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Granite is undoubtedly one of the finest materials on the market today when it comes to countertop materials. For those looking to transform their spaces and update the look of their homes, granite is quite possibly the best material that they can choose to this end.
Granite is durable, functional, and eternally beautiful; it's no wonder that it's chosen time and again as the material of choice in kitchens and bathrooms. Granite tile countertop - a less often used but enormously beautiful material - is another option for transforming your kitchen in a unique and interesting way.
The granite tile countertop functions much like ceramic tile countertops. The granite material comes in individual tiles that you adhere the countertop surface one by one. After grouting is applied in between the tiles, the result is a cohesive collage of color, texture, and style that come together to form the bigger picture.
Consumers have the option of purchasing the granite tile by tile; some hand painted tiles can be enormously expensive but truly beautiful. There is also the option, however, of purchasing the granite tile countertop already completed. What may be the most attractive option will depend on your overall design theme and budget.
For those who are interested in laying the tile themselves, there are some really unique and handyman friendly products on the market today. For example, consumers can install a layer of cement tile substrate such as Wonderboard, or Hardi-backer, and then use a thin set mortar to set the tiles in place, apply grout to fill the gaps between the tiles, and finally, seal the stone or grout.
Even the way you design and install the granite tile countertop is dependent on your own personal style. Some people prefer the patchwork look, but if you are looking for a more seamless effect, then there are a couple of things that you can do.
For instance, install the tiles flush with each other to minimize the grout lines, and use a grout that is the same color as the tiles; orient the grain by lining up the granite tile so that color and design flow in the same direction; and choose a stone that does not have strong veins or lines that will detract from the overall cohesiveness of the design.
For those whose budgets will not support the purchase of a granite tile countertop, there are various resources that will allow you to have the look of granite without the expense. There are laminates that are very much made to look like granite but at less than a fraction of the price. Installation of such laminates is convenient and easy and material can be purchased pre-cut at any home improvement retailer.
The granite tile countertop can elevate any room from plain to sophisticated in a matter of one afternoon. Take the time to choose those materials that will work best for the tone of your room and your home; you will surely be thrilled with the outcome.
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  Granite tiles are very hard and durable compared to other types of tiles you can use for your home. No matter where you have installed granite tiles, they are sure to serve you for a very long time. But to further guarantee their endurance, you must take care of them very well. Here, we will be discussing the rather simple ways of how to clean granite tile in your home.
Because of their inherent durability, maintaining clean granite tiles is not that hard at all. If you have a granite countertop in your kitchen, just make sure you clean it after each time you cook. Wet a soft cloth and use that to apply dishwashing soap on the countertop, and voila! - you have clean granite tiles instantly.
There is one thing you have to know about granite tiles, though. Even though the rock itself is very hard and resistant to scratching, granite tiles are covered in a kind of sealant. This sealant give the granite tiles their shine and protects them from getting stained.
Acids are damaging to the sealant, and there are actually many common household chemicals that are acidic, such as cleaners, acidic solutions, hairspray, toothpaste, and perfumes. Acids can also be found in certain foods like orange juice, coffee, vinegar, and a lot more. It is vital to clean granite tiles right away when these kinds of substances are spilled onto the surface.
This is best done by employing the use of a sponge to soak in the offending substance first. Do not wipe it right away, as the spreading of the acid might aggravate the situation. Also, if there are tiny granules in the spilled substance, take extra care in removing them as well, to avoid grazing the sealant.
When wiping down your granite tiles, try to avoid using the acidic detergents or cleaners. Instead of ending up with clean granite tiles, you will just be helping in weakening the granite's protective sealant. Instead, use those cleaners that have a neutral pH balance. There are also certain cleaners specifically designed for granite tiles. It may be more difficult to use these, though.
Even when you are certain that you have clean granite tiles all the time, and even if the sealant looks fine to you, it is advisable to reapply a coat of sealant about twice a year. When your granite tiles are installed in an area where there is much spillage going on, then you would have to reapply sealant more often. The frequency really depends on where your granite tiles are installed and how they are being used.
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The best surface in the world
Probably the biggest misconception people have of natural stone is its maintenance. Truthfully, natural stone requires about the same care and maintenance as any counter top or floor, and certainly no more than natural wood products like tables and chairs.
The best care you can give your natural stone is preventative care. Preventing stains or scratching before they happen is far easier and cheaper than getting rid or repair of them after the fact.
Granite countertops are surprisingly resilient to stains, and practically impossible to scratch. But, as a preventative measure, wipe up all spills on the countertops within a reasonable amount of time. Don't let liquid sit on countertops overnight. Granite is most prone to staining by oil and acid, so blot these spills up soon after they happen, and then clean the stone with stone soap and water.
Marble countertops and tabletops can be etch by acidic foods like fruit, tomato sauce, coffee, and wine. Blot, do not wipe, any spills up immediately, and then clean with stone soap and warm water. Place a mat or pad between marble and anything which might scratch your marble, like a pan or utensils. Use coasters between marble and any glasses, especially ones containing acidic compounds like fruit juices, wine, or coffee.
On floors, the best preventative measure is regular dust mopping. The dirt and grit gets ground into marble or granite tiles and wear away the polish finish. So the regular use of a dust mop can help keep dirt off the floor and preserve the finish. Use mats at all entry points to further ensure the long life of your floor's beautiful finish. Wet mop regularly with warm water and a good stone soap, and change the rinse water frequently. If the floor is particularly dirty, the use of a strong stone cleaner is perfectly acceptable. If the damage is too extensive you made need the aid of a stone restoration professional.
In bathrooms, marble and granite tend to attract soap scum. Keep a squeegee handy for shower walls, and rinse vanities and natural stone sinks with hot, clean water regularly. Then towel them dry.
The use of sealers is also a powerful preventative measure. For countertops, ask the Natural stone restoration what seal would be best for your application. You may need to reapply a sealer periodically. The frequency of applications will depend on the sealer, and on the type of stone you have. Penetrating sealers are also available for flooring and bath areas. Likewise, the application of additional sealer will depend on the type of stone, the frequency of use, and the manufacturer's recommendations.
If stains and scratches do occur, there are many things you can do on your own to remove them. On granite countertops, remove oil-based stains with acetone, mineral spirits poultice. Food stains like coffee, tea, or fruit juices can usually be removed with hydrogen peroxide poultice. On marble countertops, avoid harsh cleaners and acidic cleaners, including vinegar.
For stubborn soap scum in the bath, ammonia can be used sparingly. Ammonia will, over time, dull the finish on marble, so use it with caution, and only when the soap scum cannot be removed with a mild, neutral detergent and hot water.
Remember the following list of DOs and DON'Ts:
DO use preventative cleaning measures to keep your stone pristine
DO use sealers, applied and reapplied according to manufacturer’s directions
DO blot up spills quickly, especially on marble, and then wash with mild soapy water
DON'T use any kind of acidic cleaner on marble, limestone, or travertine
DON'T use harsh bathroom cleaners or grout cleaners on any natural stone
DON'T be afraid to call your stone dealer for suggestions on maintenance, care, and cleaning
DON'T worry, if you get a significant stain or scratch, that your entire natural stone investment is ruined. Virtually anything can be fixed with professional help.
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A kitchen is as part of today's households the social center of the family. An up-to-date and functionally kitchen makes a huge difference in comparison to old and unfashionable kitchens that were designed yesterday.
Stainless steel, under mount, faucets, granite, with so many types and brands of kitchen sinks on the market today, choosing the right one can be a difficult decision.
You can choose between these kitchen sinks:
These types of kitchen sink come in a variety of shapes, sizes and designs.
Stainless steel
A stainless steel sink is one of the most popular sinks on the market today. It coordinates well with the popular stainless steel appliances offered today. The best part is its resistance to rust, stains and germs.
They are standard in restaurants because of their extreme good qualities. If you don't like worrying and cleaning, you should definitely consider investing in a stainless steel kitchen sink.
Under mount
This is one of the simplest and most innovative ideas for a kitchen sink. You can wipe your counters off without the mess in getting backed up at the ledge. Due to it's slightly higher cost and unique function, an under mount kitchen sink is typically used with solid surface counter tops such as granite. In fact, you can buy such a sink made from the same material as your counter tops so it will blend right in.
Granite
Among many contractors and home owners granite is the material considered the best choice. It gives a unique and more natural feel, it varies in colors and styles, so you are sure to find a granite sink that will coordinate well with your kitchen decor. Its easy care and cleaning make it extremely versatile. Its natural beauty is unmatched by manufactured materials and it may last very long and looks very nice.
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When choosing granite for your home, there are many things to remember about granite counter top care. Most people choose to place granite counter tops in the kitchen so that damage will be less because granite is considered a very hard stone. However, one cannot avoid damage altogether because there will be times when a falling pot or pan damages the finished granite. For those situations, however, it's best to remember some simple granite counter top care principles that you should actually practice everyday.
The first thing to remember about granite counter top care is prevention. Prevention is the number one key to not having anything harmful happen to your granite counter top, especially in the kitchen. For example, one issue to keep in mind is to keep the granite counter top clean at all times. Of course, the granite is very easy to clean, but hard food-stuffs, along with stains, can easily ruin your granite counter tops. Prevention is the first rule in granite counter top care.
http://chinastonemanufacturer.org The second rule of thumb to go by when considering your granite counter top care is to treat all other counter tops equally. For example, don't overuse the counter and don't over-abuse the granite counter top simply because it's known as a hard substance. That is the easiest faux pax anyone can make, but over-abuse of the granite counter top can easily spell disaster and costly repairs for the granite counter top owner.
Another aspect of granite counter top care comes in the form of daily cleaning. This also goes along with preventive maintenance, but daily cleaning of the granite counter top is so easy to do, however, many people fail to clean their countertops regularly. If you find that there are noticeable spots on your granite counter top, though, a fine steel wool material can be used in the care of the granite counter top to get that spot out. Many experts even recommend fine steel wool for granite counter top care. More granite counter top care tips can be received from your expert or other professional who installed the granite counter top in your home!
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When marble tiles and materials are placed outside, is not meant to be shiny, it will not resist. In restoring a marble stair's gloss and shine, it is very possible and you will get a surprising result when done professionally. You can also do it yourself if you have the tools such as grinders.
Sand down a marble tile with the roughest grit to remove old material quickly until you are left with a smooth even finish. then you move up in grit, one number at a time (for example 40, 60, 80, 100, 200, 400) until you get the finish you are looking for. With marble tiles, when you get to 400 -800, you will start to see the shine. After doing this, apply a penetrating sealer to the tiles.
The best way to keep marble stairs clean and constantly shiny, is to incorporate removal of dirt, grit, and other materials that are brought in from outdoors. Most of these substances can cause very minute scratches on the surface of your marble, over time can become noticeable. It would be best to make sure that the surface of the marble is cleaned using a damp cloth, soft broom, or vacuum as regularly as possible.
Cleaning up liquid spills immediately is a good practice, especially if these fluids are acidic in nature. Fruit juice, as well as coffee and red wine may cause permanent spots, since they have a tendency to stain. Even if you've sealed your marble, it's a good idea not to take any chances, and quickly clear spills right away. In addition, remember not to use bleach, vinegar, or any harsh acidic-based cleaners, as these solutions will will degrade the surface of your marble over time.
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Natural stones have been one of the favorite floor tiling for years, many years in fact. They have inherent characteristics that are perfect for bathroom floorings. Slate, being a natural stone, inherits characteristics which make it advisable for use in bathroom floorings such as the following:
Aesthetic value - The popularity of use of slate tiles at home, both for exterior and interior use is greatly attributed to its aesthetic value. Its distinctive surface offers a great variety of design and color, all of which are natural. Each slate tile is different from another and this could make a bathroom so unique. The variety of color and natural design does not create an inconsistent pattern though. In fact, this adds to the beauty of the tiles as they provide a different feel that may not be achieved with other tiles, even those made from natural stones.
High durability - Another main feature of slate tile which makes it perfect for bathroom is its capacity to endure extreme hard wear. This is the reason why homeowners are recommended to use slate for floors with heavy traffic such as that of the bathroom. On some cases, some homeowners complain of signs of traffic patterns on their slate flooring. This is quite far from the truth. It must be noted that sealers are regularly used for slate tiles which actually cause the patterns to appear. Scraping could remove the traffic pattern. To know the treatment for the specific tile flooring, a record of the sealers used must be kept in order to know if one type is compatible to another.
Slip resistance - If the application of the finish is right, the natural slip resistance of the slate tiles could be preserved. Otherwise, it would be dangerous when wet. Nonetheless, the slip resistance quality of the slate tile is largely because of its uneven and rocky surface.
Slate tiles could easily fade though due to water if not sealed sufficiently. Heavy water absorption could give the slate tiles an old look. Thus it is highly recommended that the slate tile be used only in places where there is limited water exposure and that an alternative material be used for places like the shower area or the slate tiles be regularly maintained with appropriate sealers.
But of course, slate tiles are not without flaw. They tend to develop unsightly cracks overtime. Nonetheless, slate bathroom flooring is till among the most sought-after options in the bathroom flooring industry.
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Cleaning marble and caring for marble floors isn't really complicated. You do have to take care with marble however and also with limestone. With a little knowledge and the correct products you can care for your marble floor and clean all your other marble quite easily.
Marble is usually harder than limestone but isn't as hard as granite for example. Therefore you need to consider wear prevention. A critical element when cleaning marble is truly understanding the nature of it as a stone. It is calcium-based and is therefore very sensitive to acids - when choosing the marble cleaning products stay well clear of acid-related products.
Here is a 6 point guide for cleaning marble:
1. Ensure your marble is protected with a good quality sealer.
2. Eliminate Grit. Grit is the main cause of wear to marble floors, especially polished marble. Use a dust mat placed both inside and outside rooms and this will help remove grit form shoes and thus prevent it from getting onto the floor.
3. Sweep or vacuum regularly. This also removes grit.
4. Wipe up any isolated spills as they occur and don't allow strong contaminants like tea, wine or coffee to dwell. Wipe up immediately.
5. Clean the marble regularly using a mild, neutral cleaner. This will clean the marble without harming the stone, grout or sealer.
6. Do a deep clean once in a while and I would recommend a high alkaline cleaner for this purpose.
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Natural stone tiles offer durability yet require low maintenance. With the wide variety of stone tiles to select from, you can surely find the one that will suit your bathroom. Among the types of stones to choose from are marble, limestone, travertine, slate, granite and sandstone. With bathroom stone tile, you can put in a splash of hue, or you can just keep the tiles neutral so you can put color with embellishment, accessories and furniture.
Because of their inherent properties, stone tiles are very suitable for your bathroom renovation project. They are tough and resistant to stains and wear and they are available in an extensive range of finishes and colors. There are lots of things, however, that you need to consider in using stone tile for you bathroom.
Various Types of Natural Stone
1. Slate - This incredibly durable stone has a natural, untamed splendor and is really perfect for bathroom use. Slate requires little maintenance and is very easy to clean. In fact, you can make this stone almost totally resistant to stains. It comes in wide range of colors and its texture is rough, making it non-slippery.
2. Marble - This type of stone carries the look of refinement for many centuries now. It has a remarkable hue and its surface can be polished to bring out an unmatched shine. Because of these characteristics, marble tiles can truly help you in creating a remarkable effect in your shower room. But there are some important things that you need to know about this particular stone type before choosing this for your bathroom. First, its high polish, which makes it look so elegant, is very slippery when wet. Also, marble is delicate, making it prone to chipping. Furthermore, marble is the type of stone that's chemical based so if any chemical acids spilled on it, it will badly stain when not treated.
3. Travertine and Limestone - These stones have the same properties - they are more porous and softer than granite or slate. Their earth color makes them lovely in a bathroom setting. However, they aren't very resistant to stains and they are not as durable as slate and quartzite.
4. Quartzite - Among the available stones, quartzite is one of the most resilient and hardest. The color of this type of stone ranges from recurring sequential structures to multicolored unique patterns, depending on the kind of quartzite that's being used . This type of stone is perfect for your bathroom because of its resistance to water and stain, its durability and its non-slippery texture.
5. Sandstone - This stone is a sophisticated choice for your bathroom stone tile because of its gentle structure and earthen colors. The only downside is that sandstone is permeable and soft so it needs to be chemically treated semi regularly to avoid stains.
Other things that must be put into consideration are the color of the bathroom tiles, the finish, the pattern that you want to create and its maintenance.
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When carving any kind of sculpture in stone (marble, granite or limestone), a SHORTSTROKE pneumatic hammer is almost essential. A 3/4" hammer for granite and a 1/2" hammer for marble. This allows fine control for delicate detail. This is in addition to a "Dallet" air hammer for roughing whether it is a 3/4" or 1" or both.
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