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August 12, 2008
marble kitchen counter top
Re-doing a kitchen counter top in marble - any advice on honed or polished? Thanks in advance.
Comments
honed looks so much nicer.
Posted by: bayridgegirl at August 12, 2008 10:34 AM
Honed looks nicer but is higher maintenance. It stains easier and you have to be more careful with spills.
Posted by: donatella at August 12, 2008 10:44 AM
There are pros and cons to both. A marble counter that is both honed and sealed would be my preference. Although a honed counter may stain more easily, a polished counter will etch more easily. However, the honed counter, when sealed, will repel stains. AFAIK, there is no way to protect a polished counter from etching. Btw, for this discussion (and all things kitchen reno, really) I suggest you check out the kitchen forum on the Gardenweb. Here, for example, is a typical helpful dicussion on white marble countertops in kitchens: http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0221583628661.html
Posted by: Brooklynista at August 12, 2008 11:04 AM
Marble countertops can be maintenance queens, especially in kitchens.
Posted by: Steve at August 12, 2008 11:58 AM
I have a polished marble counter (I wanted honed, but hubby goofed when he told the fabricator).
Polished also stains. My counter has a couple of stains because we didn't wipe up the spill right away. I've had it for a year, and no scratches.
Honed marble needs to be sealed once a year, you can do it yourself, with a brush and sealer.
Posted by: bayridgegirl at August 12, 2008 12:34 PM
saw on another blog some expensive contractor recommended granite over carrarra marble for lower maintenence. However when i looked up the granite it had the same care instructions as the marble so i'm not sure.
Posted by: 11211 at August 12, 2008 2:02 PM
marble stains because it is more porous than granite. that can actually be a sanitaion issue as well. granite does not have these issues.
soapstone is great...you just have to oil it a few times a year. it does not stain. do not get slate.
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at August 12, 2008 3:15 PM
Be careful with Marble. It stains constantly. Even the grease from your hands can stain it. I have it in my bathroom and almost wish I went with ceramic, glass or cement over the marble due to the maintence.
Posted by: Adam Dahill at August 12, 2008 3:20 PM
If this is of any concern I read an article somewhere (maybe Consumer Reports?) recently that said granite and marble give off Radon in high quantities. I asked a tile and floor guy I know if its true and he said its only true for certain colors.
Its worth doing a search if you are considering installing it.
Posted by: premadas at August 12, 2008 11:46 PM
My next counter will be concrete.
Posted by: Steve at August 13, 2008 1:49 AM
Red and pink granite from Brazil and Namibia *may* give off radon but there's a lot of junk science here. Only in a few cases has radon from granite been found to exceed background radiation and even in those it's not all that high.
The professor who was making so much noise about this in the media warned that the worst offenders emit up to 100 millirems, which exceeds NRC maximums for nuclear power plants. Residents of Denver, CO are bombarded by over 50 millirems of cosmic radiation 24/7.
Posted by: Steve at August 13, 2008 2:16 AM
permadas: 11:46PM "only true for certain colors"
Did he tell you which colors? I want to use the white Carrara.
Posted by: chill225 at August 13, 2008 1:39 PM
I agree with Steve insofar as there's a lot of junk science that is driving this radon story. Plus, in all the stuff I've read about the remote potential that a particular granite will be "hot", I've never heard that claim extended to marble. . . until now.
Posted by: Brooklynista at August 13, 2008 3:09 PM
Chill...no he didn't say what colors but everyone I mentioned it (contractors, plumbers etc) said they have heard about it but they have it in their homes anyway.
Posted by: premadas at August 23, 2008 7:18 PM
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