granite worktop

[iloveglee]

I am in the process of having a new kitchen installed with a central island and am toying with the idea of having the island covered with a granite top so that I have somewhere to easily place hot tins etc. i have heard conflicting stories about granite, some say it shows marks easily and is a lot of work to keep looking nice. some say it is possible to use it as a chopping area avoiding the need for chopping boards, some say definitely not as it shows the marks. i have been offered the option of having a granite block set into a regular top but again, conflicting views on this idea. so am seeking views from members out there who have actual experience of granite tops and those who have, do they regret it, or would they definitely have them again. it adds a significant amount to the cost of the kitchen so want to make the right decision.

[jno]

ours is highly polished black granite and needs wiping as it shows fingerprints, but nothing too arduous. But are you meaning raw granite, so to speak?

[The Builder]

I did one a couple of years ago for a surgeon friend, of course it had to be kidney-shaped haha
Highly polished, as with Jno's. Certainly use chopping boards. It's not indestructible. Eventually the polish will dull and scratch from direct chopping.
For hot pans etc ......... have some little stainless steel pins fixed into the surface, for a pan to stand on. Keeping it clear of the granite.
Also, the makers could let S/S bars into the top as an alternative.

[craft1948]

I have a polished black granite floor in the bathroom...........it's a bugger to keep clean.

[EcclesCake]

Over time granite can show distress from onions and lemons due to the acidity. Never, ever cut directly onto granite/glass/onyx surfaces; they bugger your knives and the blade can slip and cause you damage.

They are a pain to keep looking polished at all times but easy to keep clean (if you get the difference).

I would always use a trivet, be it integrated or otherwise, for hot pans.

For what it's worth I have a combination of oak, granite and steel surfaces.

[gingejbee]

A relative has granite and doesn't like it one bit!

[Clanad]

All granite requires sealing...a somewhat labor intensive task... and it needs to be done at least yearly and maybe even more frequently depending on how much the work surface is used...

[The Builder]

Clanad ............ I'm a little confused about what you said about sealing. I've never known highly polished and buffed granite to need any further treatment.

[buildersmate]

We have black granite above oak shaker units. It looks brilliant. I don't believe one buys good granite as a substitute for using chopping boards - it is hard but does mark if cut with the knife (quite aside from what it does to the knife). Ours came with this cleaning kit -
http://www.deltaresea...da_prodotto.asp?id=69
We have used it once but never found the need to do it again. Surface is now 7 years old and still perfect. It is all a question of how you treat it.

[Clanad]

A couple of things TB... here in the U.S., and, I suspect, the U.K., there are varying qualities of granite. However, a friend that's in the business (actually quaries the slabs) tells me that they often apply a resin during the polishing phase but the resin is actually applied to fill out 'micro fissures' and help eliminate visible imperfections. The resin treatment also assists in the best polish. Even then, he says, after the slab is prepared and installed one should test the product by using a white towel soaked in warm water and wrung out. The towel is then placed on the stone for 5 minutes. If, after lifting the towel, a darkened "shadow" appears, the stone should be allowed to dry and then be sealed. (There are several recommended products).
Another test is to simply sprinkle a small palm full of water on the slab and see if it "beads up". If it forms beads, it doesn't require sealing but if soaks in and leaves streaks of darkened areas it does...

[iloveglee]

Hmmmm - all seems like rather a large amount of hard work for not a great deal of benefit - maybe a regular worktop is the way to go

[The Builder]

Thanks to Clanad for that. Very interesting :o)
Glee ........ it's getting more difficult to choose. I've fitted many hardwood tops, but people are now beginning to tire of the need for regular oiling and maintenance. There seems to be a return to conventional post-formed laminate tops right now. (Rounded front laminate over dense chipboard.)

[heathfield]

Granite. Not a good surface on which to put something down a little too roughly, like a glass, or an item of your best china. A standard laminated chipboard worktop is much more forgiving!

[Clanad]

TB, I don't know, of course, if this product is available in the U.K, but were just in the final throes of rebuilding a kitchen and after looking at granite ($70 per square foot intalled (US)), marble (to soft) hardwood... (various problems) and standard laminate, we were very pleasantly surprised at the quality and value of Wisonart's High Definition line. It's textured and looks all the world like granite. It's carries a good guarantee and easy to install (although we had the job done).
One word, at least here, the style for kitchen sinks is now the 'undermount'. This doesn't work very well for any laminate due to water absorption. However, Wilsonart has a special product they call a "Ring". The Hig definition topping is attached to a large piece of waterproof backing rather than the chipboard. One sets the undermount sink into it and then sets the whole thing on the counter. The regular Wislonart then butts up against it and voila...

http://www.wilsonart.com/

[ladybirder]

Corian for me.

[myinstalledcount]

I would not use my granite as a chopping area. Just because it will dull your knife blades along with it is possible to leave marks on the granite that can be hard to remove. It is not the granite being scratched it is your knife blade being left behind on the granite itself. I would use a granite block to chop on if your not worried about having dull blades. Granite is a really hard stone to hurt.
Source http://www.myinstalledcountertops.com/