Has anyone ever used/installed one? Also, what's the new Samsung countertop
material like? I want to be able to groove the top (a little channel to
keep spills from going to the floor, and draining back to the sink).

On Sat 04 Mar 2006 04:27:35p, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it So'n'so?

> Has anyone ever used/installed one? Also, what's the new Samsung
> countertop material like? I want to be able to groove the top (a little
> channel to keep spills from going to the floor, and draining back to the
> sink).

IMNSHO, terrazzo would be a very poor choice. You may or may not know that
terrazzo is comprised of stone chips held together in a matrix of portland
cement and either epoxy resin, polyester resin, or polyacrylate resin. The
finished product requires multiple sealants and, usually, a heavily buffed
wax coating. The reason that commercial applications almost always look
beautiful is due to frequent and high maintenace of repeated sealants and
waxes. I doubt this is something you would want to do in a residential
kitchen setting, especially on a work surface.

Years ago I knew a family whose entire home was floored in terrazzo. They
were fairly well off, and they could easily afford to have the maintenance
performed, but it still had to be done, and they still had to endure the
process.

--
Wayne Boatwright o¿o
____________________

BIOYA

I agree with having smooth benchtops. In our old house we had a laminate
that wasn't smooth and it was difficult to keep clean and not easy to work
on for pastry, bread etc. We have marble in our new home and it's great for
working on and cleaning.

"Wayne Boatwright" <wayneboatwright_at_gmail.com> wrote in message
28.19...
> On Sat 04 Mar 2006 04:27:35p, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it So'n'so?
>
>> Has anyone ever used/installed one? Also, what's the new Samsung
>> countertop material like? I want to be able to groove the top (a little
>> channel to keep spills from going to the floor, and draining back to the
>> sink).
>
> IMNSHO, terrazzo would be a very poor choice. You may or may not know
> that
> terrazzo is comprised of stone chips held together in a matrix of portland
> cement and either epoxy resin, polyester resin, or polyacrylate resin.
> The
> finished product requires multiple sealants and, usually, a heavily buffed
> wax coating. The reason that commercial applications almost always look
> beautiful is due to frequent and high maintenace of repeated sealants and
> waxes. I doubt this is something you would want to do in a residential
> kitchen setting, especially on a work surface.
>
> Years ago I knew a family whose entire home was floored in terrazzo. They
> were fairly well off, and they could easily afford to have the maintenance
> performed, but it still had to be done, and they still had to endure the
> process.
>
> --
> Wayne Boatwright o¿o
> ____________________
>
> BIOYA

In article >,
"So'n'so" > wrote:

> Has anyone ever used/installed one?

I haven't ... I did check out the price of recycled-glass
countertops like IceStone and Vetrazzo
(http://www.icestone.biz/palette.html , http://tinyurl.com/qbwjo)
when I was replacing mine and found the price simply astronomical. I
think I could have had granite excavated with brushes, polished with
Tiffany diamonds, and hauled by Sherpas to my house for less money.
Just kidding, but it is more expensive than most granites, which I
find amazing for a product that is made primarily from recycled
glass.

> Also, what's the new Samsung countertop
> material like? I want to be able to groove the top (a little channel to
> keep spills from going to the floor, and draining back to the sink).

If you're talking about Staron, it's quite similar to Corian,
HiMacs, Avonite, and other solid-surface materials. Anything you can
do with them you can do with Staron. It's solid and color-through,
so there should be no problem doing that.

sd

On Sun, 05 Mar 2006 10:24:47 GMT, "Viviane" >
wrote:

>I agree with having smooth benchtops. In our old house we had a laminate
>that wasn't smooth and it was difficult to keep clean and not easy to work
>on for pastry, bread etc. We have marble in our new home and it's great for
>working on and cleaning.

Is it really marble, rather than granite? Marble is porous and an awful lot more
work to maintain than granite.

-- Larry

On Sun 05 Mar 2006 01:18:54p, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it pltrgyst?

> On Sun, 05 Mar 2006 10:24:47 GMT, "Viviane"
> > wrote:
>
>>I agree with having smooth benchtops. In our old house we had a
>>laminate that wasn't smooth and it was difficult to keep clean and not
>>easy to work on for pastry, bread etc. We have marble in our new home
>>and it's great for working on and cleaning.
>
> Is it really marble, rather than granite? Marble is porous and an awful
> lot more work to maintain than granite.

While it's true that marble is porous, some marble is more porous than
others. Candymakers routinely use marble to work candies like fudge,
taffy, hard candy, etc. It can be more work to maintain marble, but if
it's well sealed it's not too bad. Years ago I had a creamy carara marble
in an apartment kitchen. It was always spotless and had been there many
years before I moved there.

I would be a bit more concerned that marble is softer and more fragile than
granite. It will crack and chip more easily.

--
Wayne Boatwright o¿o
____________________

BIOYA

On 5 Mar 2006, Wayne Boatwright <wayneboatwright_at_gmail.com> wrote:

>I would be a bit more concerned that marble is softer and more fragile than
>granite. It will crack and chip more easily.

But granite does chip. I have a chip in the edge right above the
dishwasher.

I've worked on Formica, Corian, and granite. The granite I have now
fortunately has a tight grain and does not need to be sealed. But it chips,
you can't see where any dirt or debris is, it is non-resiliant, and you
have to be gentle putting glass things down. I much prefer working on
Glacier White Corian. In my next kitchen I want two materials. Alongside
the stove I'll put white Silestone, and Corian for the rest.

Don <www.donwiss.com> (e-mail link at home page bottom).

On Wed, 08 Mar 2006 10:26:30 -0500, Don Wiss >
wrote:

>I've worked on Formica, Corian, and granite. The granite I have now
>fortunately has a tight grain and does not need to be sealed. But it chips,
>you can't see where any dirt or debris is, it is non-resiliant, and you
>have to be gentle putting glass things down. I much prefer working on
>Glacier White Corian. In my next kitchen I want two materials. Alongside
>the stove I'll put white Silestone, and Corian for the rest.

Why this mix of two materials, and not just one or the other?

On Wed, 08 Mar 2006 19:32:26 GMT, KLS > wrote:

>On Wed, 08 Mar 2006 10:26:30 -0500, Don Wiss wrote:
>
>>I've worked on Formica, Corian, and granite. The granite I have now
>>fortunately has a tight grain and does not need to be sealed. But it chips,
>>you can't see where any dirt or debris is, it is non-resiliant, and you
>>have to be gentle putting glass things down. I much prefer working on
>>Glacier White Corian. In my next kitchen I want two materials. Alongside
>>the stove I'll put white Silestone, and Corian for the rest.
>
>Why this mix of two materials, and not just one or the other?

The one downside of Corian is you can't put hot things on it. So having
Silestone alongside the stove would allow me to use all that area as a hot
plate.

But Silestone chips, and has all the other negative properties of granite,
so I wouldn't want it over my dishwasher.

Don <www.donwiss.com> (e-mail link at home page bottom).

Terrazzo is a product that was very popular for house floors in the fifties,
especailly in s florida. These were not always fancy homes or for the well
off.
"Wayne Boatwright" <wayneboatwright_at_gmail.com> wrote in message
28.19...
> On Sat 04 Mar 2006 04:27:35p, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it So'n'so?
>
>> Has anyone ever used/installed one? Also, what's the new Samsung
>> countertop material like? I want to be able to groove the top (a little
>> channel to keep spills from going to the floor, and draining back to the
>> sink).
>
> IMNSHO, terrazzo would be a very poor choice. You may or may not know
> that
> terrazzo is comprised of stone chips held together in a matrix of portland
> cement and either epoxy resin, polyester resin, or polyacrylate resin.
> The
> finished product requires multiple sealants and, usually, a heavily buffed
> wax coating. The reason that commercial applications almost always look
> beautiful is due to frequent and high maintenace of repeated sealants and
> waxes. I doubt this is something you would want to do in a residential
> kitchen setting, especially on a work surface.
>
> Years ago I knew a family whose entire home was floored in terrazzo. They
> were fairly well off, and they could easily afford to have the maintenance
> performed, but it still had to be done, and they still had to endure the
> process.
>
> --
> Wayne Boatwright o¿o
> ____________________
>
> BIOYA

"Coverings" in Miami is a tile and stone dealing. I've seen terrazzo slab
sections they sell for floors and conters. They are of various large sizes.
These can be set like tile and sealed.brass or stainless steel serating
strips can be used for added design. These look great.
"So'n'so" > wrote in message
...
> Has anyone ever used/installed one? Also, what's the new Samsung
> countertop material like? I want to be able to groove the top (a little
> channel to keep spills from going to the floor, and draining back to the
> sink).
>

Don Wiss wrote:

>
> But Silestone chips, and has all the other negative properties of granite,
> so I wouldn't want it over my dishwasher.
>
> Don <www.donwiss.com> (e-mail link at home page bottom).

It's possible that Silestone, like granite, could chip, but it's not
terribly likely. Besides, unlike granite, Silestone will not stain and
is non-pourous so it is more sanitary.

"Don Wiss" > wrote in message
...
> On 5 Mar 2006, Wayne Boatwright <wayneboatwright_at_gmail.com> wrote:
>
>>I would be a bit more concerned that marble is softer and more fragile
>>than
>>granite. It will crack and chip more easily.
>
> But granite does chip. I have a chip in the edge right above the
> dishwasher.
>
> I've worked on Formica, Corian, and granite. The granite I have now
> fortunately has a tight grain and does not need to be sealed. But it
> chips,
> you can't see where any dirt or debris is, it is non-resiliant, and you
> have to be gentle putting glass things down. I much prefer working on
> Glacier White Corian. In my next kitchen I want two materials. Alongside
> the stove I'll put white Silestone, and Corian for the rest.
>
> Don <www.donwiss.com> (e-mail link at home page bottom).

Saturday I went to a store, American Flooring, and saw for the first time,
granite tiles. The salesperson said they were for cabinet tops, and that
the seems could be put together as nicely as the seams on a 'boulder' of
granite. I was really surprised.

These tiles about 12 x 12 were much, much thinner, (at least the sample)
than the larger slab samples, and it was also available in the color/texture
of my choice that I desire in the slab granite.

I've done a bit of googling on this, and basically I've seen them used for
flooring, but not actually used for/on cabinet tops. I asked him how the
edges were done, and he told me that they were nicely edged - perhaps a
pencil edge), but Geez, they were thin!

Anyone know anything about this type of granite?
Still looking for counter tops and flooring and stove -- but getting closer.
Dee Dee

On Tue, 6 Jun 2006, Dee Randall > wrote:

>Saturday I went to a store, American Flooring, and saw for the first time,
>granite tiles. The salesperson said they were for cabinet tops, and that
>the seems could be put together as nicely as the seams on a 'boulder' of
>granite. I was really surprised.
>
>These tiles about 12 x 12 were much, much thinner, (at least the sample)
>than the larger slab samples, and it was also available in the color/texture
>of my choice that I desire in the slab granite.
>
>I've done a bit of googling on this, and basically I've seen them used for
>flooring, but not actually used for/on cabinet tops. I asked him how the
>edges were done, and he told me that they were nicely edged - perhaps a
>pencil edge), but Geez, they were thin!

They are used for flooring. I wouldn't use them for a counter. And even for
flooring you have to be sure they are sealed. Any oil on them and it soaks
it and leaves a permanent stain. While water will evaporate out, dark
things like red wine and grape juice would leave permanent stains. The
problem on counters would be the seams. If any staining liquid got into the
grout it would be absorbed sideways into the granite even if sealed on the
top. Now there may be some, other than the Ruby Red/Imperial Red that I
know doesn't absorb, but with everybody talking about sealing I would have
to presume that they are few.

Don <www.donwiss.com> (e-mail link at home page bottom).

On Tue, 06 Jun 2006 20:02:32 -0400, Don Wiss >
wrote:

>They are used for flooring. I wouldn't use them for a counter. And even for
>flooring you have to be sure they are sealed. Any oil on them and it soaks
>it and leaves a permanent stain. While water will evaporate out, dark
>things like red wine and grape juice would leave permanent stains. The
>problem on counters would be the seams. If any staining liquid got into the
>grout it would be absorbed sideways into the granite even if sealed on the
>top.

Isn't that why you always seal the grout? And wouldn't you have the
same problem with spills on the floor?

I just visited my bro-in-law's new 1.8 million dollar house in
Kirkland, WA, this past weekend. This house, with top-quality
materials throughout, has the same 5/16" thick, 16" square granite
tiles in the kitchen on floor, countertops, and part of the walls.

It also has similar but different color tiles on the floor and walls
of the bathrooms. It looks like this builder doesn't think it's much
of a problem.

-- Larry

On Tue, 06 Jun 2006 23:50:23 -0700, pltrgyst > wrote:

>Isn't that why you always seal the grout? And wouldn't you have the
>same problem with spills on the floor?

Yes. I put down granite on a kitchen floor (gray mahogany). No one said
anything about sealing. When I left that place there were stains on the
floor. I'm sure there are now a lot more. I just don't see how the sealer
can seal every seam perfectly and not get scratched to let some through.
And people will get lazy and not seal. Granite has the wow factor and is
certainly in right now. I just wonder how good it will all look some
decades hence. It adds to the resale value now, but will it in 20 years?

Having worked daily on both Glacier White Corian and on granite counters,
I'll take the Corian.

Don <www.donwiss.com> (e-mail link at home page bottom).

On Wed, 07 Jun 2006 04:44:06 -0400, Don Wiss >
wrote:

>Yes. I put down granite on a kitchen floor (gray mahogany). No one said
>anything about sealing....

I would think that anyone who's ever done anything at all with any
type of tile and grout would know about sealing. And if you hadn't
done it before, any $5 "How-to" book tells you about sealing.

> .... I just don't see how the sealer
>can seal every seam perfectly and not get scratched to let some through.
>And people will get lazy and not seal.

Same thing with bathroom ceramic tile -- and I haven't re-sealed my
grout in ten years either. I guess I should.

> Granite has the wow factor and is
>certainly in right now. I just wonder how good it will all look some
>decades hence. It adds to the resale value now, but will it in 20 years?

I don't know that either, and we only plan to stay in this house
another five years, so I probably won't find out. But our entire
granite kitchen counter job ( approximately 35 linear feet of counter)
just cost $3700, so if I had to replace it in ten or more years it
would be bearable.

>Having worked daily on both Glacier White Corian and on granite counters,
>I'll take the Corian.

Corain was our first choice, too -- we really liked the sink looking
like a single piece with the countertop (via "Liquid Corian"). But we
can't stand white, and none of the other Corian colors looked decent
with our cabinet choice. So I guess we'll find out about granite the
hard way. It sure does look great, though.

-- Larry