Elegant Stone Products - Frequently Asked Questions

Radon is an inert gas discovered by German physicist Fredrich Ernst Dorn in 1898 (the same year as Curie's discover of Radium).  Its symbol on the periodic table is is Rn and is the heaviest of Noble Gasses.  It is the decay product uranium.

Let's put this in perspective first.  You are surrounded by Radon!  Some parts of the country have higher concentrations than others.  The primary source of Radon exposure is from the soil, although exposure can come from ground water and outdoor air.  Only 2.5% of all radon exposure comes through building materials in general.  If you have an elevated amount of Radon gas in your home, it will almost always originate from your basement or crawl space.  Proper mitigation can make high Radon readings practically disappear. 

The Marble Institute of America recently published the findings of a scientific study that concluded that statistically, you have a greater chance of a fatal fall from bed than getting cancer from your countertops.  As a stone fabricator, we were concerned enough about this question that we certified one of our employees as a Residential Measurement Provider through the National Environmental Health Association's National Radon Proficiency Program (NRPP) and became an affiliate member of the American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists (AARST).  We can honestly say that while some may seek to profit from instilling fear of Radon in your mind, we are absolutely confident that the products we install in your home - if used properly - will not jeopardize your health.

Bacteria, like any other living organism, needs something to eat in order to live.  Bacteria cannot eat granite.  Unclean, unkempt countertops can harbor bacteria regardless of what countertop material is used.  Granite has performed extremely well in testing; performing second only to stainless steel in its ability to resist bacterial growth. 

For everyday use, wipe your countertops up with a wet washcloth just like you would your laminate countertops. To check if you need to seal your granite, put a small amount of water on the countertop in a space that it will not be disturbed. Let it sit for 15 minutes. If the water is absorbed, you need to re-seal your granite countertops.

Cast stone is made up of finely ground stone mixed with resins or cement-based products, then poured into a mold to create either a slab of cast stone or to create sinks, mantels, etc.  Natural stone is harvested from the earth in block form, cut into slabs, cut to shape, polished and installed in your home.  Simply put, cast stone is a manufactured product where natural stones like granite are formed by nature over the course of thousands of years. 

Marketers contend that quartz surfaces contain 93% quartz.  However, this number is calculated by mass, not volume.  Therefore the true ratio of quartz is approximately 67 - 73%.  It is also important to note that "quartz" refers not only to natural quartz but glass and mirror particles as well.

It depends on the granite.  Availability, color, and country of origin are major factors that affect the price of granite.  If the supply of a particular stone is short and demand for it is high, the price will typically be higher.  Given that stone is a natural product imported from all over the world, the price spectrum is wide.  However, with petroleum prices fluctuating the way they do, products like Corian, with a petro-chemical base can often times be more expensive than the most common granites.

Most granite has some degree of pitting, whether microscopic or visible to the naked eye.  With todays advanced processing, the natural pitting or tiny craters in granite are greatly reduced.  These natural pits pose no maintenance or wear issues.  The depth of these pits is virtually immeasurable.

Not necessarily.  Some veins are strictly color variations in the stone.  However in some materials natural flaws can exist within the vein, which enhances the color and is characteristic of that stone.  Structurally, with today's processing, these materials do meet the strength requirements for countertop use. 

All granite tops are sealed at our facility before being loaded into trucks for delivery. We use a high quality sealer to ensure maximum protection against stains. We recommend that you re-seal your countertops once a year to maintain maximum protection. 

Competitive products may make the sealing process seem more difficult than it really is.  After all, if they're trying to be just like granite but better they have to find some sort of flaw in natural stone!  Seriously though, sealing most tops can be fairly simple.  If you did not receive a “Care & Cleaning of Natural Stone Surfaces” brochure when your countertops were installed, please contact us and we will send one to you. You can also contact us if you live in the Tri-State area (Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois) and we'll seal your tops for you.  In addition, you can purchase cleaning and sealing products through ElegantStoneProducts.com.

You bet.  Contact us today for a free estimate. Be prepared to provide:  1) square footage of countertops, 2) job location, 3) stone color & type, 4)original date of install.

No surface is bomb-proof. Be very careful with anything acidic, oily, red wines, fruit juices or food coloring. These items will also stain laminate, Corian® (and other solid surface brands), and Silestone® (and other quartz countertops). Rest assured, most stains can be removed.

That depends on whether you have granite or marble.  Granite, with normal wear and tear will not lose it's polish.  That doesn't mean that if you attack your granite with a belt sander that it wont dull the finish.  The only things that could scratch granite are typically not found in the kitchen.  Marble, on the other hand, is a calcite which will react with acidic liquids, etching the polish.  Proper sealing and maintenance is more crucial with marble countertops.

Instead of the normal process of polishing granite, the polishing bricks are replaced with abrasive brushes which leave a satin textured finish.

Many stains can be removed from your granite countertops. You can purchase poultice products designed to remove a variety of stains from ElegantStoneProducts.com. It is important that you follow the directions exactly as they are written on the package. You can also call or contact us today and we will give you a free estimate to remove the stain(s) for you.

Yes, granite can crack or chip.  However this is usually caused by severe settling, excessive impact or abuse.  Most minor cracks or chipping in natural stone can be repaired by a specialist in the stone renovation business or by a qualified fabricator.

Most chips are repairable in granite and quartz surfacing countertops. If you happen to get a chip, save the pieces and call or contact us for a service call. Our service technician will come out and repair the chipped area using the pieces you saved. Many times, after the repair is complete, you can't tell a chip ever happened.

In order to scratch granite you would need to use something as hard as it or harder. While cutting on your granite top won't scratch the surface, it will dull your knife. Because of this we recommend always using a cutting board. Should a scratch occur, it can be repaired without resurfacing the entire area. In the event of a scratch, contact us and we'll send out a technician.

Sure! The pieces removed from sink or cooktop cutouts however do not have finished edges. If you would like the piece(s) re-cut to size and finished we will be happy to give you an estimate. Some customers will use these pieces as cutting boards, table tops, plant stands, garden pavers, etc. Keep in mind that we can laser etch any image you desire into these products. -- some colors etch better than others --

Since granite, marble, onyx, slate, travertine and soapstone are natural products, with naturally occurring variations in color, tone, granularity, pattern, etc. these variations are expected and are the source of its natural beauty. The samples you see will vary either slightly or to a large degree from the actual slabs used in your project. We STRONGLY encourage all of our customers to preview their actual slab before we begin the fabrication process.  We offer the option of a Stone Waiver in the event that you do not want to preview and approve the slabs designated for your project.

Absolutely.  When mixing stones, it is a good ideal to consider which material would be the most practical for the space.  For example, when mixing granite with marble, the granite would be best suited for the area around the range because it is the most durable.  The marble could be used on the island or as a dining table.

We will gladly remove your existing laminate or solid surface tops. Call or contact us today for a free estimate on removal. Be prepared to provide:  1) square footage, 2) type of countertop, 3) location of removal.

All countertops, build-up, screws, nails, and backsplashes must be completely removed. If wall patching or skim coating is needed after everything is removed, it will be easier to complete before the granite countertops are installed. If your install date is already set, but you need more time to complete the removal work we can reschedule the installation appointment with you as long as you call or contact us 48 hours in advance.

Only you know your skill set and limits! Working with stone and quartz surfacing requires special tools, skills and a strong back. We highly recommend that you let us do your project from “soup to nuts” – including the final installation. Keep in mind that we have nearly 80 years of combined experience working with stone and our finished products show it!  Fabricating and/or installing natural stone or quartz countertops really is not a "do-it-yourself" endeavor.

3cm granite weighs between 15 and 20 pounds per square foot.  An average kitchen of 60 square feet will weigh about 1,020 pounds. 

When talking about support, you need to consider two different aspects:  Weight and Balance.
Most cabinets are strong enough to handle the weight of granite & quartz countertops.  When considering weight, you may want to consider how it can affect the integrity of the granite too.  On a typical 24" deep, finished cabinet, maybe you are planning on a 20" overhang off of the back side.  According to the Marble Institute of America, you'll need to provide substantial support for 10 of the 20" of overhang in the way of bars, legs, brackets or corbels.  With quartz tops, you can get away with 15" unsupported material because of its increased tensile strength.

Balance is the other thing to consider when discussing support.  If your overhang is equal to or greater than the base on which it is installed, you'll need to add support to keep your top from tipping.  Bar tops are an area where you will typically need some sort of support against tippage.  If you have a 5" deep half wall and a 16" bar top, you will need corbels or brackets even though your overhang is less than 10".  

The standard in the US is 1 ¼” (3cm) material. Depending on the application, however, we can utilize materials as thin as 3/8”.

Yes. We will be more than happy to give you any proof of insurance that you may require upon request.

According to the Marble Institute of America, corbels or structured support should be used when an overhang exceeds 10" for 3cm material or 6" for 2cm material.

Yes please.

Yes, we require either one of the homeowners or your representative over the age of 18, to be at the job site for the final measure. Keep in mind that many decisions need to be made at this appointment. We would like someone to be present for the installation as well to answer any questions that may arise during the install.

This should be done after the granite countertops are installed. This will allow you or your tile installer to know where to start the tile backsplash and what size cuts are needed.

We require all cabinets to be completely emptied and all drawers removed. This is to allow for easy access for the installers to set the countertops and sinks. This also ensures that if any glue, caulk or sawdust falls down into the cabinets, anything that is generally stored in the base cabinets will not be damaged.