When you spend money on beautiful granite countertops, you want to ensure they’re a highlighted feature in your kitchen. Especially if you have cabinets, floors, or walls with dark color tones, countertops can start to blend in to the background of your kitchen at night.

Lighting is the key to make your granite countertops a focal point. However, ceiling light fixtures don’t do the trick, because the shadows from your cabinetry tend to capture the illumination. If you really want to display your granite countertops in their best light, you should install under cabinet lighting. Here are a few basic tips to help you select the right type of under cabinet fixture for your kitchen.

Watch the Gloss: While granite countertops are incredibly picturesque, you have to remember that they do create a mirrored effect. When you incorporate under cabinet lights, you want to see the light spilling onto your countertops – not the actual light fixture reflected in its mirror image. Make sure you choose a light fixture that has a lens over the light bulb. That will minimize reflections.

Consider Pools:  There are essentially two types of under cabinet light fixtures when it comes to light distribution: puck and linear. Puck lights are small and circular, and they create multiple “pools” of light on the granite countertop. You usually install one puck light for every six to ten inches of space. Linear lights, by contrast, are thin, long light fixtures that are designed to extend the length of each cabinet. They result in more even light distribution. Decide whether you like the even, subtle look of linear light fixtures or the dramatic, spotlighting effect of puck light fixtures.

Handle the Heat: Be conscious of heat output when you’re looking at the different light sources under cabinet lighting is available in. Halogen gives off a great deal of heat, so it’s not a good option if you want to leave fresh produce out on your countertops, or store food in the cabinets directly above. Xenon is comparable to halogen in terms of appearance, but it doesn’t give off quite as much heat. If you’d prefer a light fixture that has minimal heat output, look for LED or fluorescent under cabinet lights.

Emily Widle is a blogger for Pegasus Lighting, an online retailer that offers a wide selection of unique lighting products for homes and businesses. Find xenon, fluorescent, and LED under cabinet lights on their website. 

Calacatta Marble

The Name for those Beautiful Marble Countertops Explained

It’s easy for homeowners to get confused about the naming of some types of marble that are commonly used in kitchen countertops or marble vanities. And part of the reason homeowners get confused is that many kitchen designers, decorators, and even granite fabricators are confused, using the wrong terms or even multiple names interchangeably.

And to make things even more confusing, Calacatta Marble also comes from the region of Italy known as Carrara – the same place that Carrara Marble comes from!

So since it seems to have so many names and spellings, which is correct?

The Answer

Short Answer: it’s Calacatta.

Longer Answer:  it’s most properly called Calacatta Marble, with two “t’s”.

Strictly speaking names like “Calacata” are just common misspellings for Calacatta, but are so pervasive that they persist within the building products industry. And sometimes they’re perpetuated even by those who know better just for the sake of being understood — and we’re guilty of that ourselves sometimes.

The name “Calcutta” marble stems from both misspelling and confusion with famous marble structures in India like the Taj Mahal or the Marble Palace at Kolkata — and it doesn’t help that Kolkata sounds a lot like Calacatta! And while there is plenty of stone, marble, and granite quarried in India, Calacatta Marble by definition comes exclusively from Italy. “Calacutta” is just a misspelling of “Calcutta” but neither is correct when referring to Calacatta Marble.

Daltile® PROADVANCED™ 15-year Sealer

In recent years a number of sealing products that claim to last as long as 15 years have come on the market.  Many homeowners aren’t sure if such products really work as advertised, or if they are necessary to protect their investment in granite countertops.

So Do They Work?

The only reason there might even be any doubt is that the 15-year products simply haven’t been on the market for 15 years yet. Precision Stoneworks offers a 15-year granite sealing product and we have no reason to doubt the claims of its manufacturer or the manufacturer of any 15 year product. However, since it hasn’t been 15 years yet it can be hard to say with certainty.

At this point Precision Stoneworks now has several years of experience working with 15-year granite sealer products, and so far we have had no reason to suspect that they might not perform as specified to the 15 year point or beyond.

Are They Really Necessary?

It really depends on the preferences of the homeowner.  As a point of pride and professionalism at Precision Stoneworks we’ll never install something we wouldn’t have in our own homes.  As such, we seal each and every slab before it goes out the door — even those colors or materials that lower quality fabricators might say don’t require sealing or are impossible to seal (we get a good laugh about that one).  We still stand proudly behind our guarantee with even with conventional sealers, which can still typically be expected to last a year or more without needing to be re-treated.

In these times a typical homeowner is often especially cost-sensitive and skeptical of add-on options or upsells.  In light of this and combined with the fact that our high standards for sealing granite with conventional products, we don’t try to pressure every customer into buying a 15 year granite sealing product.

However, for those homeowners who are especially concerned about stains and sealing or who simply prefer the peace of mind, reduced maintenance requirements, and the protection of an additional warranty a 15 year product and warranty might be ideal. This can especially true when the cost might only represent a single-digit percentage of the overall cost of granite countertops.

Are There Disadvantages to 15 Year Granite Sealing Products?

A minor disadvantage might be that some 15 year granite sealing products require or recommend specialized cleaning products and/or upkeep requirements. In some cases the time, effort or expense involved might nearly approximate those of conventional sealing products.

Can I get 15 Year Sealer on My Granite Countertops from Precision Stoneworks?

Sure!  Just mention it to us when inquiring about your granite and we can include it the the cost estimate for your project.

Does Precision Stoneworks recommend any particular 15 year granite product?

We’ve had great results using the Daltile® PROADVANCED™ system and recommend it, if for no other reason than the included Daltile® warranty is fully transferable and is about the only warranty that also extends to marble.

Granite being sealed during fabrication at Precision Stoneworks

“Should I seal my granite and marble, and how often?” is a question we are frequently asked. Homeowners want to know if sealing granite and marble is necessary, and if it will prevent any and all stains.

The best answer is perhaps a qualified, “It depends.” Generally speaking darker granites like Ubatuba and Tropic Brown do not need sealing very often, and once per year is usually sufficient. Dark stones are denser than lighter ones, and any stains are usually nearly invisible or barely perceptible because of the darkness of the stone. In plain terms the lighter the color, the more often you should seal it. White and light-colored granites should be sealed more often. Most recommendations would say every three months.

Marble, especially light colored marble, should be sealed more often as an extra precaution. Re-sealing marble every 3-6 months is a good idea.

While it may seem like quite a project, sealing countertops is a very easy process and that homeowners should not be afraid of. It should only take just minutes and there usually little to no elbow grease involved.

Good quality sealing products can be purchased at any home improvement retailer and a small, inexpensive bottle will last many sealing applications. The peace of mind provided by sealing easily outweighs the minimal expense and short time required.

Sealing granite or marble is easy:

1. Clear everything off the counters so the entire surface is accessible.
2. Clean the surface with a mild detergent (dish soap is fine).
3. If needed, scrape away any built up residues that may have accumulated since the last time the surface was thoroughly cleaned. A single edged razor blade or scraper can be helpful, but be careful not to gouge the blade into the countertop or your finger!
4. If needed, acetone can help remove residues from things like window cleaners and will help strip even the old sealer off.
5. Follow the directions on the container to apply the sealer. Most often it’s just a matter misting the sealer on, letting it soak in, and wiping away the excess. Sealing a typical kitchen usually requires less than 20 minutes, and vanities often even less. Applying a second coat may provide a greater sense of security, but is not always helpful or necessary since most stones will stop accepting sealer at some point.
6. Congratulations! Your stone is protected and you’re now done for months to come!

Between sealing treatments one of the real keys to preventing stains is to clean up any spills as quickly as possible before liquids even have a chance to penetrate the surface.

Tip: In our experience, stains caused by candle wax are the toughest to get out. The dyes that make a candle a certain color tend to stain anything they come into contact with very easily, and the very hot wax penetrates much more readily. It’s a good idea to keep plates or saucers under even unlit candles, as with enough time even unlit candles can stain a light colored countertop.

Watch for future article at precisionstoneworks.com for tips on getting out more troubling stains!

Stains

• Marble, Travertine and Limestone are naturally more porous than other natural stone materials used in the home and can be more prone to staining than Granite. Moreover, light colored Marble, Travertine and Limestone may show stains more clearly than a darker stone that might hide stains more readily.  There are things that can be done to prevent and limit this. The first step is to keep these surfaces sealed periodically. This is a very easy process and should only take minutes. High quality sealers can be readily purchased at national chains like The Home Depot. Many experts recommend sealing these materials at least 2 times per year. The second limiting factor to staining is to wipe the liquid up quickly. A surface stain is more easily removed than one that has been allowed to set into the stone. Some stains on these surfaces can be removed by the homeowner or a stone care professional.

Scratches

• Marble, Travertine and Limestone are softer than other natural stones like granite and will scratch more easily than granite. All natural materials are graded on The Mohs Hardness Scale. Marble, Travertine and Limestone are generally 3-4 on the Mohs scale while Granites are generally 8-9. For comparison, a typical steel steak knife is around 5.5 and cannot scratch granite but could scratch marble, travertine or limestone. The use of cutting boards will help this greatly.

Etching

• Etching occurs when an acidic liquid comes in contact with Marble, Travertine or Limestone. Etching removes the finish of the stone in the area where the liquid has come in contact with the stone, and can be especially conspicuous with polished finishes. Stone materials with a honed finish can shows the etching less. Acidic food and beverage products such as orange juice, tomato juice and vinegar are common causes of etching on Marble, Travertine and Limestone. Care should be taken with any acidic liquids. Additionally, certain harsh cleaning chemicals can etch these surfaces. As always, we recommend soap and water as a day-to-day cleaner.

For more information regarding questions regarding this or any natural or quartz countertop material, please feel free to contact us.

Precision Stoneworks outdoor kitchen build on HGTV's Ground Breakers

Click here to watch an excerpt of a recent episode of HGTV’s “Ground Breakers” in which Precision Stoneworks was selected to fabricate and install the granite countertops for an outdoor kitchen for a new construction home.