Have you ever considered if your beautiful granite countertops are eco-friendly and affecting you and your family’s health? While granite is beautiful as a countertop surface, many of us don’t think about the properties of the counter and if it can off gas dangerous fumes. So I decided to go to one of the best sites for green living and eco-friendly questions: USGBC’s Green Home Guide. It always has tons of green living ideas.

Here’s the question: Are Granite Countertops Eco- Friendly?

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Answer from USGBC Green Home Guide:

This EPA indicates that any type of rock could contain naturally occurring radioactive elements, such as radon.

• Some types of granite may contain more of these elements than others.
• The link indicates that there are no generally accepted testing methods for radon in granite counter tops.
• The EPA also discusses the length of time for radon to degrade and the types of home tests available – which may be a good idea for anyone to know, given the potential health risks associated with radon.

This EPA outlines the health risks of radon and can a be a good starting point to learn and provide guidance toward mitigating radon.

Whether you are looking to add granite to your kitchen or bath, or you are just curious as to granite and its natural properties, these tips should give you better insight to make an informed decision to put granite in your home.

For more green living ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Happy DIY Saturday! Granite countertops are one of the top upgrades that homeowners are outfitting their kitchen and bathrooms with. Rightfully so, granite is beautiful, durable, and if maintained, can keep looking good for years into the future.

Image courtesy of The Design File

Today’s DIY Saturday, I show you a You Tube Video on how to remove common stains from your granite countertops – from oily peanut butter stains, to ink. Then read tips from my Guest Blogger on how to keep your granite countertops shiny and looking like new.

You Tube video – How to remove stains from your granite countertop

Guest Blogger – How to keep your granite countertops shining

You might wonder why you need to add a granite polish to your granite cleaning routine. You use a granite cleaner regularly and have the granite sealed every year. Why use a polish in between? One reasons is that polish leaves a water resistant layer to prevent liquid penetration. Granite will stain if certain liquids penetrate the surface. By depositing a special wax into the pores and microscopic cracks of granite, you are protecting the surface from that stain potential. Quickly cleaning up stains is the first line of defense. However, sometimes you do not notice a spill until later. The polish helps keep that stain from appearing.

Granite polish: Helps fill pores of counter

Another reason to use granite polish is it helps fills tiny cracks and pores to keep the smooth finish you expect. The finishing process for your granite will leave a visibly smooth surface. However, if you use a microscope or a magnifying glass on the surface, you will see microscopic pores and cracks on the surface. That is part of the stone’s natural essence. Those openings will attract dirt and debris. It is also the place where liquids can penetrate, leaving stains behind. A good polish will lay down a layer of carnauba wax and other emollients to fill those tiny spaces.

Image courtesy of Dreamy Kitchens

Restore luster of your granite

A third reason to put a granite polish in your maintenance routine is it will restore the luster of your granite. Daily cleaning can dull the shine of your countertops. Even with the best countertop cleaners, your cleaning process may leave a bit of residue behind. With a polish, you remove that residue during the polishing process and it makes your countertops look great. You also lay down a layer of carnauba wax into those cracks and pores. That wax offers a beautiful shine that even the best cleaner cannot leave. It will protect your countertops while making them shine in the light.

Remove scratches on your granite

A final reason to bring a granite polish in is to remove faint scratches on the surface. You can spend a great deal of time cleaning your granite. That will help remove the potential abrasives left on the surface. However, life happens. You may see a dulling of the sheen over the next few weeks. By using a polish every week or two, you can remove that dulling layer. The polishing will smooth out the microscopic scratches. It will fill in deeper scratches with wax. That will make the appearance look even better.

This blog post was written by FreeDigitalPhotos.net. Try restoring shine to your granite countertops after using this granite polish.

For more DIY ideas on Stagetecture, & Stagetecture’s YouTube Channel, click here.

Happy DIY Saturday! Today we take a look at choosing countertops for your kitchen. Depending on what type of lifestyle you have, budget, and aesthetic you are trying to achieve will help you decide on the perfect countertop for your kitchen.

Today, I show you a You Tube video featuring use of a concrete countertop, and how the design style can be custom as well as cost effective. My Guest Blogger today, will show you how the benefits of different countertop materials, in helping you choose the right material for your application.

You Tube video: Kitchen Countertop Ideas

Guest Blog – The Top 6 Materials for Kitchen Countertops

Every home has countertops used in the kitchen and bath among other various spaces in the home. These spaces are often used more than once a day. Countertops in particular, are surfaces that endure rough activity on a consistent basis, whether it is in the kitchen serving as a food preparation area or in the bathroom where the surfaces if filled with cosmetics and hot irons resting on its plane.

Countertops are surfaces that are manufactured from several different kinds of building materials. Materials utilized depend on several factors such as the budget, if partaking in a home remodeling project, to durability and location.

Some countertops that are seen throughout many homes are in the form of marble, granite, quartz, onyx, quartzite, limestone, slate and tiles.

Marble and Granite:

Marble and granite countertops are cosmetically pleasing to the eye, displaying high sophistication and chic style with great durability aspects for use. Marble is one of the most intriguing countertop to be installed in many newly design or remodeled kitchens. It sports a classic, elegant and chic design. Not only is this marble great for kitchen use, but also featured around fireplaces and furniture tops. Homeowners can polish the surface or leave it honed.

Granite is comprised of the hardest natural stone materials used for countertops. Due to the vast durability, it can withstand staining, scratching and any heat, ensuring not melt the top surfaces. It’s also a countertop that offers the largest selection of colors, but ideal for kitchen countertop spaces.

Quartz:

Many modern interiors request a quartz countertop because of its non-porous nature. It’s a prime material that is scratch resistance and offers a very contemporary feel, given the design, layout and colors offered.

Onyx:

Onyx is a great choice coming in a variety of dazzling colors and patterns. It’s actually a material that enables homeowners to backlight the surface due to the translucent elements found in onyx. This is a more contemporary product also used in bathrooms as a countertop and tub as well as furniture and fireplaces.

Quartzite:

Another popular countertop surface is quartzite. This is a non-porous surface also used in many contemporary kitchens with white or black cabinets. Because of the scratch resistant nature of the top, it’s great for any food preparation or cutting that is done.

Limestone:

Limestone has a very warm color scheme with an inviting appeal and typically paired with dark wood cabinetry. This material is most ideal for low traffic areas because it can contain fossils in the surface.

Tile:

Tiles are an exceptional choice due to the basic nature in the material. It’s a perfect complement to stone countertops due its trusted durable elements. The tiles have a very rich yet organic look and feel that replicates mid-century designs.

Slate:

Slate is another surface that provides gray colors in an organic nature like rocks in a river. This is chemically inert and available for many kitchen and bathroom surfaces.

For more information about countertops pertaining to marble and granite surfaces, please visit the blog of Wholesale Granite, a retail location providing granite countertops in Villanova, PA.

For more kitchen & bath ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

A few days ago I showed you beautiful kitchen inspiration.  Today, I’m showing you kitchen countertops that come in so many varieties. From the least expensive plastic laminate to the other end of the spectrum marble and granite. Take a look at these countertop ideas from Architectural Digest, and see if any of them is the ideal for your kitchen.

White marble countertops and white concrete floors make Chef Giada De Laurentiis’ kitchen gorgeous!

Look at this beach home with a beautiful countertop called pietra serena, an Italian basalt.

Actress Diane Keaton’s kitchen features white marble countertops.

I love these these wood and soapstone countertops used in this Austin residence.

For more kitchen & bath ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

A few weeks ago we started a Laundry Room – Home Makeover feature.  This week we are featuring our second laundry room home makeover from Young House Love.

Check out this before photograph where they took out the bi-folding doors, and opened up the space!

Without having to break the bank, a new countertop, new front loading machines, and affordable shades makes this laundry nook come alive.

We can’t forget the rolling vertical storage to hold cleaners and detergents. This is a great space saver and it hides all of those chemicals!

For more laundry ideas visit Young House Love.

DO YOU HAVE A LAUNDRY ROOM MAKEOVER TO SHARE? COMMENT ON THIS POST AND WE’LL SHOWCASE IT!