Granite, Quartz & Marble Concepts For Your Home

Over the last few years, many different finishing options have come to market for granite and quartz countertops.  Before these last few years, we had only been able to see Granite and Quartz in polished finishes. Now that the industry has grown and quartz and granite are hugely popular in modern design, we are beginning to see a variety of available finishes for stone countertops. 

Leathered and honed finishes are often related to each other, but do have specific differences between the two.  Honed finishes were first introduced to give stone a softer look compared to that of polished stone.  One of the only problems to consider with using a honed finish is that it can affect the overall performance of the stone when it comes to staining.  Leathered finishes have advanced the honed look to allow for better performance.  Leathering closes the stone pores, which make it much more difficult to stain than a honed finished.  Leathering also retains the natural stone colour while honed finishing tends to cloud out the natural colour of the stone.

Silestone has been offering quartz countertop colours in a leathered finish for a nearly five years.  Coming very soon, Silestone will introduce a new texture to the market that has not yet been approached:  Volcano.  This new Volcano texture is said to give the feel of an orange peel, while continuing to offer the same performance standards as their leathered and polished finishes.  Silestone expects to release this finish, along with a variety of new and exciting colours this summer. Silestone is able to offer their remarkable 15 year warranty with these new finishes as well.

If you are interested in learning more about leathered, honed, or Volcano finishes to your granite or quartz products, please visit Latitude Countertops or speak with one of our knowledgeable and friendly sales team members. 

If the goal in your kitchen is to be as green as possible, Latitude offers the best options for countertops.  Our knowledgeable sales people are always on hand to answer any questions that you have about the green qualities of the countertops that we offer at Latitude.

The new environmental craze that is happening, in regards to granite, is the testing for Radon gases in granite slabs.  Many people have asked us about Radon gases in granite, and what effect it can have on your home.  Granite, and other natural stone products, always contains traces of NORMs (Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials) that produce measureable amounts of radiation and sometimes Radon gas.

Although all granite is tested for radon, it is possible that small amounts of the radioactive material can still be found in the slab.  Not to worry though, as Radon gas usually becomes insignificant when diluted with the quantity of air in your home.  Most Radon gas that is produced in your home is from the actual soil that your house is built on.  I have included a pie chart that shows the most abundant locations for radon gas in your home.

 Although granite does not usually have enough radon gas in it to be harmful to your family, you may still be cautious of putting granite in your home.   In that case, Latitude offers 5 Natural Quartz Surfaces that are all leading the charge in safer countertop options.   For your information, I have included links to each of these suppliers “Green Qualities” on their websites.

Silestone

Caesarstone

Hanstone

Zodiaq

Eco by Cosentino

If you have any other questions regarding the green qualities of countertops, please visit our showroom, or showroom locator for a Latitude dealer near you!!

Happy Holidays!!

C

One of a Kind Material

What is it and why is it so cheap?

“One of a kind granite or marble” is when Latitude has one or two extra uncut slabs from a large job. Typically we always order an extra slab or two when we do a medium to large sized kitchen so we can properly match up the lines so the job looks its best. When we get the slabs on our sawyers table sometimes we are able to match the lines up without having to cut into these extra slabs so they become extra’s that we are unable to send back.

Why don’t we use them for our next job in that colour?

Often times these pieces are in unique colours and customers purchasing that colour of granite or marble will tag the piece themselves directly at a stone wholesaler for us to fabricate so these unique granite pieces that we have in our warehouse never get seen by potential customers and designers.

Why not sell it off as remnant?

Remnant is a different pricing model altogether. Unlike remnant pieces these slabs have not been cut and are full sheets suitable for small to medium kitchens or custom side projects such as: granite shower walls, granite fireplaces or even granite table tops. The material is simply too expensive to sell as granite off cuts.

Who should be interested in “one of a kind material”?

The people who are most interested in this type of material are consumers or designers who are looking to complete a job that is too large for our remnant program. This type of customer is also looking to acquire an exotic level stone but would prefer not to pay exotic level granite pricing. Another type of consumer who may be interested in this is someone who is looking for a very unique piece. Some of the granites we are selling under this sale are no longer available, which means you are likely to be the only person on your block, or possibly even your city to have this colour!

Should you have any questions please do not hesitate to email me at brettm@latitudeonline.ca