Is That A Fact?

June 6, 2006

Most stone professionals cringe and shake their heads when a question like this emerges, considering that many granites don’t’ require sealer and the ones that do, when sealed, may not need to be sealed again for many years. (We’ll define granite here as igneous rock that can not be etched by lemon juice and is used as kitchen countertops)
Where does this kind of urban-legend nonsense come from to confuse customers? Let me offer Exhibit A, otherwise known as a “fact sheet” offered by a solid-surface materials company. (And, while the names have been changed to keep my editor happy, it’s a real document.)
The facts – actually, some straightforward statements – are listed, along with one of those Franklin Ledger comparison tables with solid-surface and granite each getting a column. If a statement applies to one of those materials, there’s a checkmark.
Let’s take a look at this. I thought it might be kinda instructive to start at the top and work our way down.

Excellent Image Quality
Solid surface and granite both get a checkmark. It’s nice that they actually give a nod to granite. I’ve looked at many Solid Surface counters and, while they can be attractive, I don’t think you can compare the man-made stuff to natural stone as incredible as Aphrodite or Ocean Fantasy.

Good Resale Value
Both granite and solid surface get a checkmark. Draw your own conclusion on this one.

Consistent Color Quality
Granite did not get a check on this one.
This is an interesting use of the word quality. Is having an oatmeal-looking product that always looks the same actually desirable? More importantly, is this a qualitative issue?
It’s also fair to state here that many granites (Tropical Brown, Black Galaxy, etc.) are very uniform in color. Take a look at a 40-story building that’s clad in it.
If you look at installers’ data, many manmade products are sold in lots to maintain color uniformity. The theory is that, in several years, you should be able to perfectly match manmade colors, but trying to do that in real life isn’t easy, if darn-near impossible. But, hey, what does John Q. Public know?

Wide Color Range
Both granite and solid surface get a nod on this one. I guess that depends on how one defines the word wide.
Okay, so both materials offer good resale value and excellent image quality.
And then there are a bunch of statements where … well, brace yourself.

Integrated Sinks (as in without seams, lips or other places to catch and hide dirt)
Solid surface got a check, and granite did not. By now, most folks doing stone know that you can do an integrated sink with natural stone. Sinks can be made out of solid surface or natural stone; let’s pass on that simple oversight for a second.
Lip or recess to trap dirt? Come on! Dirt? This is the point where things get really weird.

Superior Scratch Resistance
Granite got a check and solid surface did not. Is this a moment of candor?
Hardly.
There’s one of those itty-bitty superscript numbers on this one, referring to a footnote. That little bit of information informs us that, while it’s recommended that cutting boards be used with solid surface, scratches can be “buffed away.” Cutting direct on granite, however, can result in “damage to sealer.”
I’m not making this up. I suppose the knife is somehow damaging the sealer that is inside the stone.

Superior Heat Resistance
Granite also got the nod here, along with another one of those numbers leading to a footnote.
Reading the fine print reveals the claim that homeowners may be able to fix minor heat damage to solid surface, and a certified installer can “inconspicuously” repair severe cases. With granite, the sealer can be damaged with extreme or prolonged exposure to heat.
Incredible is not a strong enough word to describe this. Considering that many granites used on countertops aren’t sealed at all shoots a big hole in this one.

Fire-Retardant
Solid surface gets a check and granite doesn’t. I’ll waive judgment on this one, since I still haven’t been able to determine the temperature at which granite bursts into flame.

Bacteria Resistance; Mold/Mildew Resistance; Non-Porous
I lumped these three together since they revolve around the same “issue.” Solid surface gets a checkmark, and granite gets blanked.
This is the battle cry of the manmade countertop industry, boiled down to one question:
“What about the chicken juice?”
The implication here is that, if you have granite tops in your kitchen, you’re more likely to breed E.coli or some other nasty bacteria. Let’s spend a little time on this.
Now, if some chicken juice were to seep down into a pore on some granite, it could get funky. This is logical and reasonable, but let’s really think about this for a minute. The opposite of this claim of resistance would be that, somehow, man made tops resist bacteria – presumably because they’re not porous.
A granite with a dense structure, it can be argued, is non-porous. A granite that is resined, in most cases, is non-porous. Finally, a porous stone that is sealed can be considered non-porous.
Let’s take this to the next level. If you’ve ever seen the installation of a solid-surface counter, you might see the use of palm sanders and sandpaper to hone and blend the surface. This process produces fine scratches in the surface that can be seen with the naked eye.
Those scratches are produced with an abrasive that make v-shaped trenches in the surface. It would seem logical – given the logic of all of these arguments – that bacteria could very well live in the spots. Ironic, when you think about it.
Then, consider natural stone with a mirror-like finish and a tight, impermeable surfaces due to its natural state, resin and/or sealer. No little v-shaped trenches to hide bacteria in here.
Further down in the document they mention annual sealing of tops as part of the regular care of granite. The implication is that, at least once per year you should seal your countertops. I suppose if I were selling manmade tops and needed to create an issue, I could make this become a perceived drawback.
And, for a final test, go ahead and smear chicken juice on a sheet of non-porous glass; wait a week and come back. It will be a funky mess without regard to porosity. Logical?
So, don’t throw out your disinfecting cleaners if you purchase solid surface. (That is where wiggle words like resistance come into play.)
There are more of those little numbered footnotes that cite NSF and FDA standards, and how some “specialized products and procedures” for natural stone can protect from “some” of the sanitation concerns. Recently, the Marble Institute of America offered a study that shows stone can be easily cleaned to meet FDA guidance on surface sanitation, but it’s a safe bet we won’t see this chart amended soon to show that.

Renewable and Repairable
Solid surface gets the check, and guess what? Granite didn’t.
This one’s way out of line. Granite, due to its incredibly robust nature, may never need to be renewed or repaired. And, anyone who’s bothered to read Tom McNall’s columns, or went to a stone trade show, or attended a maintenance workshop or seminar knows that there’s more than one way to fix a granite countertop.

Smooth, Solid, Inconspicuous Seams
Solid surface gets a check and (no surprise here) granite goes without.
Elsewhere in the brochure that contains this checklist, there’s a photo of seamed Giallo Vinieziano. Whoever did the seam used the wrong color of adhesive, which is why it look conspicuous. Considering that many companies now top-polish seams, it’s fair to say that it is possible to have a smooth, solid and inconspicuous seam with granite.

Unlimited Edge Options
Yes, I’m repeating myself, but solid surface gets a check, and granite draws a blank.
I am not sure where these infomeisters are going with this one. I can’t think of a single profile that is available for solid surface that can’t be done on granite.

Detailed Options (seamless coved backsplash, custom drainboard)
Yes, again, solid surface gets a check, and granite doesn’t.
It’s half on-the-mark. I don’t know how to heat a piece of granite and bend it – remember, we’re still trying to figure out how to make granite ignite – so, if you like that look, you’ll choose plastic.
As far as drainboards are concerned, stone shops have been making them for years.

Overall Design Flexibility
Solid surface gets a check, granite goes blank, and this is so tiresome that it doesn’t even merit comment.

Requires Annual Sealing
In a new twist, granite gets a check and solid surface goes blank.
We already covered this, but it does kinda carry the theme to a nice conclusion.

10-Year Warranty
Solid surface gets a check, and granite doesn’t.
This is a major benefit of getting materials from large manufacturers; they can offer warranties and stand behind the products they make, even if the installation company goes out of business. DuPont is now matching the manmade-materials strategy with a 10-year warranty on its own brand of certified granite.
Of course, granite and other stone also have a pretty good track record. You might be able to wear out a granite countertop in a few centuries, not one decade.
Now you can see where you get those confused customers. They are only repeating urban legends they hear over and over again from what they think are reputable sources. And that’s because the same kind of shaded and incomplete information isn’t limited to one company or one comparison chart.
I have no problem with competition, but I think consumers deserve a fair presentation. And it’s not doing anyone any good to have some in the solid-surface industry throwing around flimsy stuff like this comparison chart of “facts” in order to move product.
Let’s hope they change their ways. Don’t hold your breath.
’Til next time – Mark Lauzon, stonecutter.
Mark Lauzon is a fabricator in Oregon and the administrator of www.stoneadvice.com, a Website dedicated to slab fabrication.