The Counters Blog

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Choosing New Counter Tops: Marble Or Granite?

I think that it’s important to consider your lifestyle both now and in the future when making the choice. Then you can grab up some of these awesome marble and granite products with the money you saved! Marble and granite counter tops are similar in price, but are also very different when it comes to certain things. Can be scratched or etched by acids (citrus, coffee, alcohol, some cleaning products) even if you seal it. Granite is also a natural product that will work well in both the kitchen and bathroom. Also, remember that if you just love the look of marble or granite, you can choose laminate counter tops for a lower price.

Color Scheme For Accessible Beige SW 7036 by rughdesign.com

I have dark cherry-brown floor, honey maple cabinets and black brown granite. We have new furniture mostly farmhouse whites, wheat, light beige color. Do you think painting a wall in family room w fireplace and our dining room balanced beige would look good? My fireplace tile is porcelain marble but the kitchen backsplash are light tan tiles. My house recently flooded so we are redoing everything! I don’t want to change the ceiling color (mainly because it’s an added expense we don’t need at the moment). I have this color in my home and it has really helped neutralize my orangey wood floors! Also what are some colors that we could use in bathrooms, laundry, and bedrooms. I personally like white ceilings to keep the space feeling light and open. We kept our trim off-white and it looks great! I would recommend it for anyone who might be transitioning from traditional to more modern. Beige is a warmer greige and works well with dark chocolate woodwork. We will have a standing seam metal roof, double walnut stained doors and front posts and a brick porch with different elements of these same colors with a tinge of black. I have been laboring over the color for the house and trying to minimize undertones (especially yellow). I have a certain amount of paint colors from the builder to use, so was hoping the trim color we choose can also be used to paint our white kitchen and trim on interior. If you are able, get some samples to test out in your office so you can see how they work in your lighting. Then you can move the board around the room to see how it looks on all of the walls at different times of day when the light changes. I am choosing paint for my two story foyer and hallway, dining room, living room and family room. The front part of my house of course get little to no morning light but lots of afternoon to evening light (foyer, living room and dining room is located in the front-west facing part of the house). We also have a lot of charcoal gray furniture and pillows with cool blue tones (similar to sea salt), and rugs with gray accents. I want to continue blue hues but better option than accessible beige. We have an open floor plan and 20 ft ceilings in family room. And, keep in mind you will probably have other accent colors going on with pillows, accessories and art so it should all flow just fine. Honestly, it will depend on the undertone in your beige/tan tile. I love white and off-white subway tile for a classic look and feel. Our trim is currently the sw6106 kilim beige….my backsplash is a grey stacked stone and my counter tops are fantasy brown granite. Kitchen cabinets are expresso and the granite countertops have multiple shades of black, white, grey and taupe. I have a chair rail and would like to paint the lower half a bit darker than the top half. We are trying to come up with a color palette…we like accessible beige for the for the main parts of the house, but what ceiling would go well without causing it to become a distraction. I would definitely test some samples first to see how they look to be sure and to see which color looks best in your lighting. I wanted traditional white, but my husband would like a more neutral or light beige color. Possibly rustic black or stained shutters on the garage (which is kind of carriage house style). We have antique white moldings and an open floor plan and can’t find a color to make the dining room pop! My dining room table has taupe/gray chairs and want that room to stand out. I have been learning alot about room orientation and sunlight. The back part of my home is bathed in morning sunlight which is also where my family room is located. Our new home is 3900 sq feet and has dark espresso floors, white kitchen cabinets, and an espresso island.

Granite Countertop Colors by bhg.com

Discover some of the most popular colors for granite countertops and how to use them in your kitchen. While the decision to use granite may be simple, choosing among the many color options can be daunting. The most popular color is black, which is elegant and timeless. White, yellow, or beige counters bounce light around a room to visually expand the space. After choosing your preferred color, browse samples within that color subset. Solid granite has little variation in pattern, marbled granite has a smooth transition between color and texture, and speckled granite shows a lot of variation in color and texture. Also, don’t make this pricey purchase until you’ve seen your particular slab in person. Fortunately there didn’t seem to be any shortage of different colors out there to choose from. It had some very dramatic movement in the pattern and we both fell in love with it right away. We got a leathered finish, because according to the manufacturer it’s more forgiving when it comes to staining and we know we aren’t exactly perfect when it comes to cleaning off the counter, especially with our two kids on the prowl. Darker counters look great paired with lighter cabinetry or in kitchens with plenty of natural light. They look modern atop dark cabinets or in a sleek, monochromatic scheme. When working with busy or bold counters, it’s best to use a muted palette for the other surfaces in the kitchen. You’ll find there are three basic patterns — solid, marbled, and speckled. Additionally, you can pick between the typical high-gloss finish or a honed finish. Take samples (or photos) of your cabinet finish, flooring, and wall paint so you can see how they look next to the granite samples you’re considering. We had seen just how much the darker colors made the room look smaller and we didn’t want to make ours feel any smaller than it already was. We must have looked at 100 different slabs in the showroom before choosing viscount white.

Marble Vs.Granite For Rolling Out Dough by gardenweb.com

I like to bake and have heard and read about how good marble is for rolling out dough but have never had the opportunity to tr y it. Took the top off the freezer, put in springs and a plate, had marble slab with a removable butcher wood slab on top of the marble, so it was flush with the wood countertop. I had granite in my last kitchen and marble in this kitchen. Marble is softer and it might chip if you toss your keys on the counter, etc. I do pastry making, fudge making, etc, right on my (clean!) counters. Amanda’s wedding, just like it made every one for mine! Marble pastry slabs can be chilled, but not a whole countertop. Marble or granite are the same temperature as any other material in your kitchen, unless they are chilled in the refrigerator. If your are going to have marble counter top, also be careful with the use of adhesive type, which can bleed thru to the top surface. Decades ago granite was not an option so those that had the finances installed marble for baking prep purposes. As for the marble, my sheet of marble was especially made for rolling dough, it was a wedding gift. It is easy to maintain, doesn’t need to be sealed, and takes what our family dishes out and still looks beautiful to boot. I roll dough out on my countertop (formica) or on a large wooden cutting board. My question – why is marble better than granite for rolling out dough? On the one end, they took a small dorm room sized refrigerator/freezer. Remove the butcherblock slab and the marble top popped up for rolling dough. I had thought of that 5 years ago when we were building! Both are great for rolling out dough because they stay cool. It was nice and stayed cool, but it wasn’t particularly sturdy, as evidenced by my breaking it! Our kitchen is already so freakin’ cold that marble probably won’t make a difference! If your dough is chilled and you don’t have a cold surface to work with it, then wood would be better because wood is a better insulator. It basically said that marble was great for rolling out pie dough because it feels cooler to the touch. One more question – will different finish types of granite affect rolling out dough? About 12 inches wide and 18 inches long, only maybe 1/4 inch thick. I want to change all of my countertops to granite, but it will have to wait a while longer.

Pros and Cons Of Quartz Vs Granite Countertops: The Complete Rundown by sebringdesignbuild.com

But you’re having trouble deciding which one you really want and need. This blog will tell you exactly what you can expect and sort out the pros and cons of quartz vs. Quartz countertops are made up of crushed quartz mixed with resin in a ratio of 93% quartz material to 7% resin binder and color additives. Many people are encouraged by the fact that quartz countertops don’t require any maintenance. It may be hard to believe, but quartz is heftier than granite—and that’s saying a lot! If the chosen quartz has many patterns or colors, it could be a bit trickier to hide the seams. It can even become the focal point of your kitchen which will blend well with your floor, walls, and cabinets. Granite countertops are tough and long-lasting but, while it’s uncommon, if a heavy item like a frying pan is dropped on the countertop’s corner the granite could chip or crack. Now that you have heard all the pros and cons of quartz vs granite countertops you can make an informed decision. We are still in the planning process, so this post was very helpful. Thus, this will help me to be able to still make decisions, but still have room to make styling decisions along the way. Thank you for giving an honest and unbiased opinion on this. I love both of these materials because they last long, improve the value of the home, and make your property stand out in elegance. So, it will guide everyone so that you can however produce options, nevertheless include bedroom for making doing you hair options along the route. It’s good to know that when it comes to using this type of material that it doesn’t require any maintenance. The kitchen countertop is the main focus of the kitchen remodeling that we plan to carry out next spring. The chips are not reparable to my expectations and stand out like a sore thumb. I had my installer use a sealer that my son used in his kitchen. All you have to do with natural stone is clean it with hot water and it kills bacteria quickly. Manufactured surfaces have to be cleaned with antibacterial cleaners to get the same effect. I also read that epoxy starts to melt and emits highly carcinogenic fumes at 320 degrees and natural stone surfaces are not effected up to 1, 200 degrees. I do have a very schedule at work, so it’s important for me to find a material for countertops that won’t require so much time from me. We don’t want to ruin how our kitchen originally looks, so we’ll consider granite countertops. We’re planning to find a type of stone countertop that can make our kitchen stand out. The pros and cons of both granite and quartz are elaborately mentioned which makes it easier to decide which material to chose an will prove a better option. But after reading such a detailed review about them plus the facts shared will make the readers much more aware to take an informed decision. After much contemplation, you’ve narrowed it down to either granite or quartz countertops. There are plenty of delusions and assumptions floating around out there about granite and quartz. Quartz has a wide variety of colors and patterns that show up are 100% synthetic. They are manufactured in a variety of different patterns and colors. One of the biggest benefits that quartz has is it doesn’t need to be sealed and it’s stainless. Plus, quartz doesn’t hold viruses or bacteria so you know that your countertops will be clean when you wipe it down. If you select darker quartz for your countertops it’s a good possibility that the seams won’t show at all which gives you a great contemporary, clean look. There are hundreds of shades/colors of granite slabs to choose from and they’re beautiful and impressive to look at; many people consider the imperfections to be what makes granite so distinctive. In general, granite stands up to normal use quite well although it can dull your knife blades (although we never recommend using granite countertops as a cutting board). Because it a natural mineral granite is built to withstand the elements. When granite is correctly sealed by a professional, your granite countertops won’t soak up liquids and is stain-resistant. If your granite countertops aren’t properly sealed or left unsealed, it could end up absorbing oil, wine and juice which will create a stain that you won’t get rid of. You should plan to reseal your granite countertops once a year; if you don’t the countertops will quickly begin to show evidence of staining. Granite tends to have a lot of variation in the tone and texture. Being able to be outside, and withstand more wear and tear makes it a deal breaker for me. I especially like that there is so much variety in the shades and colors, giving me hundreds of options to choose from. It’s cool to hear that granite is never alike to another sheet of granite. The majority of my business is in granite and quartz countertops. It is very informative and it is really interesting to increase our conversation rate. I prefer generally working with quartz, but there’s no denying the natural appeal of granite. I like the idea of using quartz, but am curious to know if there are any benefits to this type of material. It will nice being able to have something we don’t need to worry about all the time, especially if something spills on it. I could choose from so many options and know that it would be durable enough to stand the weather. Also, never knew so much about quartz, might need it in my kitchen now! I also liked how you said that granite is a good option for a kitchen countertop because there are a lot of colors to choose from that are really impressive to look at. Marble cannot crack easily and they it is one of the strongest natural variety of stone. We want to make sure that our countertops will help us to improve the way our kitchen looks. We want to make sure that our kitchen will increase the marketability of our house when we sell it, so it’s important for us to ensure that home buyers will love our house. There has always been a neck-to-neck fight in the demand for these two materials.

What Is The Difference Between Granite and Marble? by quora.com

The flooring you opt should meet functional and visual requirements of the room. What is the difference between granite & trespa? What is the difference between marble, granite and tiles? What is the chemical difference between marble and granites? What is the main and most important difference between travertine and marble? What is the physical difference between marble and granite? What’s the difference between travertine, granite, and marble?

Quartz Vs Granite Countertops Pros Cons Differences Costs by homeadvisor.com

Stone workers cut granite directly from large deposits into slabs. Granite tends to be more natural looking while quartz requires overall lower maintenance. White and cream are the most common colors although added pigment can give the slab color, which gives a natural look, or something more interesting. Quartzite , as opposed to engineered, is a naturally occurring form of sandstone that has undergone intense heat and pressure. Like other natural stone, this is porous and needs regular resealing. Has naturally occurring imperfections, although some consider this a good thing. Take care when transporting and moving the slab into place as this is when it is most vulnerable to cracking. When working with large areas with necessary seams, the seams will be less noticeable. It needs specialized equipment for transporting, carrying and moving in to place. Aligning the cutouts for sinks is difficult to get exactly right. Due to the resins used it is a more flexible material than natural stone which makes it less prone to breaking on install. Scratches may even be more visible owing to the uniformity of the color. This leaves visible rings or marks that are difficult or impossible to repair. Wipe spills up quickly and wash the counter regularly with mild soap and water and reapply sealant every two years. Wipe away spills quickly so they will not cause discoloration. You can do this yourself, but hiring a professional to do it will ensure a consistent finish. Remnants are also a possibility if you are willing to flexible with size and color and help keep pieces of stone from ending up in the landfill. Also, in some cases, waste product from other uses is the raw material for engineered quartz slabs. They can also be the tipping point when the buyer is making a choice between your house and one without the same feature. Expect to get close to your initial investment back on these countertops. It wins out in the maintenance category because you can sand out scratches and stains, but it doesn’t have the same look as real, natural stone. Although it will never look like real stone, it is getting better at mimicking it closely. It looked as good when we moved out as it did when we moved in. I don’t know how to reconcile this experience with some of the comments in this good article. Not sure where your writer is getting his data, but our experience with granite has been quite different. If its like other polyester resins in my experience, it may need a lot of restoration to look new in a decade or two. Manufacturers make quartz by combining crushed rock with resin to form slabs. Although formed mostly of quartz and feldspar, it also holds mica and other trace minerals that give it its characteristic flecked pattern. It is the second most abundant material in the earth’s crust. Manufactures crush rocks and then bind them together with resins. Slabs have a manufactured, consistent look throughout which helps reduce the noticeability of seams. Because of the more uniform look and size of the crystals, many think it doesn’t look as ‘natural’ as other types of stone. Countertop edges and corners are especially vulnerable to chipping. There is a possibility of thermal shock cracking it, so use a trivet. Although the stone in an engineered countertop is highly resistant to heat, the resin used to bind the stone together can become discolored when exposed to high temperatures. Therefore, protection such as a trivet or hot pad is highly recommended before placing a hot pan or utensil on the surface. Water left sitting too long may even cause some discoloration. If there are larger areas of dullness or multiple scratches, refinish or polish the surface. A professional may also be able to repair larger cracks in the countertop. Cracks are more difficult to repair because the consistent coloring makes them more visible than in other natural stones. You can keep the carbon footprint smaller if you look for locally sourced stone rather than having it transported from overseas. So, unless you and your family are diligent about cleaning up spills right after they happen, the stain resistance of quartz wins. Watch out for hot pots and if you have a kitchen that gets a lot of direct sun. Concrete countertops are also similar in price to quartz but have the advantage of versatility in color and shape options. Dealers having their own installers can help alleviate some of the finger pointing should there be any problems along the way. During all of that time it never showed a scratch or stain and was very easy to maintain. By contrast, we have friends with quartz countertops who complain about glass rings and staining. The only maintenance has been a damp sponge and paper towels to keep it clean.