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| The Carpenter Shop |
"Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or
believe to be beautiful. " William Morris
believe to be beautiful. " William Morris
Copyright The Carpenter Shop, 2008.
| 358 N. Rockwell Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73127 |
| 405.942.2644 |
| Office Hours: M - F 7 a.m. to 3:30 Sat 10 - 1 Please call to make an appointment for any other time. |
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Information on How to Choose a Good Counter Top
1. Lighter colors in granite are generally more maintenance than
darker colors. Lighter colors are generally less dense than
darker colors and so therefore are likely to stain more easily. So
you must seal lighter colors more often. On some dark granites
sealing is actually not necessary, you'll actually do more
damage to the sealer than to the granite which may cause the
surface to appear mottled or the polish uneven. Also when
companies are trying to sell you granite they'll tell you that you
can put hot pots on it, that you can cut it, that it is nearly
indestructible. While it may be partly true you'll want to avoid
doing any of these things. Using your granite carelessly could
do damage to the resin, the sealer, the polish, and possibly the
granite itself. The sealer just slows the absorption of the stain, it
doesn't stop it. Almost every slab of granite these days will have
a polyester resin applied to it at the processing plant. Putting a
hot pot on a sealed granite top will damage the sealer and/or the
resin which will lead to a vulnerable location for stains. Using
scouring pads or harsh cleansers to clean the granite will
eventually scuff up the polish which is not easy nor inexpensive to
fix. Generally on granite do these things:
A. Blot spills immediately. Don't wipe it, you'll just be spreading
the spill. Typical items that have staining capabilities are those
with an acidic base (citrus fruit, tomato products, vinegars/wines)
and fatty foods, oils or grease. Because of the silicone sealer,
these items will not stain if wiped up within a few minutes.
However, the longer left on the surface, the greater the potential
for a stain to form. Also, the darkness of the granite will affect how
visible a stain will be. To be safe, keep plastic or wooden cutting
boards on the counter by the cooking surface and sink, and wipe
up spills immediately.
darker colors. Lighter colors are generally less dense than
darker colors and so therefore are likely to stain more easily. So
you must seal lighter colors more often. On some dark granites
sealing is actually not necessary, you'll actually do more
damage to the sealer than to the granite which may cause the
surface to appear mottled or the polish uneven. Also when
companies are trying to sell you granite they'll tell you that you
can put hot pots on it, that you can cut it, that it is nearly
indestructible. While it may be partly true you'll want to avoid
doing any of these things. Using your granite carelessly could
do damage to the resin, the sealer, the polish, and possibly the
granite itself. The sealer just slows the absorption of the stain, it
doesn't stop it. Almost every slab of granite these days will have
a polyester resin applied to it at the processing plant. Putting a
hot pot on a sealed granite top will damage the sealer and/or the
resin which will lead to a vulnerable location for stains. Using
scouring pads or harsh cleansers to clean the granite will
eventually scuff up the polish which is not easy nor inexpensive to
fix. Generally on granite do these things:
A. Blot spills immediately. Don't wipe it, you'll just be spreading
the spill. Typical items that have staining capabilities are those
with an acidic base (citrus fruit, tomato products, vinegars/wines)
and fatty foods, oils or grease. Because of the silicone sealer,
these items will not stain if wiped up within a few minutes.
However, the longer left on the surface, the greater the potential
for a stain to form. Also, the darkness of the granite will affect how
visible a stain will be. To be safe, keep plastic or wooden cutting
boards on the counter by the cooking surface and sink, and wipe
up spills immediately.
B. Use a trivet under your pots, pans, & oven dishes. Yes granite can take some heat
but don't get in the habit of doing it. On any & all surfaces thermal shock can occur.
This is where a hot surface meets a cold surface. Granite can take hot temperatures,
however there can be unseen fissures that have gone unnoticed through the
fabrication process. When the granite experiences thermal shock (a quick change of
temperature), these fissures might open up and fracture the slab. Also, stoneware
casseroles or pizza stones that are susceptible to thermal shock might break when
they are removed from a hot oven and placed on cool granite. To be safe, use a hot
pad under pans/dishes taken off the stove or out of the oven.
but don't get in the habit of doing it. On any & all surfaces thermal shock can occur.
This is where a hot surface meets a cold surface. Granite can take hot temperatures,
however there can be unseen fissures that have gone unnoticed through the
fabrication process. When the granite experiences thermal shock (a quick change of
temperature), these fissures might open up and fracture the slab. Also, stoneware
casseroles or pizza stones that are susceptible to thermal shock might break when
they are removed from a hot oven and placed on cool granite. To be safe, use a hot
pad under pans/dishes taken off the stove or out of the oven.
Recycled Aluminum counter tops
Eleek
Recycled Glass counter tops
Vetrazzo
Bamboo counter tops
Totally Bamboo
Eleek
Recycled Glass counter tops
Vetrazzo
Bamboo counter tops
Totally Bamboo
For those who have money coming out
the wazoo & want everyone to envy you,
there's material for counter tops made
from semi-precious stone & gemstone.
Antolini Luigi & Co
the wazoo & want everyone to envy you,
there's material for counter tops made
from semi-precious stone & gemstone.
Antolini Luigi & Co
| Did you know... pine has antibacterial properties? You may consider reclaimed heart pine counter tops but the standard run of the mill pine would be unsuitable for counter top use as it is extremely soft and would dent & ding and present a nightmare for cleanup. The filler of choice in solid surface is ATH. ATH is refined from bauxite ore and looks like a tan powder. Bauxite is a form of clay, which means that when it comes to the natural vs. artificial thing, solid surface starts as one of the most abundant and natural minerals on earth. global warming? Wood absorbs carbon dioxide whether its in tree form or plank form. Harvesting of trees just leads to more planting of trees & young trees absorb more CO2 than old trees. can lead to superbugs or potential allergies in children? |
For more information on counter tops
please visit these sites & web pages:
Kitchens.com Counter Top info.
"Green" Countertop Comparison Chart
Granite & Resin, How & Why
please visit these sites & web pages:
Kitchens.com Counter Top info.
"Green" Countertop Comparison Chart
Granite & Resin, How & Why
| Protect The Environment |
Care & Maintenance of Granite Countertops
Staron is Greenguard
certified for low or no
emissions of harmful or
chemical gases.
certified for low or no
emissions of harmful or
chemical gases.
Any granite that you're interested in must be
tested for radioactivity before we will sell it to
you. We have testing equipment! And our
supplier will be testing as well.
tested for radioactivity before we will sell it to
you. We have testing equipment! And our
supplier will be testing as well.
Advice on choosing a Solid Surface Countertop & Other Materials
1. Try to avoid colors with small particulates or solid colors. Large particulate colors
camouflage small messes more easily than the small particulate colors (not that this is
an excuse to be a slob). Some small particulates are better than others. One solid
surface color that I know you shouldn't pick is Avonite River Moss because it shows
fingerprints, oil, even if you wipe it wrong, it'll show. Avonite has a lot of really
spectacular colors but this is the worst color. It used to be one of my favorite colors in a
sample chip but since we've had it in our showroom I think it's awful. But we also have
Avonite High Desert in our showroom which is a small particulate, it holds up well &
doesn't show the fingerprints or oil that River Moss shows. So go with a lighter color if
you do choose a small particulate color.
2. Lighter colors with large particulates in solid surface are wonderful for no
maintenance kitchens. We have Avonite Jurassic in our kitchen & it's wonderful. The
large particulates fool the eye & make minor scratches or food debris inconspicuous.
It's not necessary to have to scrub your counter tops on a daily basis. Both Al & I work
long hours in this hot shop & the last thing I want to do when I get home is clean the
kitchen before I cook. Since solid surface is a bit softer than quartz or granite,
scratches do occur more frequently (they are always repairable) but on a lighter color
its almost a non issue. Also consider that quartz is comprised of polyester resin &
quartz chips. We know from experience that polyester resin is not UV stable which
means that in a kitchen with lots of natural light, your quartz white counter top may one
day be yellow.
3. Also consider using an integral sink that will allow you to wipe messes right into the
sink rather than having to circumvent the seam between a self-rimming sink & the
counter top. We chose a single bowl integral sink so that we could wash large pots &
the broiling pan without angling it or creating a mess on the counter top. If you choose a
stainless steel undermount sink choose one with a brushed texture rather than one with
a polish. The highly polished stainless will show water spots more than the brushed
texture. In our previous kitchen we had an inexpensive Home Depot drop in stainless
sink that held up relatively well for several years. On the flip side, we installed an
expensive special order undermount stainless steel sink for a customer and it looked
dirty almost immediately.
Sometimes the less expensive products made for the "everyman" hold up better than
the most expensive products, go figure. Case in point, the Consumer Reports surveys
of appliances usually show that the average priced appliances are less maintenance
& easier to repair than the most expensive models.
4. One of our most favorite materials in the Made by God category is Soapstone. They
actually use this for fireplace surrounds so heat is a non-issue, but it is recommended
that you begin a regiment of oiling the Soapstone with mineral oil to give it the rich dark
patina that will occur naturally over a period of time, placing a hot pan or dish on the
Soapstone will wear away the oil buildup so you must oil that spot again afterwards &
also the stone will absorb the heat quickly so food that you want to keep warm will soon
be cold. Soapstone is non-porous, it is softer than granite & quartz but like solid
surface, scratches can be polished out.
1. Try to avoid colors with small particulates or solid colors. Large particulate colors
camouflage small messes more easily than the small particulate colors (not that this is
an excuse to be a slob). Some small particulates are better than others. One solid
surface color that I know you shouldn't pick is Avonite River Moss because it shows
fingerprints, oil, even if you wipe it wrong, it'll show. Avonite has a lot of really
spectacular colors but this is the worst color. It used to be one of my favorite colors in a
sample chip but since we've had it in our showroom I think it's awful. But we also have
Avonite High Desert in our showroom which is a small particulate, it holds up well &
doesn't show the fingerprints or oil that River Moss shows. So go with a lighter color if
you do choose a small particulate color.
2. Lighter colors with large particulates in solid surface are wonderful for no
maintenance kitchens. We have Avonite Jurassic in our kitchen & it's wonderful. The
large particulates fool the eye & make minor scratches or food debris inconspicuous.
It's not necessary to have to scrub your counter tops on a daily basis. Both Al & I work
long hours in this hot shop & the last thing I want to do when I get home is clean the
kitchen before I cook. Since solid surface is a bit softer than quartz or granite,
scratches do occur more frequently (they are always repairable) but on a lighter color
its almost a non issue. Also consider that quartz is comprised of polyester resin &
quartz chips. We know from experience that polyester resin is not UV stable which
means that in a kitchen with lots of natural light, your quartz white counter top may one
day be yellow.
3. Also consider using an integral sink that will allow you to wipe messes right into the
sink rather than having to circumvent the seam between a self-rimming sink & the
counter top. We chose a single bowl integral sink so that we could wash large pots &
the broiling pan without angling it or creating a mess on the counter top. If you choose a
stainless steel undermount sink choose one with a brushed texture rather than one with
a polish. The highly polished stainless will show water spots more than the brushed
texture. In our previous kitchen we had an inexpensive Home Depot drop in stainless
sink that held up relatively well for several years. On the flip side, we installed an
expensive special order undermount stainless steel sink for a customer and it looked
dirty almost immediately.
Sometimes the less expensive products made for the "everyman" hold up better than
the most expensive products, go figure. Case in point, the Consumer Reports surveys
of appliances usually show that the average priced appliances are less maintenance
& easier to repair than the most expensive models.
4. One of our most favorite materials in the Made by God category is Soapstone. They
actually use this for fireplace surrounds so heat is a non-issue, but it is recommended
that you begin a regiment of oiling the Soapstone with mineral oil to give it the rich dark
patina that will occur naturally over a period of time, placing a hot pan or dish on the
Soapstone will wear away the oil buildup so you must oil that spot again afterwards &
also the stone will absorb the heat quickly so food that you want to keep warm will soon
be cold. Soapstone is non-porous, it is softer than granite & quartz but like solid
surface, scratches can be polished out.
Products We Sell
Many of you may be aware of our effort to test & encourage the granite
industry to test their material to ensure the safety. We have already
begun testing granite & have gotten our granite supplier in Abilene to
test his material. He has gone so far as to send detection instruments
down to Brazil for his buyer to test bundles of slabs before he even
commits to import the granite. But if for some reason a slab is missed
they test the material as it comes out of the shipping container. So you
can rest assured that the material you are putting in your home will be
safe for you, your family, your pets & the future homeowners.
Please see http://solidsurfacealliance.org/blog/ for more information.
industry to test their material to ensure the safety. We have already
begun testing granite & have gotten our granite supplier in Abilene to
test his material. He has gone so far as to send detection instruments
down to Brazil for his buyer to test bundles of slabs before he even
commits to import the granite. But if for some reason a slab is missed
they test the material as it comes out of the shipping container. So you
can rest assured that the material you are putting in your home will be
safe for you, your family, your pets & the future homeowners.
Please see http://solidsurfacealliance.org/blog/ for more information.
For anyone who wants to save the environment while you remodel your kitchen
or counter tops that probably no one else locally has there are many options:
(These counter materials are premium products which means that they are VERY expensive. Currently this
is for your information & to give you some idea as to what is available. Please contact us if you have a
serious interest to purchase any of these materials.)
or counter tops that probably no one else locally has there are many options:
(These counter materials are premium products which means that they are VERY expensive. Currently this
is for your information & to give you some idea as to what is available. Please contact us if you have a
serious interest to purchase any of these materials.)