Marble vs. Quartzite
gpican
5 years ago
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DDS Design Services, LLC by Jeff Kida
5 years agogpican thanked DDS Design Services, LLC by Jeff KidaRelated Discussions
polished vs honed and light vs dark granite/quartzite
Comments (38)I have honed dark granite right now and it stains like crazy esp anything remotely oily. Tried everything to seal it and nothing worked. It was in the house when we bought it and we are now remodeling the kitchen and it it will be gone. Replacing with polished Sea Pearl quartzite if the quote is right (fingers crossed). It's been a process because this kitchen has extremely high end (previous owner installed) cabinets with a high gloss finish in teal blue - gorgeous but challenging and way to expensive to replace. Very sleek and modern. Thanks to the oven forum we chose the Miele Master Chef oven (wanted that rotisserie) and warming drawer and after reading on the Refrigerator Forum we chose the Thermador Freedom Towers for the fridge and freezer. LOL we inquired about getting panels for them to match the cabinets and yikes, the cost was more than the appliances cost. So stainless fronts it is. Everyone here is so helpful - certainly appreciate this site and the forums....See MoreDurability of Honed vs Polished vs Sealed Quartzite?
Comments (3)I wouldn't count on those rocks being similar, since so many slabs labeled as quartzite are actually marble. Romy is correct, you have to get a sample of the exact rock you want, and test it as much as you can. Then you can make your decision based on your own observations, which will definitely help with the confusion. Good luck!...See MoreIs quartzite really, really porous...or not?
Comments (43)Without a doubt all this stone classification is confusing to consumers.We work on stone everyday and it would be impossible for us to know the names and characteristics of every surface we worked on. To keep things simple we can id most stones by their grainy or veiny look. Granites being grainy and marbles being veiny. However with so many types of stones being used today that doesnt always work so we use the lemon test which tells us if a stone has calcites and will etch and just how porous it is. We check as best we can for signs of resining . Checking the edge of a slab for drip marks and also checking the surface. If the surface looks like glass with no natural pitting inherrent in most granites or igneous stone there may be the possibility of a resined slab. I dont think a resined slab is a bad thing for consumers but if your a stone refinisher and you service(top polish) a resin slab by taking out a scratch or damage you may not be able to match the factory finish properly. I think consumers should think the same way and not be to concerned regarding names and classifications. They should be informed and educated to do the proper testing of the stone they want to purchase. A large investment of a product you will be putting into the busiest parts of your home. Kitchens,bathrooms and family rooms are where most spills and acidic products are used. Purchasing porous stones can be solved by sealing to a certain extent. Make sure you know how porous the surface is before you commit to the purchase.Its an easy test just puddle up some palm sized puddles of water and let them sit on one or two areas for 10-15 minutes and then wipe away. If you see a darker mark then you know the stone is absorbing the water that stone will require sealing. I am in homes and businesses everyday and we dont see that much true staining,stains that are darker than the stones surface. We do see alot of staining that is lighter than the stones surface which is always etching. This occurs on stones such as marble,limestones,travertines and any stone that contains calcites. It would be wise to see just how much sealer a porous stone will require to be really sealed. I believe some stones are so porous that sealing them could be classified technically impossible. The definition of a impregnating sealer is a product that temporarily inhibits the intrusion of staining agents. Yes there are better sealers coming on the market but most are just marketing at its best or worst. Use well known brands and dont trust everything you hear. Anytime you hear someone tell you a product is just like granite please test for your self. It doesnt matter what they call it only how it will perform in your home. Most important make sure you are working closely with the fabricator. Make sure they are credible and have lots of references and history. Make sure they want you to be as educated about the purchase you are going to make as can be. Test-Test -Test. Shopping for stone surfaces can be tedious...See MoreShould I go quartzite or marble (sooooo love the marble)
Comments (15)Wow! I can't believe I got so many comments on this. So happy and will read through it all later today. You people ROCK! Just a quick update, we live on LI and found fabricator we like, Marbleline in Westbury. Stella is great and so helpful. Today we just found Calacatta Gold Bhorgini marble at European Marble in Farmingdale (Dubon Ct.) honed that is the slab I want (if I win the battle) they are also great there and I thought their selection was the best I've seen so far in marble, granite. They have multiple locations but when they get a lot, they split it up between locations so you don't have to trek into Brooklyn to see it all, the Melville location will have it. kerri helped me and they are so friendly and nice. We also found a granite and quartzite piece we like in case we (me) get talked out of marble. I am holding strong and preparing to present my case to DH and do my research. We took a chunk of carerra marble and taj mahal quartzite home (Stella's idea from marbleline) and we're planning to test it ourselves. I've seen photos of honed marble with etching and I'm ok with it. My tests will be with jelly, tea, wine, coffee, lemon, peanut butter, oj, grape juice, Gatorade, butter, honey, milk, cereal, ice cream (can you tell I have kids!!) and see how it turns out. On a daily basis this kind of stuff happens on my counters today so I expect this to continue...... sigh...... I just think that I love marble so much that even with the patina over time, it will still be stunning....See MoreJoseph Corlett, LLC
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