All Stone Granite

Outdoor Kitchens

2011-04-26T13:01:00.000-07:00

We've seen a growing trend toward the use of outdoor kitchens.

Apparently, others have, too. As I know there are some local appliance places opening new stores dedicated toward this end. So, I believe there is a trend evolving.

Natural Stone is the obvious choice since it's lived outdoors all it's 'life'.['Engineered Alternatives CANNOT live in any sun. Guaranteed Failure. Same for any resin-based product.]

However, almost all Granites have a resin top coat on them. As I've mentioned before, this is for stronger yields. In a lot of cases, the glue is stronger than the surrounding stone. But, at some point, even that small amount of resin is going to give up the ghost. UV and resins don't mix. Period. [Oh, but Boyd, it's advertised as UV resistant...Answer: Umbrellas with holes are water resistant.]

So, the [ethical] stone providers who know this try to limit your selections to stones that are not typically resined. This is very, very limiting. [In our yard, at this moment, I can think of maybe 5 that fit that description]. This means the really pretty exotic ones are off base, unless the outdoor kitchen is 100% shaded.

Well, that is no longer true. We can strip the factory resin and either leather, caress or re-polish the stone. Not all stones will work as some have concentrated areas of factory resin that act as fillers for voids native to the slabs. But, most certainly will work. We can tell by looking at it.

So, you are free to choose what you like. With proper techniques and treatment, a whole new array of exotics are now available.

Bad is still bad

2010-08-31T06:24:00.000-07:00

We are frequently called to repair what the low bidders hoped would be acceptable. While we can usually help to one degree or another, whole scale miracle working is a bit rare.

Let's go back to the car analogy.

If you buy a brand new low end Kia, you get what you paid for. Basic transportation that should get you here and there. It is not a ferrari. It is not a Lexus. It's not an Acura.

When you go furniture shopping, the high end leather couch is going to cost more than the micro fiber alternative. And, if you buy the micro fiber, I can't turn that into leather.

The lifetime warranty costs more than the 'till the check clears' warranty.

The point being that things cost what they cost for a reason.

You can drop a hat over comparable bids from the top 3 shops in Tulsa. We all understand what it takes to do it right and back it up.

When someone comes in 30% cheaper, there is a reason. And, it ain't because they're smarter. It's a matter of how many corners you'll allow them to cut and get away with.

Just a little basic common sense...

De Colores Collection

2009-12-16T12:26:00.000-08:00

I've been admonished recently for not updating this blog very frequently. Probably true.

I'm going to talk about some stuff we've been doing for the past year and a half that, while not new, is certainly new in our market.

When the people who make engineered stone [aka gravel] started squawking about radon and radiation, it really re-infuriated me since this is an old scam that first surfaced about the time gravel hit the market. Marketing against something instead of for something. So, I began researching exactly what their product was and how it is made. A staggering array of chemicals involved. From what the chemists tell me, the vast number of individual components are present to counteract some of the nasty tendencies of the other ingredients.

But, when you boil it down, it is quartz [for the most part- there are other types of natural additives in offshoot products] and colored plastic glue. The colored plastic glue is where the color comes from. Frankly, that is the only advantage the product has. You can get some cool, radical color schemes from their offerings. So, you can have blue oatmeal or green oatmeal or teal oatmeal....

IDEA. I won't go into boring details, but the plastic glue is resin, of which there are a number of types. Resin is present in most natural stone slabs. I've discussed this before, but suffice to say it increases the yield of the slab suppliers.

Certain types of resins are designed to embrace color. An example of this is the glue used for seaming countertops together. Most people color the seam glue to match the base color of the countertop. Makes it less visible.

The Italians, Brazilians, Indians and Chinese routinely dye stone. They won't tell you they do it, but any fabricator who has been around for awhile knows they do it. When the surface of the stone is a deep yellow, then you cut and process it and the edge remains white, that is a fairly clear indication of a dyed stone. There is nothing innately wrong with combining the resin and color aside from the fact that it is a total misrepresentation to both the US supplier and the US fabricator. There are solutions to it, but it is basically dishonest.

This is the background on how the idea came to life. We now inject color into the resin of the slabs and can come up with some very unique offerings that no one else can duplicate. There
are all kinds of nuances and natural characteristics that come into play that influence your results, but we can do some fairly amazing transformations.

We've got some really unique looking stuff that has just landed from Brazil. If you don't understand the potential, you'd be freaked looking at the natural material. As we see it here within the next week or so, I'll chronicle a transformation.

FAQs.

Is it permanent? Yes, for indoor use only.

Will it fade? It can't when used inside. UV light is the enemy, not so much for the dyes [as they are all natural], but for the resin. All resins eventually surrender in UV light. There are some inroads being made in this regard, but I'll wait for long term tests before I get on that bandwagon.

Is it food safe? Absolutely. Along this avenue, we are pursuing an anti-microbial ingredient to add to the mixture for those that are concerned about such things.

Can this process be done to countertop's that are in someone's home? The process is done to whole slabs over a series of days in our shop. We have tinted stone in the field with an offshoot of the overall process. But, 'tint' is the key word. Subtle shading would be another apt phrase. It does not compare to what we can do in a controlled environment.

Do the edges match the surface color? That is the key to it. Since we know what the infused color was, we use the same color to treat the edges. Everything matches. Then, we put a couple of specially designed sealers on the edges. [The color won't move no matter what you do to it, but the 2 sealers are the very best offered on the market. The final sealer is actually said to prohibit UV instability, but I'm not willing to go there just yet.]

We've got some tests going on right now for marble. Since it's getting more and more popular here in the States, we're trying some new techniques to guard against it's natural tendency to etch. Too early for details.

[BTW, some of that pink and blue and green marble you see from Italy began it's life as a gray or white. Been happening for years.]

Alternative Finishes

2009-04-06T13:51:00.000-07:00

I've written about honed, leathered and brushed finishes. These finishes are gaining more and more popularity, especially on the left and right coasts.
Add a new possibility to those. It is called caressed. Think of it as leather with a shine.
You get the same texture as you do with leather [or brushed- same thing], but it takes 5 more steps beyond a traditional leather finish. It brings back a sheen to the stone. Not a full polish, just a sheen. It is very elegant in appearance.
Aside from honed, which is a totally flat finish, leathered and caressed finishes subdue the coloration of the basic stone. What may have been a vivid rust coloration as a polished slab is now muted down about 3 shades as you add texture to the face of the slab. No doubt, it is from the way the light strikes the new finish, but it is remarkable to see.
When the distributors bring in 'brushed' or 'leathered' finishes, that is done at the factory in Brazil or Italy or wherever. It appears that they all stop at the same grit. So, we can duplicate that if need be. However, there are 5 possibilities beyond what they normally provide. We can do any of them.
Want a little more shine? A little less? Whatever you want, we can do.
We have the only machine in the state that will do these alternatives on any stone.

Radon

2008-05-15T09:34:00.000-07:00

I'm going to address this bit of nonsense one more time.

There is a company in Houston, Build Clean, that has resurrected the Radon in Granite myth, again. There are a few things to be aware of:
1] About 1/2 their funding comes from the company that makes Silestone, an engineered gravel alternative to Granite.
2] The other 1/2 comes from Cambria, another engineered gravel company.
3] The national marketing director for Cambria sits on the Build Clean board.
4] One of the major Radon testing kit manufacturers is owned by the parent company who also makes Silestone.

See any pattern here? The old adage 'Follow the Money' couldn't be much clearer.

Here are the results from an independent study on this subject:

"New Study Confirms Safety of Granite Countertops

Cleveland, OH , May 14, 2008 The Marble Institute of American has announced the conclusion of a recently conducted scientific study of thirteen of the most popular granites used for kitchen countertops in the United States during 2007. The study confirms that granite is a safe material for use in kitchens.

The issue of granite containing radon has surfaced repeatedly over the years. The origins of these concerns are advertisements and other communications from the manufacturers of radon detection devices and the manufacturers of competing synthetic countertop materials. Each time these concerns have arisen, the Marble Institute of America, as well as several producing companies, has responded by thoroughly researching the issue to determine if potential health hazards actually exist.

MIAs most recent testing was conducted by L. L. Chyi, a Ph.D. and professor of Geochemistry and Environmental Geology at The University of Akron, Akron , Ohio . Dr. Chyi studied 13 of the most popular granites used throughout the United States as determined by an industry-wide survey. Due to their popularity these 13 granites, are believed to represent up to 85% of the granite countertop market in recent years. The granite types are as follows:

New Venetian Gold, Brazil; medium grained, yellow-beige gneiss with many dark red garnets.
Uba Tuba , Brazil ; A medium- to coarse grained, olive-green granite.
Santa Cecilia , Brazil ; A coarse-grained, yellow-grey gneiss with up to pie-sized, red garnets.
Tropic Brown, Saudi Arabia; medium-grained, brown granite.
Absolute Black, India; black basalt.
Tan Brown, India; A black-brown igneous rock with big, shapeless, brown-red feldspar crystals.
Giallo Ornamental , Brazil ; coarse-grained, brown-yellow granulite with some brown-red garnets.
Crema Bordeaux, Brazil; Juparana Crema Bordeaux (Brunello). A coarse- to very coarse-grained, pink to red granite with areas of quartz, alkali feldspar and quite a lot of ore.
Baltic Brown, Finland; brown-black granite.
Giallo Veneziano , Brazil ; medium- to coarse-grained, ochre-yellow to golden-brown, also light pink, gneiss.
Dakota Mahogany, USA; medium- to coarse-grained, brown-red granite.
China Black, China, a fine-grained plutonic rock.
Yellow Star, China, a medium-grained yellow to pink granite.

The testing methodology was designed to measure the amount of radon which each granite type would add to the interior of a 2,000 square foot, normally ventilated home with 8 ft ceilings.. The results show that Crema Bordeaux (the most active in terms of radon emissions) would contribute a concentration component of less than 0.28 pCi/L, or less than 7% of the EPA's recommended actionable level of 4.0 pCi/L. This radon amount is well below a level which might cause health concerns. Tropic Brown and Baltic Brown, second and third in radon emanation based upon Dr. Chyis testing, amounted to only 1% of this action level. The other granites tested added almost immeasurable amounts of radon to the house.

Dr. Chyis test results show that the granites that are currently found in the United States market place are insignificant contributors to radon levels in the home. Based on the testing results and EPA standards, we can conclude that the most popular granites used as countertop surfaces pose no health threat to homeowners. The test results are available on MIAs website, http://www.marble-institute.com/industryresources/radontesting_u-akron2008.pdf. "

Radon is a naturally occurring gas that is everywhere. The primary source of it is in the earth beneath your feet. Some areas have more than others. In that case, there are remedies for it.

If Radon were the raging concern painted by the engineered gravel people, 1/2 of Europe would be uninhabitable, since stone is everywhere over there. And, it has been for years.

Counter top heights

2008-04-18T05:46:00.000-07:00

If you've been in the remodeling industry for a number of years, this won't be news. However, if you are a normal human, I'm going to address the issue and ramifications of counter top height.

Since we do so many remodels, we are often asked to try and save an existing backsplash. Mostly, we replace formica counters with stone counters. A 'normal' base cabinet is 34.5 inches tall. A 'normal' finished counter height is 36 inches tall. The typical method to prep for formica is to strip out the tops of the cabinets with 1X2's. These are placed around the perimeter of the cabinets and across the tops of the bulkheads of the cabinets. Then, a sheet of 3/4" plywood is placed on top of the furring strips. Then a 1X2 band board is place around the outside perimeter of the cabinets, nailed into the side of the 3/4" plywood. This covers the 1X2 furring strips. Formica is then glued to the top of the plywood and glued to the face of the band board. The top intersection edge is usually beveled so you get that black line that runs around the edge of the cabinets. The backsplash is then placed on top of the formica. Usually, it is tile.

When replacement time comes, here is what you are faced with: 2cm, 3cm or 4cm [laminated] granite tops. 2cm=3/4". 3cm=1 and 1/8". 4cm is two pieces of 2cm glued together. Be mindful that 2cm may actually be 11/16" or it could be 7/8". It depends on who produced it. The same variables apply to 3cm.

So, if you are wanting to save your backsplash, remember it is going to start at 36" off the floor. Once the formica is stripped off, your base cabinet is going to be 34.5" off the floor. So, if you use 2cm or 3cm, there is going to be a gap somewhere. Either on the bottom of the granite, or between the top of the new counter and the existing tile backs.

If you do 4cm, you can re-strip the cabinets with 1X2 furring strips and the laminated edge will cover the furring strips. The counter height should match the existing tile, or within a caulkable margin. The problem here is two-fold. One, you must 'handle' the material about 5 times to get a tight lamination. It is not a matter of simply gluing a secondary piece on the bottom and calling it good. Thus, with all the additional handling, the costs go up.

The second problem is grain match. As people's tastes in stone continue to get more sophisticated, they tend to like unique stone with movement. If all your cabinets are straight runs, no big deal. We can make the grain match. Got any funky angles, big round corners, want the top grains to match properly? Big problems. With any of these conditions, something has to give. And what 'gives' is grain match. So, if the grain match is no big deal to you, this solution will work. However, most of our clients expect it to be right [as do we], so lets go back to 2cm or 3cm.

Furr up the tops to meet the backsplash and run a piece of wood trim under the tops to hide the height variation. This works.

Leave the counters on top of the cabinets and run a piece of tile trim or stone trim to cover the void between the counters and backsplash. This works.

Now, lets look at economics. I'm going to use some 'average' numbers. Let's say you are putting in some very nice 3cm granite. Let's say it will cost $4000. The average backsplash will cost [labor and material] about $350. Am I going to go into contortions trying to save the $350 component? Economically, no.

There are always variables, and if you have individual questions, I'll be happy to answer them, but this should give you a basic overview of some considerations you might want to ponder. No one likes expensive surprises. We would be included in that group.

Leathered finish

2008-03-22T09:39:00.001-07:00

We are now able to offer 'leathered' finishes on any stone. We also do honing and brushing.
The leather finish is kind of like a river-washed effect. As if the softer portions of the stone had been eroded by a natural stream over many, many years. To the touch, it has the slightest texture as you run your fingers over it. It also takes away most of the shine, although we can color enhance it to bring the uniqueness of the stone color back. But, it will remain a matte finish.
Several US slab distributors offer a very limited amount of colors in leathered stone. Usually in dark colors. [Cambrian Black seems to be used quite often]
Now, we can leather any stone. We are not limited to what their suppliers provide. We're running some Golden Crystal right now.
Any color you want can now be leathered, honed or brushed.

Water Jet

2008-03-22T09:32:00.000-07:00

We now offer the only stone water jet service in the state.
We can do signs, business inlays [logos in a conference table as an example], outdoor signage, decorative inlays in countertops. Whatever needs you may have, we have the technology to do it.
We just completed some onyx inlays for Todd Luster, who is doing the Warren theater in Moore, Ok.
There are several examples in the showroom.

Gambling

2008-03-13T14:53:00.000-07:00

For most people, their home is their largest investment. Most are not into gambling on that investment. When it comes time to sell, the primary assets are the Kitchen and Master Bath. That is what we do for a living.

Since we are 100% digital, our work starts in a computer and stays there until a skilled fabricator finishes the polish by hand.

The above image is the bird's eye view of one of our client's kitchen. There is a sink in the top portion of the horse shoe, pretty much in the center. There is a free standing stove on the bottom right and the little piece goes on the other side of the stove. In the picture, the vertical lines on either side of the sink are seam locations. Most companies seam at the corners- we almost never do that, because that is where people look first.

The Stone choice is Crema Mara. It is very active with lots of pattern and color changes.

Next, I'm going to show you a 'normal' layout of this stone. All pieces except the sink piece come out of the first slab. The sink piece somes out of slab two, and it does not matter which corner you choose re the match. This one comes from the top left, which was the best, such as it is.
This method saves the most material. In this case, probably $400 worth of savings, if it was bought domestically [We actually imported this one].

Here's what your gamble looks like:

We're the second Stone Fabricator in the country using this new system. We got it in December and have used it numerous times.

Here is what the clients actual investment will look like:

The difficulty on this layout is the grain and color match on the sink section. In our layout, the colors match and the grain is right.

Did we use more material than the 'normal' one? Yes. Does it show? Yes, it does.

The system actually shows you real time changes as you maneuver the parts over the picture of the stone. Sometimes, it takes a while to get it right. So be it. This one took two of us about 15 minutes to get the color and grain the way we wanted it.

There have been times where we actually changed the seam locations just to get the matches we wanted.

We're not gambling with your investment. We know exactly what it will look like before it ever hits the Sawjet.

2008

2008-03-13T11:02:00.000-07:00

Its' been 13 months since I've updated this blog, and my how things have changed around here.
First, what is on the water right now:

From the Italians, we have a Marble order en route. It should be here in about 3 weeks.
Emperador 2 and 3cm.
Black Guinea 2cm. A very old Italian Quarry. [Guinea is pronounced Gwen-Nay] Our Italian rep is slowly teaching me some Italian. And, I do mean Slowly.
Calacatta Fantastico Light. 2cm. Very pretty white.
Calacatta Fantastico Dark. 3cm. A little darker, but equally pretty.
Breccia Oniciatta. 3cm. This stuff is really pretty, but really fragile. When we open the container, my guys will want to shoot me when they see it. It is difficult to work with.

From the Brazilians, I finished one yesterday. It should be here by the end of April.

2 bundles of 3cm Soapstone with the gorgeous white veining.
1 bundle of 3cm Supreme. A brand new offering from one of our favorite suppliers. Vibrant golds and blacks. This company is famous for their Classico Supreme. I'm guessing this is from a different part of that quarry because the golds and blacks are very similar.
2 bundles of 3cm Napoleon. We got one late last year from the same supplier. It was the best looking Napoleon I've seen in 5 years. Really top-flight. Great colors with no orange or peach.
1 2cm and 1 3cm Giallo Ornamental. Subtle whites, but very elegant.

I'll deal with the hardware and software changes in a later post.

Italian Order

2007-02-14T07:34:00.000-08:00

We just put the finishing touches on our next container from Italy. The nice thing about the Italians is that they can get some materials you can't find anywhere else. The bad thing about the Italians is that they are fully aware of this and charge accordingly. Oh, well...

This is Ice Flower Soapstone. 1 bundle coming. You can get Soapstone in Brazil, but the problem is you almost always have to order a full container of it, since most of these suppliers specialize only in Soapstone. A container of Soapstone would last me about 314 years. The other problem is that it is usually the green type. People prefer the Ice Flower, especially with veins.

This bundle will have a smooth finish on one side and a 'leather' finish on the other. Your choice. BTW, Soapstone is unstainable and always waterproof. It is soft, but we view it sort of like your oldest leather jacket. It will wear a little, but it only adds to it's character.

3cm Juperana Super Classico. 1 bundle. This is Brazilian and I know which quarry produces it, but it rarely looks this good. I assume the Italians have some very good connections.

3cm Juperana Golden Sun. 1 bundle. This is also Brazilian, but I was told that the quarry had died. Apparently not. We used to get this one about 6 years ago, but none until now. This stuff is Stupid Pretty.

3cm Purple Dunes. 1 bundle. Another Stupid Pretty stone. That Maroon color is very deep.

3cm Terra Brasilis. 1 bundle. Only 4 slabs coming. We've had this one before. 'Had' being the key word. We sold out pretty quickly. Same quarrier as the Super Classico. Nice, soft colors with movement.

3cm Cactus Boreale. Only 2 slabs coming. This is very near a quartzite in hardness. Sadly, it is also priced like a Ferrari. We'll have to place this one somewhere in the slab yard where there is proper drainage, otherwise the drool will begin to puddle.

3cm CremaMara. 1 bdl. This is another one I have not seen in about 6 years. Very pretty.

3cm Daino Reale Marble. 1 bundle. Daino Reale is usually a fairly soft grained marble. The mix of the darker brown at the bottom is fairly unusual, but gives it quite a bit more character than normal.

These should ship the week of the 19th of February. They'll probably be in transit for all of March, and should be here the first part of April.

Timing

2006-12-28T07:24:00.000-08:00

How long from the time of templates until installation? The usual answer is 2-3 weeks. There may be extenuating circumstances, such as waiting on delivery from another distributor, but if we stock it, it usually falls into that time frame.

We usually template during the trim stage of a new house, fabricate while the painters are in there, then install immediately after the painters leave.

Remodels are usually different. Circumstances vary. But, with remodels, timing is also critical. Raising a family with no kitchen for any length of time is not very good. So, we try to turn those around as quickly as possible.

If it is a normal remodel where only the tops are being replaced, the installation happens in one day. No down time per se.

I hear stories of 6-8-12 weeks out on installation. Frankly, I can't imagine why it would take so long.

There are large shops around the country that do 3-5 day turnarounds. To do that, you have to be all digital, which is exactly what we're implementing in January of 2007. It'll take a while to fine tune, but all the necessary pieces will be in place by then. A digital templating system, the ability to email the templates immediately after our measurement appointment, a digital template projection system and a second CNC for processing. All this will be here very shortly.

Price per square foot

2006-12-28T07:04:00.000-08:00

This falls into the category of useless information. Pure 'bait and switch' material. What you really want to know is the TOTAL COST.

Do you buy cars by the pound? I would not think so. Everyone can relate to automotive references, but they only go so far. There may be 3 Honda dealers all selling the exact same model. Only the dealerships differ. Not so in stone. Everyone may start with ubatuba, but the results can vary wildly. And, even atrociously.

Big box stores are notorious for luring you in with the big print and gigging you with the small print. As are a number of the scurrilous wannabees. You are not interested in the starting point, you are interested in the ending point. Bottom line.

Estimating cost, templating cost, edge charge per running inch, trip charge, tear out charge, fixing your cabinets charge, base cost per square foot, laminate charge, installation charge, sink cut charge, undermount charge, stove cut charge, hole drilling charge, fabricating charge, slab cost charge, etc. You get the point. What can start at $36 psf can end up at $57 psf in a hurry.

The summation is, ask more pertinent questions. 'Price per square foot' is the proverbial 'tip of the iceberg'.

Pictures of Cachoeiro

2006-12-20T12:14:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of shots of the topography surrounding Cachoeiro, Brazil. [See an older post on the blog about Cachoeiro]

It is very mountainous. Lots of outcroppings. Very lush looking. We were there in June of this year. In the dead of winter. We should be so lucky. Temperatures ranged from about 55-74 degrees. Shorts weather. They all had on long pants and long shirts. It was not too hard to figure out who the Yank was.

The second picture shows a quarry road. Albeit, a flat one. They are not all this flat. This same type road will go snaking up the side of a mountain with solid rock on one side and the fear of God on the other!!!!! This is how some of these blocks get from 'up there' to 'down here'.

I just spoke with a guy who got back from Brazil last friday. Everyone was whining about how much rain they'd had. They were having fits getting blocks down from the mountains to the factories. This is not good, although not unusual. This is their rainy season. It is also right around Christmas, so a number of factories have a limited production schedule anyway.

The pictures look a lot like the mountain areas in Europe. But, in the summer [now], Cachoeiro can be wickedly hot. Well into the 100s with no relief.

One of the reasons Cachoeiro became the Mecca of stone in Brazil was due to the influx of people from Europe who had stoneworking backgrounds. Lots of Italians migrated into the area, due to the natural marble that existed in the region. This, of course, tied into the rise in the granite slab business.

Special thanks to one of our guys in Brazil for these pictures.

Absolute Black

2006-12-20T07:18:00.000-08:00

I'm going to give you some information on this stone and why it has become such a problem.

Originally, Absolute Black came from South Africa. There are a lot of blacks from that part of the world, but this was the darkest with the fewest 'flecks'. For several years now, the quarries have not been producing good blocks. A number of different flaws, but suffice to say, they were not saleable. The 'real' Absolute Black was virtually bullet-proof.

Along come the Indians, as in Eastern part of the world, next to Pakistan. Now, they are not going to admit this, but they have some dark gray stone that they are dying black. There are a number of theories about how they do this. I'm sure the secret is hidden away somewhere, but that is not the point. The point is that they ARE dying it.

Here's the implications: When you use it in a kitchen or any other applications, it is not impervious to acids. Spill some lemon juice on it, let it sit a few minutes and you will have a permanent gray spot where the dye was etched from the stone. There is not a thing I or you or anyone else can do about it. And, it is worse with alternative finishes like leathered or honed surfaces.

If someone is trying to sell you Absolute Black Indian, I'll guarantee you it will not resist acids. I'm a charter member of the SFA, which is the Stone Fabricator's Alliance, and we have members all over the world. Same story everytime on this stone from all the members. It is a problem and most of them will not even sell it. It's that bad.

For now, we'll still offer it, but not without a serious lecture about the do's and don'ts. You need to be aware of the pitfalls.

Renaissance

2006-12-15T14:47:00.001-08:00

The freight forwarders just advised that the Renaissance will arrive in Norfolk, Virginia this evening. History tells me it will take about 2 weeks to get here. So, right at the end of the year.
Our agent informs us we'll be the first in the States to have it.
It comes from a smaller producer and they are limiting their production to only certain buyers. We'll certainly be the only ones in Oklahoma to have it.
We'll place the bundles in spots with ample drainage because if we don't, the daily drool pool in front of the stone will require extra personnel to keep it clean. :-}
Latest word has the next two containers arriving on 7Jan 2007 via the same vessel. That would put them in here around the fourth week of January. However, if they make a load transfer in Mozambique, it may be a bit longer....

Polishing

2006-12-06T12:28:00.000-08:00

This is the front side of what is called a polishing line. Just like the one in the picture, a raw slab is put in, flat, through the front side of the machine. When it emerges, it is fully polished up to a 3500 grit shine.

The latest technology in polishing lines employ 23 polishing heads that will begin at 50 grit and graduate up through 3500. With a late model Breton or Pedrini polishing machine, you can process a full slab inside of 2 minutes. It is almost not fair. 3-20 days to cut it, a few hours for resin, and a mere 2 minutes to finish it.

Small shops may have one polishing machine with only 1 head. That will take several hours to polish. Larger factories may have 3 or 4 polishing lines.

Gang Saws

2006-12-06T11:59:00.000-08:00

How in the heck do they cut something this hard? Actually, there are a number of ways. But, these pictures show the traditional machinery in use. Picture, in the old lumberjack pictures, one guy on either side of a tree with the multi-toothed saw blade with a handle on each end. Back and forth and back and forth. That is pretty much how it is done.

This is the flywheel portion of the driving mechanism. It is huge. Small factories may have one. Large factories may run 6 or 8 continually.

This is the view from the flywheel down the steel girder toward the actual cutting area. The blades [on the end of this girder] are made from spring steel and look just like a pruning blade for wood. The difference is these blades are diamond encrusted. They also continuously pour a slurry that looks like gray oatmeal on top of the blades as they slowly progress through the stone. The slurry contains abrasive agents to aid in the progress.

This is the back side of the saw. This is where the raw blocks are loaded and the newly cut slabs are extracted.

These are the carts that transport the blocks from the yard to the rear of the saws. This picture is from Thor Granitos in Rio. A huge outfit.

Anytime you are in a cutting factory, there is a constant din of low grade noise. It sounds like low grade sandpaper slowly moving back and forth across a piece of wood. The factory people tell me you get used to it, but I didn't. They're probably correct, eventually.

Resin

2006-12-06T08:25:00.000-08:00

Across the country, there seems to be some debate about the advantages or disadvantages of resining stone slabs.

There is really no debate. It is a big plus.

What is it? After the slabs come out of the gang saw, they are dried and then coated with a very thin epoxy [think Super-glue] and then allowed to dry. What this does is penetrate the surface of the slab filling any voids and bonding any fissures so the slabs end up being stronger. And, the surface becomes flatter, which is good. After the glue dries, it then goes through the polishing process where 99% of the glue is removed. Only the voids and sub-surface glues remain.

As a consumer, you can look at the edges of the slab to see if it has what appears to be dried syrup on the edge.

Most exotic stones have to be resined because their waste factor is so high. Resining lowers the waste factor, so exotics then become somewhat more affordable. And, you don't have to be quite so careful handling them. Not that you get sloppy, but rigidity is certainly enhanced.

There are factories that use colored resins, but most of them use a golden colored epoxy with no tint.

Adding epoxy to some stones is absolutely worthless, so don't be alarmed if there is no syrup on ubatuba or absolute black edges. It would no go in, anyway. If it won't take a sealer, it certainly won't take any resin.

Containers

2006-12-06T07:51:00.000-08:00

After the slabs are loaded into containers, it is Cruise Time. This is a picture of a container ship leaving the port of Vitoria, in northern Brazil. This one is anything but full. They will be hitting another port farther north to add containers before traveling to the States.

When one of these is fully loaded, you would swear the slightest wind from the side would topple the boat. Amazingly, they lose very few loads. Thank Goodness.

In optimum conditions, travel from Vitoria to Houston takes about 3 weeks.

Quarries

2006-12-06T06:58:00.000-08:00

Ever wonder where all this stone comes from? As I've noted, most of ours comes from Brazil, specifically northern Brazil. The Bahia region is noted for it's unusual offerings. From the pictures below, you can get an idea of the overall scope of the extraction. And, judging by the size of what is behind the current quarry, you can get an idea of how long the quarry will last. They are finite.

There are numerous quarries of some colors. Say, Santa Cecelia and New Venetian Gold. Same for Ubatuba, which was named for the town from whence it came. That quarry is long gone, but the name stuck. The real name is Verde Labrador.

Other quarries are unique. Sucuri is one. This one is a 'boulder' quarry. There are giant boulders way up in the mountains outside of Cachoeiro. They actually carve the blocks out of the boulders. One of these boulders can produce blocks for 4-8 months. Sonya Secchin, one of the owners, told me they had already located the next boulder and they are probably onto that one by now.

One thing that determines slab size is access. Some of the pictures depict relatively flat areas, so transportation of the blocks to the cutters is not too bad. But, the Sucuri quarry runs up a mountain on a snake-like road, so they have to be very careful about the size of the blocks they extract.

New quarries

There are people searching for new materials day and night. Some are geologists and some are just old stone guys. This is a science, but it is science and experience combined. Most of the greens will come from a certain region, blues from another, exotics from another.

If the target of their sales is the United States, they will be looking for wilder materials. If they are targeting Europe or England, they will be looking for plain whites, grays, or consistent blacks. European tastes in stone are the exact reverse of those in the States.

Quartzites

2006-11-30T12:27:00.001-08:00

There are a lot of really stunning Quartzites on the market, but the problem is they are all outrageously expensive. Is it just a function of prettier stuff being marked up more?

You could make a minor case for that point of view. But, the primary reason is a function of time and materials. When cutting a block of Santa Cecelia or New Venetian Gold. The factories know it will take about 72 hours to cut it. [The only day the Brazilians take off is Christmas. Those saws run 24/7 for 364 days a year]. Put a block of quartzite in there and pack a lunch. 456 hours to cut the same sized block. Plus, it is really, really hard thus using more blade life.

So, they can cut 6+ blocks of Santa Cecelia, or 1 of a quartzite. That is why some of the prettier quartzites are 6 times more expensive than Santa Cecelia.

Something else unusual about quartzites. We got some Azul Macauba in a couple of years ago that had a strip of Santa Cecelia glued to the top side of the stone all the way across the top of the slab. About an inch and 1/2 tall by 9' long. When we were in Brazil, I asked Marcelo, the owner of the Vigui factory, why that was done. He replied that it was done to seat the sawblades into the soft Santa Cecelia before it hit the very hard Macauba. There can be some very serious problems if those blades get out of alignment. So, it was a clever solution to a potentially disasterous problem.

Grades of Granite

2006-11-30T08:47:00.000-08:00

I hear and read so much garbage about 'grades' of Granite.

Let me expound a bit on this subject. There is no universal grading system for Granite. Each individual factory makes their own determinations about what is First, Second, or in some cases 'Commercial' grade. Ideally, when a factory owner cuts a block of say Santa Cecelia, they know what they expect it to look like. These people are very sophisticated at what they do. This is not happenstance. I had factory owners showing me blocks that they knew were going to yield 2nd choice or commercial grade. Sometimes, they are surprised, but not usually.

Virtually all Brazilian factories 'resinate' their slabs. This is a different, yet related, subject. If the Santa Cecelia, which is supposed to be pale yellow with black and gray, with garnets and a gentle flow, somehow has a football sized black spot in the middle of it, it will be termed 2nd choice, or perhaps even commercial. Structurally, is it inferior? No. It is a color flaw only. It will 'perform' no differently. As a fabricator, I'll cut around that spot. As a distributor, they can't buy materials like that because the normal fabricator will jump up and down about the spot.

Now, I'm not saying that all US distributors ignore 2nd and 3rd choice stones. Because, I know first hand that they buy 2nds and 3rds all day long. There are some materials, like Boreal or Key West Gold, that are infamous for having blue spots in them. Depending on the size and location, they may be graded from 1-3. Is there any structural problem? No. The problem I have with some distributors is that they'll buy what I know are clearly second choice stones and then charge A grade prices. There are four that service this area that are famous for that.

To summarize, there are about 4 primary reasons why a slab may be downgraded. Spots, coloration, fissures or cracks, and pocked surfaces. Fissures and filled cracks [with epoxy resin by the factory] are a part of some stones. You know they are going to be there. Most factories are good at filling voids, but some are not. These can certainly downgrade a stone. But, frankly, we can fix even a bad patch job by the factory.

Now, pocked surfaces are a problem. Can we fix them? It depends. It is a function of time. Do you want to devote one employee for 8 hours to try and salvage a slab of Tropical Brown? The math is not favorable for that. When we or our agents examine stone, one of the first things we'll do is look at the surface 'down light'. That is where the pits or pocks will be noticable. Tropical Brown and Baltic Brown are two to examine closely.

This is Golden Shadow, 2nd choice. In all likelyhood, this is probably New Lapidus. Different factories use different names. Note the color change from the top portion to the bottom section. That is why this was a '2nd choice' stone.

Therefore, 'grades' are in the eye of the beholder. If it is pleasing to your eye, and some little Brazilian inspector deemed it 2nd choice, so what? If you like it, that's the bottom line.

Brazilian Factories

2006-11-30T07:46:00.000-08:00

Ever wonder where all this Granite comes from? Well, it comes from all over the world, but most of the really pretty stuff comes from Brazil. Probably 80% of what we carry comes from Brazil.

In Brazil, the epi-center of stone is in a city called Cachoeiro. It is north of Rio and south of Vitoria via a snake-like road that encourages you to keep your eyes closed for the entire 2 hour trip. The Brazilians seem to gain an unusual sense of vehicular humor when facing a steering wheel.

Back to Cachoeiro. It is a city of about a million people that looks like it stopped growing in 1926. In Cachoeiro, there are about 600 granite factories. Most of them are quite small. Some don't even saw their own material. But, what you usually see is a tin roof, no side walls, a crane beneath the roof, a gang saw that cuts the blocks, and a polishing machine that polishes the rough cut slabs. Then, they'll have a loading area where they fill the containers. The containers are then taken back up that snake-like road to Vitoria, which is the port that most of the companies use.

When we were there last June, the middle of their 'winter', we ran across a number of owners of large slab distribution companies from the US. When they found out we were fabricators, they were not exactly enthralled with our visit to 'their' domain. Because, traditionally, fabricators buy from US distributors. We do too, but to a much lesser extent. One of the problems the US distributors have is that they need volume and consistency. That means they have to buy from the larger factories for the most part.

We're not hampered by that. We have two agents on the ground in Brazil who do nothing but run the back alleys looking for unusual materials and the ocassional bargain. We also buy from some medium-sized factories, but I'm more interested in the unusual materials. You can see from the pictures below what is headed our way. You won't find some of them anywhere else. At least, for now. But, by the time the others catch up, we'll be onto other things.

Because we're able to go direct, we're able to place stones like Juperana Fantasy or Taboo or Fantastico Dark into a builder line program. If anyone else could get materials this pretty from a US distributor, they would certainly not be in a builder program. Same thing for some of the upper end stones such as Matrix Motion. We're able to keep that in a middle range, while others are forced to place it in ultra-high end pricing. That is because several of the US distributors are charging substantially more than what we paid. Same stone, same grade.

Currently, we have about 125 colors. Of those, about 25-30 are in the builder line. Tastes in Granite are getting more sophisticated. People like natural stones that have some sort of pattern. That is what we're really good at. Not just acquisition, but fabrication and installation, as well.

This is a fairly large factory outside of Cachoeiro. Sits on the side of a hill over the river that runs thru the city. Very pretty place. You see the typical tin roof, with a crane underneath. Their slab storage is in front. Their gang saws are in the background. To the left, not in view, is the polishing line. Just beyond the gang saws is the block storage yard. This factory is famous for Sucuri.

Top polishing

2006-11-30T07:21:00.000-08:00

Since we're the only company in the state that does it, you'll get wide-eyed stares from the lesser shops when you bring this topic up.

What's the big deal? Well, seams are the big deal. In theory, all slabs are dead flat and have no warpage. That would be 'in theory' only, because it is not that way in the real world. In 2cm stone, you can manhandle it a bit to deal with warpage. In 3cm, there is no manhandling. It is simply too strong. Now, we have mechanical devices that lessen the warpage as we install, but that does not guarantee that it will be dead flat.

This is where 'top polishing' comes in. After the seam is set with the epoxy, we then flatten the seam with special tooling. Then, with special tooling and technique, we bring the shine back up to 'factory' levels. You may sometimes see a hint of the seam, but you'll never 'feel' it.

It is a big deal. It is a built in part of the service that we provide.

Cheap Chinese Sinks

2006-11-30T07:08:00.000-08:00

Do we offer them? No.
Will we? No.
We've had every sink salesweasel in the Midwest in here trying to get us to carry their sub-standard products. We're not going to do it.

Here is a little test you can do. Get one of those rubber refrigerator magnets and place it on the sink in several places. If it is true stainless steel, it won't stick. Here's a hint, if it is a cheap Chinese sink, it's going to stick. What does that mean? It means it is going to rust.

Here's the analogy that comes to mind. Go down to the Maserati dealership, buy the most expensive performance car they have, then head to K-Mart for the cheapest 2 ply tires they have.

To actually make the sink stainless is the most expensive process in the making of the sinks. This is the step the Chinese and others omit.

So, when your bargain sinks rusts and you try to replace it with a REAL sink, is it going to fit?
Probably not. A classic example of 'You get what you paid for'.

'Engineered Stone'

2006-11-29T13:29:00.000-08:00

Or as we call it, Engineered Gravel, which is exactly what it is.
[We also call it 'Fat Formica']

History

Back in the 1950s, Mr. Breton of Italy began mining what he thought was going to be a quarry for quartz slabs. Much to his chagrin, they netted no slabs, only loose quartz gravel. Clever guy that he was, he formulated a way to make molds for the loose gravel and then pour a thin epoxy glue into the mold to hold the gravel together. Thus, engineered gravel became a reality. In Italy, one of the world capitals of stone working and processing, it began to get an increasing market share. Then suddenly, it's market share began to tumble as people began to realize it's inherent weaknesses. This pattern has repeated around the world.

The Bretons would allow only one manufacturer per country in the beginning. That way, they could control the competition. A clever idea. However, recently, there have been an explosion of EG providers, from all over the world. All with the same basic premise as Breton's. There have been 'innovations' put into the mix of materials used. Metal washers, mirrors, oyster shells, mother of pearl et all. But still, the key ingredient is the glue.

The Mantra

The EG people bleat that it is 92-97% quartz. In a jaded fashion, that is true. But, that is measured by weight, not surface area as they are inferring. Most quartz is sort of milky white in color. The color in EG is achieved via tinting the glue. If it was 92% quartz, all their products would be a milky white color.

'Never needs to be sealed, like Granite'... A double negative. There are some EGs that require sealing. There are some Granites that you CAN'T seal. You can try, but it won't go in. If you have been taken in by the Sealer Squealers, ask us for a granite that won't require sealing. We have plenty of them. Or, if you have mastered the use of a spray bottle, a watch and a rag, you can spend 10 minutes every 10 years and reseal your stone. Or, you can believe some of the Italian stone experts, who say most granites don't need a sealer.

Our last house had Kashmir White Granite, from India, in it. Kashmir White, in my trade, is known as a 'sponge' of a stone. For a granite, it is very soft. If any stone is going to stain, it would be this one. 7 years, no sealer, no stains. Coffee, red wine, cooking oils, Kool-Aid etc. all graced it's face. Looked brand new when we moved.

'Thermal Shock'. aka- Heat. Don't you dare take a hot pot or pan fresh from a heat source and put it on any EG. Within seconds, you'll have a lasting reminder of that moment. You can't hurt the quartz, but that glue is very soft. It will melt away leaving traces of VOC in the air. That's Haz-Mat stuff. Very nasty.
With Granite, no worries. I mean NONE.

Hardness, or rather Softness

Hardness of materials are measured on the moh scale. The hardest is diamond, a '10'. The softest is talc, a '1'. Granites run from '6'-'8'. Quartz is a '7'. Epoxy glue is a '3'. Very soft. On Granite, you can use every knive in your drawer to cut on it. They'll all end up dull, but the Granite will be fine. Don't do it on EG. If you hit the glue, there will be a 'memory' forever.

UV Light

UV light has no effect on Granite. It has a seriously negative effect on EG. The reason? The most expensive component of EG is the glue, therefore, they use the least expensive glue possible. [You can check with Tenax USA- they supply most of the glue in the industry] The least expensive glue, as you might imagine, has no UV inhibitors in it. Therefore, you can't use EG outside or in front of any window that does not inhibit UV light, or any product DuPont or their competitors makes, either. Same deal.
How many 'engineered' products do you see in graveyards? Zero. It's all natural stone. Now, you know why.

Dr. Hansel

Dr. Hans Dieter Hansel, a renowned geologist from Australia, has studied and written numerous articles on this subject. One of his articles is here: http://www.stoneadvice.com/forum/Stone-Tips1481.html&highlight=australia
Copy and paste.
His basic analogy is that EG is the particle board of the lumber industry. As you probably know, most people don't use particle board for much of anything anymore.

Follow the Money

Now, there are people who have millions of dollars invested in the production and marketing of this product. They are not stupid.
They will pay newsreaders to tell you how great it is. It is not.
They will pay designers on television to tell you how pretty it is. It is not.
They will spend tons on Home Improvement magazines to show you that it is THE choice for kitchen countertops. It is not.
They will affiliate with Box Stores and have pimple-faced clerks tell you it is WAY better than Granite. It is not.

We are in the business of improving your home and your investment. We are not about to put a product into your home that won't perform. EG would be fine for a bathroom, where there is nothing sharp or hot, but certainly not in a kitchen.

BSF

Burns, Scratches and Fades. So, if your kitchen has no windows, and you don't use an oven or cooktop, and don't use knives in food prepartion, you'll be just fine....No worries.

Real Estate Advertising

Next time you think of it, pick up a newspaper or magazine advertising homes. Take a look for a phrase you won't find: 'Synthetic Stone countertops' or 'Engineered Stone countertops'. Why not? You'll certainly see the words Granite or Marble or Natural Stone. I wonder Why?
Oh, that's right. They add value to your most expensive investment.
Take a look at the facts. They don't lie. Marketers, on the other hand,....

2006-11-27T14:54:00.000-08:00

We just finished putting together the next container which should arrive in late January of 2007.

In Brazil, this one is called Icaro. I'm not too fond of words or thoughts that begins with 'Ick' so I'll be tempted to change the name on this one. It's got the look and colors of the old Taupe. It may be called New Taupe. We'll see. 3cm. 1 bundle.

This one is called IceScream. 3cm. Clever name, but it is a little plain. It may or may not make the cut. 1 bundles.

3cm Deep Purple. It looks like a Quartzite. I've asked for it's properties, but I don't know yet.
Doesn't matter, it was too cool to pass up. 1 bundle.

2 bundles of 3cm Copper Canyon. aka Persian Brown. aka Juperana Picasso. aka Cooper Canyon. aka Juperana Desert. Ok, you get the idea. Lots of names for this stone. This quarry has been having some troubles for a while now. There is some very strange coloration in some of the offerings. These colors are traditional and the movement is just right. I look through a lot of pictures of this stone before I ever find anything I like.

A new one. 2 bundles of 3cm Sunshine. Sometimes you glance at a picture and it grabs you. This one grabbed. Twice.

Next Container

2006-11-21T09:07:00.000-08:00

This is 3cm Manhattan.

This is 3cm Suprema Gold, aka Classico Supreme. 2 bundles coming.

3cm Pietra Imperiale. 1 bundle coming.
Also, some 3cm New Venetian Gold with some nice movement. Some 3cm Santa Cecelia Light, which we have not had for several years.
This container should load in late November and should be here in January of 2007.

2cm Juliet

2006-11-21T08:54:00.000-08:00

This is 2cm Juliet. We have one bundle coming. It is with the Renassaince. It will be here by Christmas 2006.

On the water

2006-11-21T08:43:00.001-08:00

This is 3cm Renassaince. A brand new material. We have 4 bundles of 3cm and 2 bundles of 2cm loading in Vitoria, Brazil as of Nov. 19th, 2006. It should be here by Christmas.