Frequently Asked Questions

Granite is quarried from the earth with specialized equipment and machinery. It is found all over the world. A few parts of the world where granite is quarried: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, Finland, India, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Ukraine, USA, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

The look first and foremost. The maintenance and care of the stones will also vary. Marble colors is a softer stone, and it will etch easier. It is a more delicate natural stone when compared to granite.

Granite is a very strong and durable natural stone. The actual strength of a specific piece of granite will vary depending on the stone and where it was quarried from.

YES it will with heavy abuse. NO it will not with normal every day wear and tear.

There are a lot of different sealer brand names on the market; some of them give one year protection promise some others up to 5-6 years. As an expert our recommendations put sealer on your countertop once a year. It is hassle free easy application and takes less than ten minutes. You need to put sealer once year for better protection of countertop This depends on the granite you choose. As a rule of thumb, the lighter stones need to be sealed and the darker ones don’t.

Etching is when acids from items such as lemons, alcohols, and even some cleaning products leave dull spots or rings on a stone. Etching is an issue for marble countertops not for granites.

It shouldn’t. Granite is a siliceous natural stone and not highly reactive to acids like a marble or a limestone. If your granite is sealed, the sealer may etch.

Yes you can. Granite is very hard and will dull your knives. Little slivers of the knife may become embedded in your countertop. This is very noticeable with darker granites.

It can. If it chips, it is usually around the sink or near an edge. The chip is usually small and not visible, but, you can feel it. This is easy to repair. A colored epoxy is used to fill in the small area. If you did get a larger chip, save the chip so it can be used to repair your countertop.

No, not usually. the only things that may scratch it are diamonds, other pieces of granite, and some green kitchen scrub pads. Granite can only be scratched by materials which are harder than granite.

No, it can withstand heat up to 1200F. You can set hot pots on your granite countertop without worrying about charring or scorching your granite.

Seams are joints where two pieces of stone meet or join together. Granite slabs are very big but larger kitchens may need a seam or two. If you have curves, arches, or really long spans of granite you will usually need seams.

We use a two part epoxy called Akemi, mixed with a hardener, with added color to match your granite.Once the epoxy is inserted into the seam, we use a vacuum seaming tool to assure a level surface and a tight seam. The Akemi does have an odor, however once it is dry, it becomes odorless. The odor is non-toxic and completely harmless unless directly inhaled for long periods of time. Troy Granite, Inc. suggests to ventilate the area if sensitivity to the odor occurs. Ventilation time should only be approximately two hours.

The weight of granite depends on its density. The average 3/4″ thick granite weighs 13 pounds per square foot, 1 1/4″ thick granite weighs around 18 to 20 pounds per square foot, and 2″ thick granite weighs about 30 pounds per square foot. The darker stones are usually heavier than the lighter stones.

2cm =3/4″, 3cm =1 1/4″, 3cm is the preferred thickness for granite countertops. Troy Granite use 3cm thickness granite for countertops project.

Most cabinets will as long as they’re sturdy. Granite spreads its weight out like a waterbed does. Your cabinets may need to be reinforced if they are not sturdy enough. Troy Granite experts check your cabinets strength.

Not with 1 1/4″ granite. If you plan to use 3/4″, you may

It is used on exteriors and interiors of homes and commercial buildings. The most common uses are for headstones and kitchen countertops. Some other examples include: fireplaces, bars, vanities, sinks, cabinet handles, outlet switch plate covers, tables, walls, benches, fountains, shower surrounds, flooring… If you can imagine it, you can use granite

99% of Troy Granite’s countertop installation takes a day. Very rarely and depending on the size of your job might takes two. Troy Granite’s regular turnaround time is a 10 days. Preparations before installation, such as cutting, polishing and getting your stone to the shop can take anywhere from a week to a month or so.

A mild dish soap and water will work. But, a soap build up may occur over time if you don’t rinse your countertops well.

There are hundreds of granite colors and color combinations. The “groups” of colors are white, black/gray, brown, blue, green, red, pink, yellow, and violet.

Granite countertop costs will vary depending on your region and also the type of granite colors you choose. Exotics, hard to finds, and blues are usually more expensive. Sink cut outs, outlet holes, arches and curves, as well as special edgings and tear outs of old countertops add to the cost. Troy Granite has most reasonable prices wit best service quality.