I am sometimes asked is granite going to continue to be popular? The answer appears to be yes. This year the  National Kitchen and Bath Association had over 500 participants from both the United States and Cananda enter into it’s national design competition. Of the twenty four finalists 65 percent included natural stone surfaces in the kitchen or bath. Of those 65 percent 100 percent of the kitchen tops were granite. This is not surprising considering natural stones durabiity, beauty and functionality. So, until man can make something more beautiful than mother nature, I believe granite will retain it’s seemingless everlasting popularity.

One of the most confusing and frequently asked questions is how often do I need to seal my new countertops? You will receive varying answers everywhere from  six months to every two years. The need to seal granite is based on two things the density of the particular stone and the use the stone receives. The area around a sink may need to be sealed more often than an area used as a desk.

In reality your granite countertops may not to be sealed at all. The Marble Institute of America which is the world’s leading trade association for natural stone feels that most countertops do not to be sealed! Prior to 1995 there were very few penetrating sealers on the market and there were very few cases of staining or food poisening. If you clean your countertops after each meal you should not have any problems with staining or contamination issues. Sealing granite by no means is a bad thing as it can help to reduce the amount of moisture that penetrates an already moisture resistent  surface.

One more thing you should know if you do decide to seal your new granite countertops the process is very easy. Sealing is something you the homeowner can do. The sealer can be purchased from various places such as your local home improvement center. It is about as easy as cleaning your bathroom mirrors.

Before setting out to find the perfect granite, marble or quartz countertop it is important to be prepared. You will want to bring a sketch of your existing or new  cabinet layout so that you can determine how much material you will need and to get a quote for the matieral you like. It is also important to bring a sample of anything that your new countertops need to coordinate with such as  cabinets, flooring or paint.

If your lucky enough to be  doing an “entire” kitchen makeover pick your countertop  first and select your other materials to coordinate with it. Because there are so many different colors of stain, tile and paint you will have no problem selecting colors that compliment your countertops. You can take a sample of your granite, marble or quartz with you when choosing the rest of your finishes. If you choose flooring, paint and cabinets before the top you will have fewer countertops colors to choose from. You may find yourself picking a stone not because  you love it but because it “works” with your other selections. While looking at countertops materials if you find yourself repeatedly attracted to the same stone then most likely this is the right stone for you. Most importantly do not settle for a countertop material  that’s just OK keep looking and don’t stop until you find a stone you can get really excited about.

 Stone Creek Surfaces offers six different brands of quartz  including Caesarstone, Silestone, Hanstone and Zodiac. Each brand has it’s own unique colors and various finishes. Collectively we have over two hundred different quartz colors to choose from with names like Copper Abyss, Smokey Topaz, Blue Lagoon. If you prefer a countertop material that is maintenance free, consistent in color and pattern  and  comes in many beautiful colors, then quartz could be the right choice you.

When you first start looking for that perfect piece of granite you will notice that there two distinct “looks”. There are those granites that look very consistent, have a uniform pattern and color and then there are those that look like lava  flowing through it or even a piece of art .

Lets first talk about the consistent “look”.  A slab of this type of granite will look pretty much the same anywhere you see it. It will look the same today as it does next year. A small sample of a this type of  granite can usually serve as a good representation of the entire slab. Some examples of consistent looking granites  are Tropic Brown, Black Pearl and Baltic Brown. This type of pattern can be especially useful when there is a lot going on in the room in other areas such as  flooring, wallpaper etc. These types of granite appeal to people who like calm and predictable looking stones.

With inconsistent types of granite the amount of type of inconsistency can vary greatly. The irregularity can be in the color,  pattern or both.  In the stone industry the inconsitentcy in the pattern  is referred to as  movement. Movement  looks like  a wave flowing through the stone making  each piece of the stone unique. When choosing a stone with movement “what you see is what you get” and this is the beauty of the stone. A small sample of this type of granite is not a good representation of the entire slab. You will want to see the slabs that will be used in ”your” kitchen.  A piece of granite with movement is sure to be the focal point of your room. Keep in mind if you find yourself liking only parts of the stone then it may not be the right choice for you. Weather you like consistent or inconsistent granite patterns there is a stone out there for everyone. When you see the one that’s right for you will know  because it will take your breath away.

I recently attended a neighborhood party who’s hostess  had a very large and beautiful kitchen. While getting acquainted with the other guest  I  was asked  by one of them what I did for a living I told them that I was in the granite, marble and quartz industry. The conversation quickly turned to countertops. What I was surprised to find out is that people still think that granite, marble and quartz countertops are “expensive”.

In today’s economy the prices of countertops especially granite countertops have become very affordable. I demonstrated this to the guest at the party by providing the hostess with a price for her kitchen countertops. I first asked her to guess what she thought it would cost and she estimated the price  to be five thousand dollars when in fact it was only slightly over three thousand. Hearing this one of the guest who lived across the street from the hostess asked me to give her an estimate. She explained that both she and her husband really wanted granite countertops but they had not even priced it thinking it was going to be beyond their budget. After hearing what her neighbors granite countertops would cost she estimated that hers, a smaller kitchen, would probably be about two thousand dollars when in fact it worked out to be less than fifteen hundred dollars. She couldn’t believe it and couldn’t wait to tell her husband about it. She no longer felt it wasn’t affordable.

The counterops in this kitchen  are made from a exotic African granite called African Ivory. The purchase price when purchased in 2007  was just  over six thousand dollars. The same granite in the same kitchen today would cost thirty four hundred dollars.  The drastic difference is due to two  things suppliers are selling the granite to the granite companies for less and in order to be competitive the granite company is selling it to the public for less.

  If you or someone you know has been dreaming about new granite, marble or quartz countertops  call to receive a free quote I bet you too, will be pleasantly surprised by how affordable beautiful countertops have become.

For more information visit us at www.stonecreeksurfaces.com