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What is granite? |
| Technically speaking, granite is an Igneous stone that is primarily made of Quartz (35%), Feldspar (45%) and Potassium. At one point in time granite was liquid magma which over time slowly cooled and solidified into what we see today. It is a very beautiful and hard material which is ideal for countertops and flooring applications. |
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Do I need to seal my granite? |
| Yes. Although granite is a very dense material, it is still necessary to seal it in order to help prevent staining. |
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How often should I seal my granite? |
| There are many opinions out there about this, but we usually recommend you reseal your granite every year or two. |
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Can I seal it myself, or should I hire someone to do it? |
| Can you do it, yes. Should you do it, not necessarily. With the vast variety of stones and stone products on the market today it is always best to consult your local stone care professional to see what is best for your particular situation. |
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What type of sealer should I use? |
| There are many brands of sealers out there but the type of sealer can be basically broken down to solvent based or water based sealers. Both can be very effective, but traditionally the most commonly used type has been the solvent based. The main thing you want to avoid is initially sealing with a solvent based sealer and then resealing with a water based, or vice versa. Again, with the vast variety of stones and stone products on the market today it is always best to consult your local stone care professional to see what is best for your particular situation. |
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What should I use to clean my granite? |
We recommend just using neutral PH soap and water. The main thing is that harsher products such as Windex, 409, and the like contain ammonias and chemicals that won't hurt the granite, but can break down your sealer and leave your stone more prone to staining. Because of that it is better to stay away from those types of products. If you like something to just spray on and wipe off, you can buy natural stone cleaner from your installer, Home Depot, or Lowe's stores.
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Once I have sealed my granite is it stain proof? |
| No. It is difficult to say that any sealer can make stone stain proof. It will make your stone more stain resistant, but it's main purpose is to keep the stain from setting into your stone for long enough for you to clean it up. If you let a staining product set on your stone for a long enough period of time, no matter how well it is sealed, there is the possibility it will stain. |
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If my granite does get stained is it ruined? |
| No. There are products that you can purchase that are called poultices that can be applied to lift out stains. If that does not work, you can call a professional stone care company to have them come out and asses the situation and remove the stain. |
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Can I cut directly on my granite or will it scratch? |
| Yes and no. There are only a select few minerals (such as diamonds)that are hard enough to scratch granite, so most normal kitchen wear and tear will not scratch your stone. However, as with anything granite is not scratch proof. If you take your knife and press hard enough you might be able to scratch it, but normal cutting on your granite should not affect your stone. |
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Can I set hot objects directly on my granite? |
| Yes. The heat of most cooking will not affect your granite in the least. You can bake something at 400 degrees, pull it out, and place it directly on your granite to cool without worry. |
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What is the difference between 2CM and 3CM granite, is one better than the other? |
| The difference is in the thickness of the stone. The 2CM (which is most commonly used here in AZ) is 3/4" thick while the 3CM is 1 1/4" thick. As to which is better, it depends on what you are looking for. 2CM is usually laminated on the edges giving it a 1 1/2" edge detail and does need plywood as a subdeck. 3CM is usually not laminated giving it a 1 1/4" edge detail and does not need a subdeck. Once installed one should not be "stronger" than the other, or be more or less stain and scratch resistant. Depending on the fabricator you use, there may be a cost savings with one or the other, so please check with them on which would be the best value, and which meets your needs best for your particualr situation. |
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Is it easy to chip or crack granite? |
| Is it easy, no. Is it possible, yes. There are too many possible scenarios to say that it will never happen, but under most normal kitchen circumstances your granite tops will stand up beautifully to normal wear and tear. |
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