason, people look down at it around here.
Maybe it's because they see it only in the new starter homes????


There are people whose identity depends on what they have and much
imagined status it gives them and there are folks who are happy to have
something that looks good and is quite serviceable but isn't the "hot
item".

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.

The pure stone tops, granite and marble, are calcium carbonate which
is attacked by acidic foods - granite less so than softer marble.

Granite consists of numerous minerals. Among them...

quartz
hornblende
augite
feldspars (there are various)
calcite
mica

The most dominant is feldspar. Both it and quartz are much harder than
calcium carbonate. Calcite is calcium carbonate but there isn't much of it.

Most of the "granite" being sold isn't granite...it is crystalline igneous
rock (as is granite) which can have many differing combinations of the above
and other minerals.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

Winters getting colder? Tired of the rat race?
Maybe just ready for a change? Check it out...
http://www.floridaloghouse.net

On 9/11/2012 8:40 AM, dpb wrote:
On 9/11/2012 12:21 AM, zzzzzzzzzz wrote:
...

The pure stone tops, granite and marble, are calcium carbonate which
is attacked by acidic foods - granite less so than softer marble.

Now that is what is utter nonsense--granite is, well, "granite" and has
virtually nothing in common chemically (nor geologically as per
formation processes) w/ marble...

Granite is an igneous formation whereas marble is a recrystallized
limestone which is sedimentary.

--

Exactly, granite is mostly quartz, mica and feldspar heated and then
cooled and much much different in characteristics than marble.

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.

"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?

On my third house with granite. Not one complaint. What caused you to
choose marble over granite?

Steve

On 9/11/2012 9:07 AM, George wrote:
On 9/11/2012 8:35 AM, Doug wrote:
On Tue, 11 Sep 2012 00:21:01 -0400, "
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.


Depends. Actually each has their pros and cons. I've seen the
newest Formica and it's not bad looking especially when compared to
that of 40 or 50 years ago. I have Corian right now and it's ok. I
would not mind having the newest Formica except when it comes time to
sell my home. For some reason, people look down at it around here.
Maybe it's because they see it only in the new starter homes????


There are people whose identity depends on what they have and much
imagined status it gives them and there are folks who are happy to have
something that looks good and is quite serviceable but isn't the "hot
item".

I've been looking at real estate lately and have seen some of the most
unbelieveably ugly homes....one had different maroon/dk green wallpapers
in EVERY STINKING ROOM, each with it's own border. It would take 100
years to strip it all. Have also seen a lot of expensive kitchens that
looked dreadfully dated, in spite of having one of everything from the
cabinet catalogue. Eek!

"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.

My buddy owns a granite business, and had a videographer make a sales video.
They took a slab, and one of those burners that you use to burn weeds. They
put a pan of water on top of the slab, heated it, boiled the water dry, and
turned the pot black from the heat. The granite did not warp or crack or
discolor. Is that the "other stone tops that are made to look at, not to
use" that you are referring to? If it is, you don't know what you're
talking about. I have had three houses with granite in them, and not ONE
stain issue or crack.

Of course, some people think formica is better, but it's only because it
goes better with the naugahyde and chrome dinette set.

Steve

"Norminn" wrote

Amen. I don't want to polish my kitchen, I want to use it.

Yeah, polishing good granite once a year is a pain.

Steve

"George" wrote

There are people whose identity depends on what they have and much
imagined status it gives them and there are folks who are happy to have
something that looks good and is quite serviceable but isn't the "hot
item".

And then, there are those of us who just like quality.

Steve

On Sep 11, 9:02*am, Hell Toupee wrote:
On 9/10/2012 6:43 PM, Ray wrote:





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?

I live in karst country. Karst is limestone bedrock that has pockets
and perforations caused by water containing carbon dioxide, which is
acidic, gradually dissolving the limestone and forming caves.

Marble is basically limestone. The same process that nature uses to
create caves works on your countertops, too - an acidic liquid working
on the limestone, first etching it, then eating pockets and gaps.

For that reason, marble is not a good material to use as an
all-purpose work surface.

I'm surprised the installer or supplier didn't try to gently persuade
you to consider another material for kitchen countertops. They had to
have known that it wouldn't be suitable for the kitchen. Or was this a
DIY job?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

SWMBO and I recently took a hike through a gorge in a state park.
Because of the drought, we were able to walk in the gorge itself
instead of on the "Gorge Trail" that ran next it. We walked "in" in
the gorge and "out" on the trail, mainly to get out of the sun.

As we were walking in I noticed the rippled rocks on the bottom of the
gorge and mentioned to SWMBO how amazing it was that the millions of
years of flowing water had formed thousands of these small
indentations.

As we were walking out I stopped to read one of the information
plaques that had been set up on the gorge trail. It turned out that I
was wrong and that the indentations had been caused by the acidic rain
pooling on the limestone and eating it away.

I would have prefered the cause to be the power of the river wearing
away the rock, but I guess nature has many other ways of wearing
things down.

Hell Toupee wrote:


Marble is basically limestone.

A minor FYI...marble *was* limestone prior to it being metamorphosed via
heat and pressure. Still calcium carbonate but denser.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

Winters getting colder? Tired of the rat race?
Maybe just ready for a change? Check it out...
http://www.floridaloghouse.net

On Tue, 11 Sep 2012 07:54:40 -0700, "Steve B"
wrote:


"George" wrote

There are people whose identity depends on what they have and much
imagined status it gives them and there are folks who are happy to have
something that looks good and is quite serviceable but isn't the "hot
item".

And then, there are those of us who just like quality.

Steve


Granite beats the tar out of having counter tops with 4" tile. I'm
sure you've seen those types (builder choice). White tile with white
grout. Obsolete tiles and bull nose trim.

I was retired before I ever had granite. I'll stay with it!

On Tue, 11 Sep 2012 09:07:44 -0400, George
wrote:

On 9/11/2012 8:35 AM, Doug wrote:
On Tue, 11 Sep 2012 00:21:01 -0400, "
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.


Depends. Actually each has their pros and cons. I've seen the
newest Formica and it's not bad looking especially when compared to
that of 40 or 50 years ago. I have Corian right now and it's ok. I
would not mind having the newest Formica except when it comes time to
sell my home. For some reason, people look down at it around here.
Maybe it's because they see it only in the new starter homes????


There are people whose identity depends on what they have and much
imagined status it gives them and there are folks who are happy to have
something that looks good and is quite serviceable but isn't the "hot
item".


Sadly I agree. And it works the other way too. People assume if you
don't have a big house or expensive car for example, you can't afford
it.

On Tue, 11 Sep 2012 07:53:16 -0700, "Steve B"
wrote:


"Norminn" wrote

Amen. I don't want to polish my kitchen, I want to use it.

Yeah, polishing good granite once a year is a pain.

Steve


I don't own granite but can you put a sealer on it instead?

On 9/11/2012 9:07 AM, George wrote:


There are people whose identity depends on what they have and much
imagined status it gives them and there are folks who are happy to have
something that looks good and is quite serviceable but isn't the "hot
item".

Yah, 9 out of 10 nickel-millionaires like marble.
Reminds me of poor Stanley Johnson...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0HX4a5P8eE

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.

On Tue, 11 Sep 2012 10:50:29 -0400, Norminn wrote:

On 9/11/2012 9:07 AM, George wrote:
On 9/11/2012 8:35 AM, Doug wrote:
On Tue, 11 Sep 2012 00:21:01 -0400, "
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.


Depends. Actually each has their pros and cons. I've seen the
newest Formica and it's not bad looking especially when compared to
that of 40 or 50 years ago. I have Corian right now and it's ok. I
would not mind having the newest Formica except when it comes time to
sell my home. For some reason, people look down at it around here.
Maybe it's because they see it only in the new starter homes????


There are people whose identity depends on what they have and much
imagined status it gives them and there are folks who are happy to have
something that looks good and is quite serviceable but isn't the "hot
item".

I've been looking at real estate lately and have seen some of the most
unbelieveably ugly homes....one had different maroon/dk green wallpapers
in EVERY STINKING ROOM, each with it's own border. It would take 100
years to strip it all. Have also seen a lot of expensive kitchens that
looked dreadfully dated, in spite of having one of everything from the
cabinet catalogue. Eek!

Agreed but some like that style. OTOH, I certainly wouldn't buy a house with
more than one papered room. I could deal with stripping that much, though the
last time the one (small) room was a disaster.

On Tue, 11 Sep 2012 07:54:40 -0700, "Steve B" wrote:


"George" wrote

There are people whose identity depends on what they have and much
imagined status it gives them and there are folks who are happy to have
something that looks good and is quite serviceable but isn't the "hot
item".

And then, there are those of us who just like quality.

+2

On Tue, 11 Sep 2012 15:50:06 -0700, Oren wrote:

On Tue, 11 Sep 2012 07:54:40 -0700, "Steve B"
wrote:


"George" wrote

There are people whose identity depends on what they have and much
imagined status it gives them and there are folks who are happy to have
something that looks good and is quite serviceable but isn't the "hot
item".

And then, there are those of us who just like quality.

Steve


Granite beats the tar out of having counter tops with 4" tile. I'm
sure you've seen those types (builder choice). White tile with white
grout. Obsolete tiles and bull nose trim.

I was retired before I ever had granite. I'll stay with it!

Our first granite was five years ago (~200ft^2 came with the house we're
getting ready to sell). We wouldn't be without it again. We did look at a
couple of houses (fewer than could be counted on one hand, certainly) that
didn't have granite counters but it was a big black mark against them. They
would have had to be replaced and that's more of a job than I want to deal
with in a new house.

On Tue, 11 Sep 2012 07:40:06 -0500, dpb wrote:

On 9/11/2012 12:21 AM, zzzzzzzzzz wrote:
...

The pure stone tops, granite and marble, are calcium carbonate which
is attacked by acidic foods - granite less so than softer marble.

I didn't write any of the above. Get your attributions right.

On Tue, 11 Sep 2012 07:53:16 -0700, "Steve B" wrote:


"Norminn" wrote

Amen. I don't want to polish my kitchen, I want to use it.

Yeah, polishing good granite once a year is a pain.

Doesn't even need it that often. It's probably a good idea to clean up
sulphuric acid spills, though.

On Tue, 11 Sep 2012 17:54:06 -0500, "Doug" wrote:

On Tue, 11 Sep 2012 07:53:16 -0700, "Steve B"
wrote:


"Norminn" wrote

Amen. I don't want to polish my kitchen, I want to use it.

Yeah, polishing good granite once a year is a pain.

Steve


I don't own granite but can you put a sealer on it instead?

At least some comes sealed.

"Doug" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 11 Sep 2012 07:53:16 -0700, "Steve B"
wrote:


"Norminn" wrote

Amen. I don't want to polish my kitchen, I want to use it.

Yeah, polishing good granite once a year is a pain.

Steve


I don't own granite but can you put a sealer on it instead?

I believe it is a sealer. Just put it on once a year. I don't know why I
do it, just do it. The stuff looks as good as when it was installed. In
all three houses.

Steve

wrote

I would suggest talking to remodeling contractors and see what they
have in their dumpsters if you want to play with some yourself..

I have a friend who owns a granite company. I have lots of sink cutouts,
and drops that I am saving to one day build a water feature with a rebar
frame, then with the flat surfaces mounted flat, and water cascading down
over all of them, dropping from one to the next. It will probably be about
ten feet tall.

Steve