When it comes to kitchen or bathroom countertops, vanity tops or several other areas of home design, natural stone options like marble and granite can’t be topped. These stones provide numerous benefits, from their aesthetic beauty to several durability qualities that make them long-lasting and cost-effective parts of your home.
At Sand and Swirl, we’re proud to offer a variety of cultured marble and granite products for your countertops or any other design area of your home. Unfortunately, the popularity of these natural stone options has also led to a number of significant myths and misconceptions that have popped up about them – this two-part blog will work to reverse these misconceptions and give you the truth about the incredible value of natural stones like granite and marble.
Myth #1: Granite is Too Much Work
Some buyers see a beautiful stone product like granite and instantly assume it will be too much work. How can one maintain such a gorgeous surface without consistent major effort, including cleaning up spills or scratches that seem like they’d form easily on this sort of surface?
Well, as it turns out, they don’t form easily at all. Granite is one of the most durable countertop materials out there, resisting damage like scratching, heat and even chemical exposure. While you do have to clean up spills, just as you would with any other surface, there are no other major damage or maintenance risks here at all. The only upkeep you’ll have to perform is basic dusting and wiping.
Myth #2: Marble Is Poor for Cooking and Kitchen Work
Down similar impressionistic lines, many simply assume marble won’t do well as a cooking prep or kitchen work surface. But this couldn’t be further from the truth – in reality, marble is wonderful for several kitchen prep areas because of how cool its surface remains even in the face of heat.
This means that if you’re rolling out dough in between moving around hot pans or other heat sources, there’s no issue with material quality. Many bakers actually demand marble surfaces to work on, as all they require is basic cleaning to provide you with a high-quality prep surface.
Myth #3: Sealing Misconceptions
There are two broad myths on either side of the sealing spectrum when it comes to natural stone:
- “Natural stone requires constant, expensive sealing.”
- “Natural stone never needs to be sealed whatsoever.”
The reality, however, is between these two myths. Natural stone countertops will be sealed for protection against spills and other damage when they’re first installed, and then should be re-sealed roughly once a year – perhaps a bit more or less often if you use the surface particularly often or less frequently. This also may depend on the sealant, as there are modern sealant solutions being offered today that offer lifetime warranties and may not require any re-sealing after their initial application. Our professionals will guide you in the direction of the proper seal for your countertops.
For more on debunking the myths surrounding natural stone countertops, or to learn about any of our cultured marble or granite products, speak to the staff at Sand and Swirl today.