I wanted to find out some information related to stone worktops. Traditional
wooden / laminated worktops are usually quiet resistant to such things as
household cooking materials including such things as lemon juice and fats.
However I have heard recently that if I was to change to a stone worktop (
most likely granite) that I would be leaving myself very open to new
problems. While granite worktops are generally highly polished and have a
very smooth surface they do tend to suffer from fingerprints ( this isn't a
problem!!!) but another problem is in relation to food ( and liquids)
containing acids such as lemon juice and also fatty foods. These materials
would soak into the polished worktop and leave stains or indeed over a
period of time acids do erode the worktop. Is there any way or material
which can be used to protect / repair the worktop and does it really give
long lasting protection?

thankx in advance

Seamus Mc Loughlin wrote:

I wanted to find out some information related to stone worktops. Traditional
wooden / laminated worktops are usually quiet resistant to such things as
household cooking materials including such things as lemon juice and fats.
However I have heard recently that if I was to change to a stone worktop (
most likely granite) that I would be leaving myself very open to new
problems. While granite worktops are generally highly polished and have a
very smooth surface they do tend to suffer from fingerprints ( this isn't a
problem!!!) but another problem is in relation to food ( and liquids)
containing acids such as lemon juice and also fatty foods. These materials
would soak into the polished worktop and leave stains or indeed over a
period of time acids do erode the worktop. Is there any way or material
which can be used to protect / repair the worktop and does it really give
long lasting protection?

thankx in advance




Granite is pretty impervious to most things. That's why its used.

Oher stones are not, and need sealant coating. Typically acrylic.


Coriam - a osrt of fake stome made of (I think) Epoxy loaded up with
stuff that makes it look stomnelike, is parcatically better, but is not
so togh or 'natural' looking.

Essentially you have a choivce. Natural materials look natural and take
stain. Indeed that is part of the attraction. They can be treeted, ut
will never approach the hygiene and durability of synthetics.

Which is why professional kitchens are clad in stainless steel. It is
simply the toughest and most hygienic surface there is, and white
glazed porcelain runs it a close second.

Nah. Granite will give much better stain resistance than wood. Marble might
be problematic, though.

However, granite is close to an order of magnitude more expensive than real
wood and more like 20 times the cost of laminate. It is the Rolls Royce
choice.

Christian.

However, granite is close to an order of magnitude more expensive
than real wood and more like 20 times the cost of laminate. It is the
Rolls Royce choice.

Christian.

Cost is proportional the the amount of polishing required, rather than
weight or flat area.
Edge polishing for island units or sink cutouts will hike the price. £4k (1)
is not untypical for an average kitchen.

(1) sorry should that be 4kgbp ?
--
Toby.

'One day son, all this will be finished'

Edge polishing for island units or sink cutouts will hike the price. £4k
(1)
is not untypical for an average kitchen.

Very approximate figures for our kitchen were (from memory):

100 - laminate
300 - beech
500 - iroko
2500 - granite

It is a galley, no joins, but a Belfast cutout. (The laminate wouldn't work
for that reason).

Christian.

On Mon, 29 Sep 2003 15:27:18 +0100, "Toby"
wrote:

However, granite is close to an order of magnitude more expensive
than real wood and more like 20 times the cost of laminate. It is the
Rolls Royce choice.

Christian.

Cost is proportional the the amount of polishing required, rather than
weight or flat area.
Edge polishing for island units or sink cutouts will hike the price. £4k (1)
is not untypical for an average kitchen.

(1) sorry should that be 4kgbp ?


There are also sealants for granite worktops that can be used after
installation.

Our worktops have been in place for two years and get heavy daily use
including all kinds of things being spilled including acidic and
staining liquids. They haven't marked and are very easy to maintain.


..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

On Mon, 29 Sep 2003 13:57:31 +0100, "Seamus Mc Loughlin"
wrote:

I wanted to find out some information related to stone worktops.

Stone is categorised as igneous, sedimentary or metamorphic.

Granite is igneous, which means it formed as crystals from a molten
mass. They're impermeable, hard, and chemically resistant. Chemically
there are acid igneous rocks formed from continents and basic rocks
formed from oceans, but this makes little difference to their worktop
resistance. Expensive, especially for machining and polishing, but
they're very robust.

Sedimentary rocks (limestone, sandstone) are more likely to be found
as fireplaces than worktops. They're formed of hard grains of another
rock, glued together in a softer matrix. Sandstones are quartz grains
in a minimal (and often weak) matrix. Limestones are little solids in
a matrix of calcium carbonate. They're often permeable (thus prone to
absorbing stains), mechanically weak (prone to scratches or abrasion)
and especially for the carbonates, very susceptible to attack by
acids, including citrus fruit or vinegar. Concrete may be included
with these sedimentaries.

Metamorphic rocks are sedimentary rocks that have been cooked by heat
and/or pressure. Slate and marble are the obvious examples. They're
usually mechanically strong (although this may be laminar, like Welsh
slate) and much less permeable. Marble begins as limestone and
metamorphosis doesn't change its underlying chemistry, so it's still
susceptible to acid attack.

I was reading "Concrete Countertops" at the weekend
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1561584843/codesmiths
Highly recommended for anyone considering a major kitchen worktop
project. Concrete is an interesting option and some of the techniques
apply equally to any extra-heavy worktop material.

--
Smert' spamionam

Andy Hall wrote in message . ..
On Mon, 29 Sep 2003 15:27:18 +0100, "Toby"

Cost is proportional the the amount of polishing required, rather than
weight or flat area.
Edge polishing for island units or sink cutouts will hike the price. £4k (1)
is not untypical for an average kitchen.

There are also sealants for granite worktops that can be used after
installation.

Our worktops have been in place for two years and get heavy daily use
including all kinds of things being spilled including acidic and
staining liquids. They haven't marked and are very easy to maintain.

Granite is almost the same chemical as glass. But even limestone is
pretty impervious. Go and try digging an hole in some concrete with a
bottle of Jiff lemon.

On 30 Sep 2003 02:45:36 -0700, (Michael
McNeil) wrote:

Granite is almost the same chemical as glass.

Maybe a third of typical granites is similar to quartz (this
proportion varies between sources). The rest is feldspars, and they're
quite different, softer and less inert. They're still robust (for
kitchens), but it's inaccurate to think "granite = glass"

--
Smert' spamionam

"Andy Dingley" wrote in message
...
On 30 Sep 2003 02:45:36 -0700, (Michael
McNeil) wrote:

Granite is almost the same chemical as glass.

Maybe a third of typical granites is similar to quartz (this
proportion varies between sources). The rest is feldspars, and they're
quite different, softer and less inert. They're still robust (for
kitchens), but it's inaccurate to think "granite = glass"

A kitchen-fitter friend was called back to see a granite worktop he fitted
recently. The surface had been stained by placing two freshly baked hot buns
on it, in their greaseproof paper cases. He told me they left two
very-visible dark circles. The worktop supplier arrived and placed
bleach-soaked cloths on the stains and left them to soak in for a while. The
staining was reduced, but its still there.

On Tue, 30 Sep 2003 22:16:02 +0100, "Steve"
wrote:

A kitchen-fitter friend was called back to see a granite worktop he fitted
recently. The surface had been stained by placing two freshly baked hot buns
on it, in their greaseproof paper cases. He told me they left two
very-visible dark circles.

Now that surprises me. I'd question whether it was heat or grease that
caused it - but I wouldn't have expected granite to do this at all.
However it's just what you'd expect from a poorly sealed concrete top.

--
Smert' spamionam

On Tue, 30 Sep 2003 23:21:52 +0100, Andy Dingley
wrote:

On Tue, 30 Sep 2003 22:16:02 +0100, "Steve"
wrote:

A kitchen-fitter friend was called back to see a granite worktop he fitted
recently. The surface had been stained by placing two freshly baked hot buns
on it, in their greaseproof paper cases. He told me they left two
very-visible dark circles.

Now that surprises me. I'd question whether it was heat or grease that
caused it - but I wouldn't have expected granite to do this at all.
However it's just what you'd expect from a poorly sealed concrete top.

It does me as well.

I've done exactly that with no problems.

I think I would be suspicious as to whether it really is granite.


..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

Andy Hall wrote in message . ..
On Tue, 30 Sep 2003 23:21:52 +0100, Andy Dingley
wrote:

On Tue, 30 Sep 2003 22:16:02 +0100, "Steve"
wrote:

A kitchen-fitter friend was called back to see a granite worktop he fitted
recently. The surface had been stained by placing two freshly baked hot buns
on it, in their greaseproof paper cases. He told me they left two
very-visible dark circles.

Now that surprises me. I'd question whether it was heat or grease that
caused it - but I wouldn't have expected granite to do this at all.
However it's just what you'd expect from a poorly sealed concrete top.

It does me as well.

I've done exactly that with no problems.

I think I would be suspicious as to whether it really is granite.


.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

A way to test worktops on this american site

http://www.findstone.com/rtb2.htm

if the link does not work google on granite lemon test it tell you all
about how to test to see if its real granite or not.
Rob