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Old 08-03-2018, 10:56 PM   #141
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The best sealer I know is 511 Porous Plus Sealer available on Amazon. You can find less expensive products that clean and seal in local grocery stores.
Thanks! I have put it on order.

Before renovating the kitchen, I renovated a bathroom, and used a granite vanity top there as an experiment. It was supposed to be pre-sealed, but it didn't last long. I then sealed it with CBP stone sealer (was at HD), but that product is no longer made. As it wore off, besides water darkening spots, got little tiny bumps, like inverse pits, where the top tends to get wet the most.
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....The pyrites, when exposed to water or oxygen will snap, crackle or pop, unless sealed....
OK, that explains the tiny bumps that developed!

What the granite experience taught me was that we did not want granite in the kitchen. Went with a high-line Silestone (quartz&resin), which has been perfect for years now. Coming from a history of laminate countertops, we never cut on it, nor set hot pots/pans on it. That's not a limitation to us.

The estimator for the Silestone was a real experienced guy. Among other things, he told me that he only knew of one person who ever cracked Silestone. That was a man who put a sheet of aluminum foil on the counter, then poured molten peanut brittle onto the foil, a big area. The man had seen his wife do it many times when she made P-Br. What the man missed, was that his wife always had a towel down on the counter, under the foil, as a thermal insulator.
"A man's got to know his limitations"
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Old 08-03-2018, 11:46 PM   #142
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Our countertops are a man-made material called Vetrazzo. It’s a combination of concrete, recycled glass, and shells. Very beachy and perfect for a modern and unique look. It can look a bit busy so we chose a solid pale backsplash (solid glass, not tile) and white cabinets to complement it. I love it but it is more delicate than I’d like. We had a New Year’s Eve party a couple of years ago. Some Champagne was spilled on the counter. We didn’t clean it up right away and it actually etched the countertop. We had to hire a restoration place to come out and buff it to get rid of the etching. Learned our lesson!

I would definitely choose quartz over granite. We had granite before the remodel. I didn’t love it. If we hadn’t put in the Vetrazzo, I would have chosen the quartz that looks like Carerra marble.
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Old 08-04-2018, 08:37 AM   #143
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So Corian beats quartz & granite for actual use?

Still looking for a durable, low-maintenance surface to replace the original Formica countertops.
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Old 08-07-2018, 12:13 AM   #144
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I think quartz beats granite and Corian, and granite can take hot pots on it while Corian cannot.
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Old 08-07-2018, 12:38 AM   #145
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I think the 1980's called looking for their Corian.
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Old 08-07-2018, 06:47 AM   #146
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Anyway, we're now on the granite track. I was initially going for very light-colored quartz but now I'm warming up to very dark (blackish) granite...
We have dark granite in main bath & near-white with dark particles/patches in kitchen. Dark shows every little thing/spot on it. Light shows next to nothing. Even after I clean it up, if I get the top at eye level I find particles I missed. Net, we both much prefer the light.
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Old 08-07-2018, 09:38 AM   #147
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We have dark granite in main bath & near-white with dark particles/patches in kitchen. Dark shows every little thing/spot on it. Light shows next to nothing. Even after I clean it up, if I get the top at eye level I find particles I missed. Net, we both much prefer the light.


I agree! We used to have absolute black granite and it was very hard to keep clean.
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Old 08-07-2018, 10:51 AM   #148
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We have dark granite in main bath & near-white with dark particles/patches in kitchen. Dark shows every little thing/spot on it. Light shows next to nothing. Even after I clean it up, if I get the top at eye level I find particles I missed. Net, we both much prefer the light.

I am guessing that this is primarily a problem on uniformly dark counters. It would be similar to people's comments on keeping very dark cars looking clean.
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Old 08-07-2018, 11:13 AM   #149
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I am guessing that this is primarily a problem on uniformly dark counters. It would be similar to people's comments on keeping very dark cars looking clean.
+1

Yes, I agree! My dark granite counters (shown in post #39 above), didn't require any more cleaning than any other countertop. But as you can see in the photo, they were not uniformly dark.
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Old 08-07-2018, 11:21 AM   #150
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I am guessing that this is primarily a problem on uniformly dark counters. It would be similar to people's comments on keeping very dark cars looking clean.
It varies from moderate to dark brown patches, no black. Without overhead light, looks uniform, but then can't see things on its surface either.
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Old 08-07-2018, 02:31 PM   #151
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I agree! We used to have absolute black granite and it was very hard to keep clean.
A sales person at one of the countertop stores I visited said exactly that. She even demonstrated putting a finger mark on absolute black to show me how it would stand out. (We were outside on a sunny day.) She recommended that I get something a little busier.
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Old 08-07-2018, 03:12 PM   #152
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DW and I have black appliances and it is a lot of work to keep them clean. I'm in charge of removing cooked-on spills, spatters and drippings, as well as any flour, pastas, and powders. DW is the mop up crew removing any soap film, finger prints and smears left by my dish rag. Our quartz countertops in kitchen and baths are quite busy, enough to hide a pill should it land on countertop.
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Old 08-07-2018, 03:52 PM   #153
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Our quartz countertops in kitchen and baths are quite busy, enough to hide a pill should it land on countertop.


That's definitely the kind I should get!
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Old 08-07-2018, 04:04 PM   #154
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I think the 1980's called looking for their Corian.
I'll send them mine. I'm taking it out tomorrow with a sawzall.
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Old 08-07-2018, 05:55 PM   #155
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I'll send them mine. I'm taking it out tomorrow with a sawzall.
What is the problem with it?
We chose Corian for our master bathroom remodel a few years ago. Nice to get a seamless surface with custom fit and shape without breaking the bank. As the main bathroom cleaner (with a promotion “after five years they give me a brush”) I knew what properties I wanted in the surface materials that would make my life easier.
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Old 08-07-2018, 06:53 PM   #156
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What is the problem with it?

Nothing wrong with the corian. Kitchen and appliances are 24 years old and in need of a makeover. So DW is modernizing with new cabinets, appliances, quartz countertops and hardwood floors.
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Old 08-07-2018, 07:06 PM   #157
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I think the 1980's called looking for their Corian.
In 10-30 years same thing will be said of granite and quartz
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Old 08-07-2018, 07:24 PM   #158
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^ And 10-30 years, I'll have a slab of granite or quartz keeping me in the ground.
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Old 08-08-2018, 05:46 AM   #159
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In 10-30 years same thing will be said of granite and quartz
Yep, the 1920s home where I grew up had a stainless steel kitchen; even its countertops/backsplash were stainless steel (maybe a 1950s-era remodel?)

Had it a tile floor instead of linoleum (not vinyl) and one of those over-sized kitchen spray-faucets it could have been mistaken for a restaurant kitchen.
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Old 08-08-2018, 05:59 AM   #160
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I'll send them mine. I'm taking it out tomorrow with a sawzall.
Wow. Wish I was close by as I love to get old Corian countertops for projects. Maybe you already plan to use it?
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