Cost Comparison: Soapstone vs. Granite
coysmum
16 years ago
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lascatx
16 years agoRelated Discussions
gritty mix vs semi-hydro comparison?
Comments (16)if you are making your own nutes using individual chemicals, then yes you will want to test the pH initially. However once you have a recipe, you don't have to test. If you want to reuse nutrient solution in a to waste system, then yes you would have to test the pH. If you just drain the waste to say landscape plantings then no you would not test that. Hydro is usually done in an inert medium. However, as the u. of arizona quote above shows, non-inert media like sawdust can be used. I will agree that the line between hydro and conventional starts to be blurred by using non-inert ingredients. But I think that the intent of the nutes being used helps clarify that. If you are using nutes that don't require biological breakdown like nitrates it's closer to the hydro bright line. If you are using nutes like urea that do require breakdown and will work on the medium it's closer to the conventional bright line. there is definitely a continuum. Not every synthetic would be hydro. Urea and ammonium are going to require biological activity (yes you can use those in a recirculating hydro setup but the results are generally not great). Those are the most common synthetics used by commercial growers. Nitrate based hydro nutes are much more expensive. A lot of commercial growrrs also use composted bark for moisture retention. That combo is much more conventional than hydro. Those media breakdown quickly and they have to repot evey season. that last bit about organc and synthetic is just confused because of the erroneous vernacular use of 'organic'. Organic hydroponics are just nutrient solutions of immediately available nitrates from 'organic' sources. The whole semi thing cracks me up a bit. 20 years ago if you walked intoa hydro store you would find decorative cotainers for houseplants that were passive systems that look exactly like the semi containers. They were rightly called hydroponics. They were usually from Europe and they would be filled with hydroton or leca. Then along comes one orchid grower in the US that felt that people were afraid of the word hydroponic does the same thing and brands it semi-hydroponics and puts it on the web and poof, people start calling passive hydroponics, semi-hydroponics. Of course, all the people in Europe that are still doing the same thing are doing passive hydroponics. Books on hydroponic houseplants still refer to that system as hydroponcs. But that guy sure gets a lot of hits because he convinced people that semi-hydroponics is something different than what people have been doing for decades....See MoreSoapstone vs honed black granite - honest opinions needed!!
Comments (18)There's not a SS market here. I would not do honed AB because of all the bad things I've read about it re: etching, staining, upkeep etc. It's not a true granite so it doesn't behave like a lot of the other dark granites. From what I've read, they recommend not using an impregnating sealer but a color enhancing sealer. But even then, many have major issues with upkeep. I got so sick of cleaning then polishing my polished (but gorgeous) antique brown that I can't fathom risking adding even more upkeep on a countertop. Here's a detailed article on it by a marble/granite guy and comments below. I know people here have had issues with AB too. I know not everyone has had issues, but IMO it's a crap shoot. With my luck, I'd have issues. Article & Comments Below Here's one small blurb: Another Small Blurb I'd find a different one to use. There are lots of other dark/black granites and quartzes to use with soft/honed looks....See MoreHow much does Soapstone cost?
Comments (26)I was quoted a price of $115 a square foot installed, from Stockett here in Phoenix. They have 2 varieties: a softer, grayer one with lots of small veins (they called it "Minus") and a harder. blacker one with mostly dark green veins (called it "Brazilian Eyes") .When oiled, the blacker one is mostly black with very light veins and some dark green areas....See MoreCost differential: Absolute Black granite vs soapstone?
Comments (9)The reason that I asked about the Santa Barbara was that I heard that that quarry is about done. I didn't want you to get your hopes up if that's true. Doesn't Francy have that and couldn't find a new piece for her kitchen? I think so. I asked Mimi about that one when we were looking for a harder variety. I loved the looked and asked her what it was. I'm almost positive that the one I kept on coming back to or pointing our was the SB. All in all, I wish that I had gone ahead with the soapstone, even the Black Venata, but as I said, I need to live with what I have now. Who knows? Maybe the softer variety wouldn't have been right for me. Maybe in my next house I can find the perfect combination of soapstone for us. My cabinets were probably not soapstone worthy anyway. Good luck! I sure hope you can find your Santa Barbara!...See Morehomersgarden
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