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Countertop Stone Guides
Plain answers to the questions people ask us most. Every fact names its source, so you can check it yourself.
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How to Choose Countertops: A Plain Guide
Six steps, in the order that saves you money and regret: how you live, your budget, the look, the details, the installer, and getting ready for install day.
Choosing Your Stone
Granite, quartz, quartzite or marble: what each one is, and what each one asks of you.
- Granite vs Quartz Countertops: Which Is Right for You? Granite is cut from the earth. Quartz is made from crushed stone and resin. Here is how they compare on heat, stains, scratches, care and Florida prices.
- Which Countertop Stone Is the Most Durable? There is no single toughest stone. Granite, quartz, quartzite and marble each win or lose on heat, scratches, stains and acid. Here is the honest scorecard.
- Quartz vs Quartzite: What Is the Difference? The names are almost the same, but one is made in a factory and the other is cut from the earth. Here is what that means for sealing, heat, sun and price.
Caring for Your Countertops
Cleaning, heat and stains, from the stone makers and the Natural Stone Institute.
- What to Do About a Stain on Your Countertop First blot, do not wipe. Then match the stain to the fix: oil, coffee and wine, ink, rust or water rings. Steps for granite, quartz and marble.
- Can You Put Hot Pans on Quartz, Granite or Quartzite? Short answer: use a trivet on every stone. Quartz is the most sensitive, granite the most forgiving. Here are the real temperature limits and what heat damage looks like.
- How to Care for Granite Countertops Daily cleaning, what to keep off granite, heat, sealing and scratches, in plain steps from the Natural Stone Institute. Most of it takes soap, water and a soft cloth.
- How to Care for Quartz Countertops Quartz never needs sealing, but its resin needs a little respect. What to clean it with, what to keep off it, and why a trivet matters, straight from the quartz makers.
Fix a Spill or Stain
One mess on one stone, step by step, from the Natural Stone Institute and the stone makers.
- Etching on Marble: What It Is and How to Fix It A dull spot on marble is usually an etch, not a stain. Why acids cause it, how polishing powder and etch removers fix light ones, and when to call a restorer.
- How to Remove Hard Water Stains From Quartz Cloudy film and white spots around the faucet are usually minerals from hard water. How to clear them with diluted vinegar or a gentle gel, and how long is too long.
- How to Remove Stains From Granite Countertops Most granite stains come out at home. How to tell oil, food, ink, metal and water apart, the fix for each, and why a dark wet patch may just need time to dry.
- How to Remove Stains From Marble Countertops Dark spot, dull spot or a ring? On marble those are three different problems. How to tell them apart, and the fix for oil, food, ink and water rings.
- How to Remove Stains From Quartz Countertops Quartz does not soak up stains like stone, so the fix is gentler. How to tell a mark from a stain, what MSI and Caesarstone suggest, and where the makers disagree.
- How to Seal Granite Countertops, and When to Bother Most granite rarely needs it, and some needs it often. The water drop test that tells you which, how to apply sealer, and why the experts disagree on how often.
- How to Get an Oil Stain Out of a Granite Countertop A dark spot from cooking oil, grease or lotion usually comes out of granite. The fresh spill fix, the household cleaners, and a poultice step by step.
- Red Wine on a Marble Countertop: What to Do Blot it now and most red wine never stains. If a mark stays, here is how to tell a stain from an etch, and the peroxide poultice for a stain that set.
- Rust Stain on Granite: What Works and What to Avoid Rust is the hardest stain to get out of granite, and the wrong rust remover can damage the stone. How to spot it, the poultice for it, and when to stop and call.
Is This Normal?
Seams, lines and chips: what is part of the stone, and when to call.
- Chipped Countertop? Why Edges Chip and How It Gets Fixed No stone or quartz is chip proof. Where chips happen most, how a professional fills one with color matched epoxy, and how to keep your edges safe.
- Countertop Seams: Why They Happen and What Is Normal Most kitchens need at least one seam, because slabs come in fixed sizes. What a good seam looks like, where it should go, and what to ask before anything is cut.
- Is It a Crack or a Fissure? Lines in Granite Explained A thin line in granite is often a fissure, a natural part of the stone and not a defect. How to tell it from a crack, what causes real cracks, and when to call.
Cost
What countertops cost in Florida, and what changes the price.
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