Granite Countertops Call for Standard Care

A great addition to any home, granite countertops add some class, regality and luxury to your bathrooms, kitchens and/or outdoor entertainment areas. Granite countertops even add resale value to your home. As installers of granite countertops in Stillwater MN and neighboring towns, we at Imperial Counters would like to drop a few suggestions on how you can maintain and care for your new counters to help ensure that they last a very long time. Perhaps decades, even the rest of your life!

Common sense does indeed apply in the art of making your granite countertops last. Use coasters with beverages, implement pot holders when hot items are to be placed upon them (granite countertops are heat-resistant but not heat proof). Keep the long term storage of liquids on your countertops at a minimum. If spills or general dripping occurs from such, staining is a likely outcome. If you make an effort to stay on top of spills and leaks, your granite countertops will be just fine.  

In the act of preparing food on your granite countertops use a cutting board instead of cutting food on the surface. Granite countertops are stain resistant. If a more powerful than the norm type of liquid does indeed stain them, try removing them with a poultice. For stains involving oil, apply a baking soda and water solution to remove the blemish. If staining occurs as a result of organic stuffs, try an acetone and baking soda mix. Always use a non-abrasive cleaner on your granite countertops.

Most granite countertops will require a sealing every one to two years to keep them at their best. Be mindful, too many sealings to tend to leave behind a cloudy residued surface. To see if you are due for a resealing, carry out a simple absorbency test. Place a drop of water on the granite, letting it stand for 15 minutes. Wipe it up. If you spot a dark stain where the drop was, look into a resealing. This test is indicative of your granite countertops tendency to slowly meander back to its more porous, naturally occurring state.

Do not place too much weight upon your granite countertops, especially consistent placement for too long. Tempting as it may be for family and friends alike, do not let anyone sit or stand on your granite countertops, either. Too much weight in one place for too long can cause damage to the granite.

For more information on granite countertops in Stillwater MN, call Imperial Counters at 651-437-3903 or contact us for a free estimate. 

Remodel Your Kitchen Using Laminate Countertops

Choice is not lacking when it comes to countertops in your kitchen. You’ve got granite, marble, and wood. If you want that smooth surfaced top that will fit into your budget, why not look into laminates? Imperial Counters offers budget-friendly laminate countertops to Twin Cities home owners. 

Laminate countertops look great! Maybe you want them to match your mahogany cabinets? Perhaps you want them to offset the bright orange paint covering the walls of your kitchen? Or, quite possibly you want to go with something of a rustic feel, a wooden type of pattern? They come in so many colors, patterns and styles that you will be sure to find the one that fits your kitchen décor.

Laminates are substantially cheaper than their stone and other solid surface countertops. Generally starting in the teens per square foot in price (quartz, marble, or granite often running in the $50 to $100 per square foot range), laminates will not break the bank. Another thing to consider with laminate countertops with regard to your money, should you a few years down the road decide you want to get new countertops again, the cost of a laminate will be easier to part with if you had previously purchased a natural stone countertop that you have grown tired of. Also, if you choose to sell your home after having bought laminate countertops over a more expensive equivalent, the lower cost will make your counters easier to part with. If you go the natural stone route in your countertops, the resale value may be boosted into the price of your home—if would-be buyers intend to update the kitchen, this may not be the case and could contribute to a more difficult sell.

Laminates offer a smooth surface so spills and crumbs have no holes nor wedges to fall into. As with any spill that could potentially stain a surface should be addressed immediately. Typical laminate countertops are easy to clean with a household cleaning product or hot water using a rag or sponge. Cleaning is easy, maintaining offers no worries. Don’t go crazy caring for these counters, just be careful with your usage of abrasive cleaners and exposing them to high temperatures. Another bonus is that they do not require being sealed!

Are you interested in learning more about countertops in the Twin Cities? Call Imperial Counters at 651-437-3903 or you can contact us for a Free Estimate.