2cm granite with plywood countertop from China

15 years ago

I am seriously looking to get granite for my kitchen and master bathroom counter top.

While I was at a shop this afternoon getting a bid, this customer whom had her kitchen countertop installed from this shop a month ago came in and asked why there is dark stain around her faucet. That prompted me to do more search online to see if this is a common problem with granite. I then stumbled onto this findstone.com website and the questions and answers posted just made me leery about granite. It also made me feel lost to what to do?

Very often when people asked if their choice of granite is good, the majority answer this website gives is:

[As for the granite, let me tell you which one is my very favorite: a good fabricator!

I hope you will understand the true meaning of what Im about to say. It appears to me that like most other inquirers at this stage you seem mostly interested in the type of "granite" and/or its physical characteristics. ItÂs human nature at work, I reckon! :-) How about if I tell you that a certain stone is a good choice and then you get a low-grade slab? Trust me: the human factor is far more important than the stone itself and should be the only true deciding factor!

In an industry thatÂs virtually unregulated, how good and reputable the fabricator whoÂs is going to process the stone youÂll end up choosing is far more important than the stone itself. None of the horror stories that get posted in this very site stem from the stone itself: they all stem from the fabricator. That is why I seldom make final statements about any one particular stone. There may be differences within the same stone (and IÂm not talking about looks, here!) from one bundle of slabs and the next. The slabs may have also been either "doctored" (which is bad), or "resined" (which could be good, but only to a certain extent) by the factory, which would make a big difference. Even more important, whatÂs a good stone in the hands of some "Michelangelo"?! And again: a reputable fabricator will only carry high-grade slabs, not some "special!]

Anyone heard of this website? Is this place reputable? It seems it is a insightful place that offers a lot of information on stones, solutions, and listed some of the nightmares people have with their countertop, i.e. cracks showing up a year or two later, unable to get rid of stains, or color changed.But then it turns around and offer a service that charge $100 for bids from companies.

The two places I went this afternoon offered pre-fabricated 2cm granite on plywood, then glue pieces along the edges to give it a thicker look. If the fabricator is the KEY to a good reliable granite than I should not return to these two shops?!!

BTW, based on that website the few colors of granite I like, yes, the 'human factor' at work here, are NOT good

- Santa Cecilia "granite" is thatÂs extremely difficult to find good-grade slabs and nobody will ever give you a "special price" on those! The "special" ones are typically heavily doctored and will soon show pits and lose grit.

- Kashmir White is an extremely porous material. Select another material for your kitchen counters.

- Cashmere Gold - is orthogneiss: a far cry from granite, since itÂs not even an igneous rock, but a metamorphed sedimentary stone Â is indeed more fragile. All the more reason to make sure that all the weaker spots are properly rodded.

My questions:

1. What choices of granite are there that are light in color?

2. How do I go about finding a reputable fabricator that does not charge an arm and a leg for it in Atlanta area?

3. How many grades of granite are there?

4. How to tell if one piece of granite is lower grade than another?

5. Is there a list of 'true' granite names, and whether it needs sealing?

6. Is it bad for one to end up choosing a 'non-granite' stone?

Comments (4)

susan4664
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
The information you attached is from a site titled "Ask Maurizio". Maurizio is very informative. Also check out Tom Cordova's blog, The Rock, as well as the NSRA-National Stone Restoration Alliance site. All are helpful.

Regarding your other questions, lighter colored granites in general are more prone to stain than darker ones, however, having them sealed and re-sealed every year or so protects it. Sealing them is nothing more than spreading a liquid sealant on top then letting it dry. Dark granites usually do not need to be sealed and they do not stain.

Sealing is different than resin, which is done prior to the slabs arriving at the yard. Most, if not all, granite slabs are resined. This is a good thing, as it keeps the naturally occuring fissures from cracking and the mica and quartz pieces from chipping.

Unfortunately there is no universal grading system. Most slab yards use their own system of grading, which is usually based on the rarity of the stone and its colors, rather than actual quality. The quality of granite is pretty consistent. Also, other stones that aren't acutally granite, but may be gneiss, work just as well for countertops.

The sites I've seen caution about black granite from China. Many of them have been "doctored", meaning black polish has been applied, which makes them look better initially, but sometime after installation this polish wears off (unevenly) and the slab is actully grey, not as black as you thought. Who wants to end up with something different than what you purchased!

Anyway, I hope this helps. Good luck and keep doing research before you purchase. Make sure to view the fabricator's work in someone's home, paying close attention to seams and edges before you hire someone.

Susan
svwillow1
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
We choose our fabricator because they had been around for awhile and were members of both the Stone Cutters and Marble trade groups. Other's had used them and recomended them, and what little we saw of their work, was well done. Their price was in the middle of all the quotes. Once we had picked out our slabs, our fabricator told us he would inspect them, and if he felt they had serious flaws, would reject them.

The installation was well done, the seams were acceptable, and everything went as expected. The fabricator sealed the stones, and told us that when water stopped beading up, it would be time to re-seal. We have had no problems, and don't expect any. The company is still in business, and I expect them to be for a long time. I agree, its the fabricator that's the key.
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miaolinwei
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
The question is really long, I hardly understand what you were trying to say after reading your title.

Granites are natural stones, lets me tell you this, each shipment will be different or slightly different, because they are just natural stones, they are from different blocks.

And doctored granites, I never seen them, If one company ever sell doctored granites without telling customers, they will be dead meat in no time.

Every granite can be sealed if you want to seal them or to keep them from staining.

The three granites that you listed, they are the 3 of the best selling granites in the bay area, we have done so many of these granites, I never built any rods to support cashmere gold, I never had any problem or any complains, nothing is perfect in the granite world, sometimes digging too much informations can be deadly.
vrjames
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
MYM222,
You have tossed a LOT of mixed information into one posting.

In Atlanta, I will give you the name of a few fabricators out of literally hundreds that service the Metro area.

I do not know where you live but any of these guys will travel. You may feel comfortable as they are all good shops with good reputations. All businesse have bumps, these guys will stand behind their work.

Top South in Marietta 770-422-4009
Creative Stone in Chamblee 770-458-6771
Touch of Stone in Alpharetta 770-569-0090
Premier Surfaces in Alpharetta 770-475-0004
Prinz in Peachtree City 770-632-9695

These are just for starters, Basic Granites in a simple kitchen in Atlanta will run between $40 and $60 sf installed.

As for your question about "grades", use a reputable fabricator and you should not need to worry about it. The grading question, and "true granite" question are lengthy to answer and that pot has been stirred on this forum A LOT!!

I hope this helps, we are all here if you need more assistance.

Blessings

2cm granite with plywood countertop from China

Comments (4)

susan4664

svwillow1

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miaolinwei

vrjames

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